Mimamsa
Mimamsa (inquiry) is one of the six traditional
orthodox schools of Indian philosophy. The
Mimamsa SUTRAS of Jaimini (c. third century C.E.)
is the first extant text of the tradition.
Mimamsa in its earliest form (Purva [early]
Mimamsa) preserves a strict Vedic tradition; it
sees the Vedas as eternal, divine texts that should
guide all life and action. According to early
Mimamsa one must do one’s ritual duties and
worldly duties precisely according to the Vedas.
The Mimamsa texts, therefore, aim to clarify the
precise meaning of each Vedic injunction, so that
devotees can reach the heavenly realm after death.
The Mimamsakas argue very strongly that even
the UPANISHADS, valued by so many for their phi-
losophy, should be read only to learn any require-
ments for action that they may contain.
Mimamsa cannot be said to be theistic or ori-
ented toward gods in a true sense; the gods are at
the beck and call of humans thanks to the power
of the Vedic MANTRAS. Gods exist, but the Vedas
supersede all. The soul or self is understood to
exist in Mimamsa, as in all six orthodox Brah-
minical systems.
Early Mimamsa preserved the ancient Vedic
understanding of the afterlife: after death, a
person went to a heavenly realm somewhat like
the earthly one, where one remained in a happy
state, being fed by one’s family. There is no overt
mention of reincarnation in the Vedic mantras
themselves, with the exception of the late ISHA
UPANISHAD, which is appended to the mantras
of the YAJUR VEDA. Salvation itself in Mimamsa
put the soul in an inert state, liberated from the
bonds of earthly existence through proper per-
formance of Vedic duty. As Mimamsa developed
and changed around the seventh century with
the commentary of Shabaraswamin, it accepted
the notion of karma and rebirth. In this respect it
converged, as did YOGA, with the other VEDANTIC
schools.
Two lines of teachers, drawing upon Prabha-
kara and Kumarila (eighth and ninth centuries),
refined the doctrine further, using careful philo-
sophical analysis of perception, causation, and the
like, for the purposes of this school. This precise
investigation was replicated in the commentary
on the Upanishads that developed into VEDANTA.
Because it was seen as an extension of the earlier
Mimamsic investigative method, Vedanta is often
called Uttara Mimamsa, or “later Mimamsa.”Further reading: Francis X. Clooney, Thinking Ritually:
Rediscovering the Purva Mimamsa of Jaimini (Vienna:
Institut für Indologie, 1990); S. N. Dasgupta, A History
of Indian Philosophy, Vol. 1 (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass,
1975).Minakshi
Minakshi is the GODDESS of the city of Madurai. Her
shrine is the site of one of India’s most spectacular
temples, the Meenakshi Sundareshvarar Temple.
Her name (mina, fish; aksha, eye) is understood
to mean “she whose eyes are the shape of lovely
fishes,” the translation of her original Tamil name,
Ankayalkanni.
There is little question that Minakshi was
the overseer of Madurai from very ancient times.
However, as the Brahminical influence entered
Tamil Nadu she was assimilated into the larger
Brahminical culture as the wife of SHIVA.
The story goes that Minakshi’s father and
mother performed a special ritual to get a son.
Instead of a son, a girl child emerged from the fire
with three breasts. The parents were told to treat
her as a prince would be treated and have her
assume rulership. She was a powerful warrior and
defeated all beings in all the directions. One day,
however, she contended with SHIVA himself; upon
seeing him, she fell in love. As this happened, she
suddenly became bashful and timid (no doubt
a patriarchal addition to the story!) and lost her
third breast. She and Shiva were ceremoniously
married, and he then became the king of Madurai
and she the queen; the temple is now dedicated to
both deities.Minakshi 289 J