ಪೂರ್ವಮೀಮಾಂಸಾ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೋತ್ತರರೂಪದ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ನಕಲು

1. What is pUrva mImAmsA (PM)?

"pUrva" means "antecedent", and "mImAmsA" means examination. So "pUrva

mImAmsA" means "Examination of the antecedent (portions of the Veda)".

The Veda consists of four parts: saMhita, brAhmaNa, AraNyaka,

upanishhad. PM studies the first three parts which are commonly known

as "karma kANDa". The last part, the upanishhad, is known as "GYAna

kANDa", and is studied as "uttara mImAmsA" or VedAnta.

2. What is the fundamental enquiry of PM?

Questions such as: 'Is there a right or wrong way to act?', 'What are

the means of knowing right action from wrong action?', 'What is good

and evil?', etc. are studied by a branch of philosophy called 'Ethics'.

PM can be best construed of as "Vedic Ethics". Thus PM is essentially

an enquiry into the nature of dharma (Duty/Morality/Virtue), and

answers ethical and moral questions from the Vedic viewpoint.

3. Why study PM?

There are at least two motivating factors to the study of PM on this

list:

(1) The chief pUrvapaksha (objection) to Shankaran VedAnta is PM. It is reasonable that without understanding the pUrvapaksha, it would be

impossible to properly understand the siddhAnta (conclusion).

(2) Non-sannyAsins are not really qualified to study VedAnta, and can

(and ought to) only study PM, which is considered a stepping stone to

studying VedAnta.

4. How does PM fit into the practical aspect of advaita VedAnta?

The goal of the Vedas is Self-realization. This can be achieved only by

a study of VedAnta, which demands pre-requisites of the student, which

are: viveka  (discrimination - between the permanent and transient),

vairAgya (dispassion - to objects that are transient), shhaT-sampat

(six virtues, which are - shama (calmness), dama (Self-restraint),

uparati (Self-withdrawal), titikshA (forbearance), shraddhA (Conviction - in the way), samAdhAna (self-settledness)), and mumukshutva (Yearning for Liberation). If one does not possess the pre-requisites, then one is ineligible to study VedAnta (such study will not lead to Self-realization), and ought to practice dharma in order to develop therefore said qualities. The practice of dharma is aided by a thorough study of dharma, which forms the subject matter of PM.

5. What are the texts, and who are the proponents of PM?

The primary text of PM is Jaimini's "pUrva mImAmsA sUtra" (JPMS). Along with BAdarAyaNa's "Brahma sUtra", the two books constitute the first exegeses of the Vedas - of the karma kANDa and GYAna kANDa portions respectively. Jaimini and BAdarAyaNa were undoubtedly contemporaries, as revealed by the fact that JPMS 1.1.5 refers to BAdarAyaNa while Brahma sUtra 1.3.31 refers to Jaimini. Tradition believes that Jaimini was a disciple of BAdarAyaNa.

The authoritative commentary on JPMS is by ShabarasvAmin, on which two

sub-commentaries exist by PrabhAkara and KumArila BhaTTa.

The school branches out in this manner:

Jaimini (founder)

|

|-->ShabarasvAmin

|

|-->PrabhAkara

|

|-->KumArila BhaTTa (key proponent)

|

|-->Sucharita Mishra

|

|-->PArthasArathi Mishra

|

|-->Someshvara BhaTTa

The most important and key proponent of PM is traditionally considered

to be KumArila BhaTTa, whose vArttika consists of three parts:

(1) shlokavArttika (1.1 of Jaimini), which gives the fundamentals of

dharma - what it is and how it can be known, what the differences are

between PM and the other schools, various PM theories on Self, world,

etc. I will be using this extensively.

(2) tantravArttika (1.2 - 3.8 of Jaimini) deals heavily with arguments

against the Buddhists in defense of the Vedas, questioning modes of

conduct such as wine-drinking, when and where to perform a Vedic rite,

etc. I will only make peripheral use of this text.

(3) tuptikA (remaining chapters 4-12 of Jaimini), which is "very

advanced" vaidika dharma, such as the relationship between

mantra-deity-yaGYa, how a particular Vedic rite (such as the ashvamedha yaGYa) should be performed, etc.