Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Sage Jaimini - Author of Mimamsa Philosophy


Jaimini was an ancient rishi (sage), who was a great philosopher of the Mimansa school of Indian philosophy. He was the disciple of the great Rishi Veda Vyasa, the son of Rishi Parashara.


Important works of Jaimini

Purva Mimamsa Sutras

Jaimini is most known for his great treatise Purva Mimamsa Sutras (“First Reflection”), or Karma-mimamsa (“Study of [Ritual] Action”), a system that investigates the nature of Vedic injunctions. The text founded the Purva-Mimamsa school of Ancient Indian philosophy, one of the six Darsanas or schools of Ancient Indian philosophy.
Dated to ca. the 3rd century BC, the text contains about 3,000 sutras and is the foundational text of the Mimamsa school. The text aims at an exegesis of theVedas with regard to ritual practice (karma) and religious duty (dharma), commenting on the early Upanishads. Jaimini's Mimamsa is a ritualist counter-movement to the mysticist Vedanta currents of his day. He was commented upon by Śābara in the early centuries CE.

Jaimini Bharata

He is also considered the author of epic work, Jaimini Bharata, which presents a version of Mahabharata, which most known for its Aswamedha parva.

Jaimini Sutras

The Jaimini sutras, or Upadesha Sutras, is a classic work, rated as next only to the Brihat Parashara Hora Sashtra, to which he gave an extended commentary, thus giving birth to "Jaimini system of astrology".

Other Mentions

Samaveda

When Rishi Veda Vyasa divided ancient vedic hymns into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and taught them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu,Samaveda was transmitted to rishi Jaimini.
"He divided the Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda."
- Brahmanda Purana 1.4.21

Markandeya Purana

One of the major puranas, the Markandeya Purana, is presented as a dialogue between sage Jaimini and Markandeya.

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