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The Mimamsa Concept of Dharma

Philosophy of Religion (University of Delhi)

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TheÊConceptÊofÊDharmaÊ(Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā)
22 December 2021 09:27

Introduction

TheÊWordÊ‘Mīmāṁsā’ÊliterallyÊmeansÊ‘reveredÊthought’ÊandÊwasÊoriginallyÊappliedÊtoÊtheÊinterpretationÊofÊtheÊVedicÊ
ritualsÊwhichÊcommandedÊhighestÊreverence.ÊTheÊschoolÊofÊMīmāṁsāÊgivesÊusÊrulesÊaccordingÊtoÊwhichÊtheÊ
commandmentsÊofÊtheÊVedaÊareÊtoÊbeÊinterpretedÊandÊbyÊgivingÊaÊphilosophicalÊjustificationÊforÊtheÊVedicÊritualism.Ê
MīmāṁsāÊandÊVedāntaÊareÊtreatedÊasÊalliedÊsystemsÊofÊthought,ÊforÊtheyÊareÊbothÊbasedÊonÊandÊbothÊtryÊtoÊinterpretÊtheÊ
Veda.ÊTheÊearlierÊportionÊofÊtheÊVedaÊisÊcalledÊtheÊKarmakāṇḍa,ÊwhileÊtheÊlaterÊportionÊisÊcalledÊJñānakāṇḍa,ÊbecauseÊ
theÊformerÊdealsÊwithÊaction,ÊwithÊtheÊritualsÊandÊtheÊsacrifices,ÊwhileÊtheÊlatterÊdealsÊwithÊtheÊknowledgeÊofÊreality.Ê
MīmāṁsāÊdealsÊwithÊtheÊearlierÊportionÊofÊtheÊVedaÊandÊisÊthereforeÊcalledÊPūrva- MīmāṁsāÊandÊalsoÊKarma-
Mīmāṁsā,ÊwhileÊVedāntaÊdealsÊwithÊtheÊlaterÊportionÊofÊtheÊVedaÊandÊisÊthereforeÊcalledÊUttara- MīmāṁsāÊandÊalsoÊ
Jñāna-Mīmāṁsā.ÊJamini,ÊauthorÊofÊtheÊMīmāṁsā-Sutra,ÊisÊregardedÊasÊtheÊfounderÊofÊPūrvaÊMīmāṁsā.ÊFamousÊ
philosophersÊofÊtheÊMīmāṁsāÊschoolÊofÊphilosophyÊincludeÊPrabhākaraÊandÊKumārila.ÊPūrvaÊMīmāṁsāÊregardsÊtheÊ
VedaÊasÊeternalÊandÊauthorlessÊandÊofÊinfallibleÊauthority.ÊTheÊaimÊofÊtheÊMīmāṁsāÊisÊtoÊsupplyÊtheÊprinciplesÊaccordingÊ
toÊwhichÊtheÊVedicÊtextsÊareÊtoÊbeÊinterpretedÊandÊtoÊprovideÊphilosophicalÊjustificationÊforÊtheÊviewsÊcontainedÊtherein.Ê

DharmaÊasÊunderstoodÊbyÊPūrvaÊMīmāṃsāÊcanÊbeÊlooselyÊtranslatedÊintoÊEnglishÊasÊ"virtue",Ê"morality"ÊorÊ"duty".ÊTheÊ
PūrvaÊMīmāṃsāÊschoolÊtracesÊtheÊsourceÊofÊtheÊknowledgeÊofÊdharmaÊneitherÊtoÊsense-experienceÊnorÊinference,ÊbutÊtoÊ
verbalÊcognitionÊ(i.e.ÊknowledgeÊofÊwordsÊandÊmeanings)ÊaccordingÊtoÊVedas.ÊTheÊPūrvaÊMīmāṃsāÊschoolÊheldÊdharmaÊ
toÊbeÊequivalentÊtoÊfollowingÊtheÊprescriptionsÊofÊtheÊSaṃhitāsÊandÊtheirÊBrāhmaṇaÊcommentariesÊrelatingÊtheÊcorrectÊ
performanceÊofÊVedicÊrituals.ÊSeenÊinÊthisÊlight,ÊPūrvaÊMīmāṃsāÊisÊessentiallyÊritualistÊ(orthopraxy),ÊplacingÊgreatÊ
weightÊonÊtheÊperformanceÊofÊkarmaÊorÊactionÊasÊenjoinedÊbyÊtheÊVedas.Ê

Dharma

DharmsÊisÊtheÊsubjectÊofÊinquiryÊinÊMīmāṃsā.ÊJaiminiÊdefinesÊdharmaÊasÊaÊcommandÊorÊinjunctionÊwhichÊimpelsÊmenÊtoÊ
action.ÊItÊisÊtheÊsupremeÊduty,ÊtheÊ‘ought',ÊtheÊ‘categoricalÊimperative'.ÊDharmaÊandÊadharmaÊdealÊwithÊhappinessÊandÊ
painÊtoÊbeÊenjoyedÊorÊsufferedÊinÊtheÊlifeÊbeyond.ÊActionsÊperformedÊhereÊproduceÊanÊunseenÊpotencyÊ(apûrva)ÊinÊtheÊ
soulÊofÊtheÊagentÊwhichÊyieldsÊfruitÊwhenÊobstructionsÊareÊremovedÊandÊtimeÊbecomesÊripeÊforÊitsÊfructification.ÊTheÊ
apûrvaÊisÊtheÊlinkÊbetweenÊtheÊactÊandÊitsÊfruit.ÊItÊisÊtheÊcausalÊpotencyÊ(shakti)ÊinÊtheÊactÊwhichÊleadsÊtoÊitsÊfructification.

ActionsÊareÊfirstÊdividedÊintoÊthreeÊkinds—obligatory,Êoptional,ÊandÊprohibited.ÊObligatoryÊactionsÊ(whichÊmustÊbeÊ
performed,ÊforÊtheirÊviolationÊresultsÊinÊsin,ÊthoughÊtheirÊperformanceÊleadsÊtoÊnoÊmerit)ÊareÊofÊtwoÊkinds—thoseÊwhichÊ
mustÊbeÊperformedÊdailyÊ(nitya)ÊlikeÊdailyÊprayersÊ(sandhyâvan- dana)Êetc.,ÊandÊthoseÊwhichÊmustÊbeÊperformedÊonÊ
specifiedÊoccasionsÊ(naimittika).ÊOptionalÊactionsÊareÊcalledÊkämyaÊandÊtheirÊperformanceÊleadsÊtoÊmerit,Êe.g.,ÊheÊwhoÊ
wantsÊtoÊgoÊtoÊheavenÊshouldÊperformÊcertainÊsacrificesÊ(svargakämoÊyajeta).ÊProhibitedÊactionsÊareÊcalledÊpratisiddhaÊ
andÊtheirÊperformanceÊincursÊsinÊandÊleadsÊtoÊhell.Ê

TheÊearlierÊMïmâmsakaÊbelievedÊonlyÊinÊdharmaÊ(andÊnotÊinÊmoksa)ÊandÊtheirÊidealÊwasÊtheÊattainmentÊofÊheavenÊ
(svarga).ÊButÊlaterÊMïmâmsakasÊbelieveÊinÊmoksaÊandÊsubstituteÊtheÊidealÊofÊheavenÊbyÊthatÊofÊliberationÊ(apavarga).Ê
TheÊsoulÊisÊchainedÊtoÊSamsaraÊonÊaccountÊofÊitsÊassociationÊwithÊtheÊbody,ÊtheÊsenses,ÊtheÊmindÊandÊtheÊunderstanding.Ê
ThroughÊthisÊassociation,ÊtheÊsoulÊbecomesÊaÊknower,ÊanÊenjoyerÊandÊanÊagent.ÊThisÊassociationÊisÊdueÊtoÊkarmaÊwhichÊ
isÊtheÊcauseÊofÊbondage.ÊWhenÊtheÊcauseÊisÊremoved,ÊtheÊeffectÊalsoÊceasesÊtoÊexist.ÊSoÊabstentionÊfromÊkarmaÊ
automaticallyÊleadsÊtoÊtheÊdissolutionÊofÊtheÊ‘marriage-tie’ÊofÊtheÊsoulÊwithÊtheÊbody,ÊtheÊsenses,ÊtheÊmindÊetc.ÊandÊ
consequentlyÊtoÊtheÊreturnÊofÊtheÊsoulÊtoÊitsÊpureÊnatureÊasÊaÊsubstanceÊridÊofÊallÊqualitiesÊandÊmodesÊincludingÊ
consciousnessÊandÊblissÊalso.ÊItÊisÊaÊstateÊofÊfreedomÊfromÊallÊpainÊandÊdesireÊandÊconsciousness.

TheÊseekerÊforÊliberationÊhasÊtoÊriseÊaboveÊbothÊmeritÊandÊdemerit,ÊaboveÊbothÊheavenÊandÊhell.ÊButÊevenÊheÊshouldÊ
performÊtheÊobligatoryÊ(nityaÊandÊnaimittika)ÊactionsÊenjoinedÊbyÊtheÊVeda.ÊPrabhäkaraÊbelievesÊinÊ‘dutyÊforÊduty’sÊ
sake’.ÊObedienceÊtoÊtheÊVedaÊisÊanÊendÊinÊitselfÊandÊisÊofÊultimateÊvalueÊ(purusärtha).ÊTheseÊactionsÊmustÊbeÊperformedÊ
inÊanÊabsolutelyÊdetachedÊmannerÊwithoutÊanyÊconsiderationÊofÊrewardÊsimplyÊbecauseÊtheyÊareÊtheÊcommandsÊofÊtheÊ
Veda.ÊPrabhäkaraÊbelievesÊinÊtheÊutterÊsupremacyÊofÊaction,ÊthoughÊheÊadmitsÊknowledgeÊalsoÊasÊaÊmeansÊofÊliberation.Ê

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KumarilaÊbelievesÊinÊjnâna- karma-samuchchayavädaÊorÊinÊaÊharmoniousÊcombinationÊofÊknowledgeÊandÊactionÊasÊaÊ
meansÊtoÊliberationÊandÊthusÊpavesÊtheÊwayÊforÊAdvaitaÊVedanta.

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