Four Orthodox Schools: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, and Mimamsa

Hindu philosophy traditionally recognises six orthodox schools of thought. Four of them — Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, and Mimamsa — built distinct systems of logic, physics, and ritual interpretation.

MCQ Questions

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Four Orthodox Schools

Distinct systems of logic, physics, psychology, and ritual interpretation

Nyaya

Founded by Gautama

Formal system of logic

Structured reasoning, a form of syllogism

Vaisheshika

Founded by Kanada

Early theory of atomism

Classifies reality into distinct categories

Samkhya

Purusha-Prakriti dualism

Consciousness vs. matter/nature

Liberation through correctly distinguishing the two

Mimamsa

Founded by Jaimini

Interprets Vedic ritual injunctions

Correct ritual performance as central to dharma

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Must Know

• The six orthodox schools are traditionally grouped in three pairs: Nyaya-Vaisheshika, Samkhya-Yoga, and Mimamsa-Vedanta. Each pair shares closely related concerns.
• The Nyaya school, founded by Gautama, developed a formal system of logic. It centres on structured reasoning, including a form of syllogism used to establish valid knowledge.
• The Vaisheshika school, founded by Kanada, developed an early theory of atomism. It classified reality into distinct categories of substance.
• The Samkhya school proposes a dualism between Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (matter or nature). Liberation comes through correctly distinguishing between the two.
• The Mimamsa school, founded by Jaimini, focused on interpreting Vedic ritual injunctions. It treated correct ritual performance as central to dharma.

Good to Know

• Nyaya’s formal logic and Vaisheshika’s physical categories were later treated as complementary systems. Nyaya’s reasoning tools were often applied to establish the very categories Vaisheshika described.
• Samkhya’s Purusha-Prakriti dualism heavily influenced the Yoga school’s own practical framework. Yoga is traditionally paired with Samkhya precisely because it builds practice on top of Samkhya’s theory.
• Mimamsa’s intense focus on ritual precision made it less concerned with metaphysical speculation than schools like Vedanta. Its central question was how to correctly interpret and perform Vedic injunctions, not what ultimate reality consists of.

Test Yourself

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1. The six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy are traditionally grouped in three pairs. Which school is traditionally paired with Vaisheshika?

Nyaya

Samkhya

Mimamsa

Vedanta

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Great to Know

• Vaisheshika’s atomism, developed independently in ancient India, is often compared to early Greek atomist thought. But the two systems arose from very different philosophical starting points, showing how similar physical intuitions can emerge from separate traditions.
• The traditional pairing of these six schools into three complementary groups reflects a deliberate effort to organise Indian philosophy systematically. Each pair addresses a related domain — logic and physics, psychology and practice, ritual and metaphysics — rather than existing as six entirely unrelated systems.