reflection, consideration, opinion, investigation, examination, discussion, and the name of one of the three great divisions of orthodox Hindu philosophy
मीमांसा (mīmāṃsā) [Printed book page 0780-b] Mīmāṃsā, f. reflection, consideration, opinion,
investigation, examination, discussion, (
kāvya-m°, the theory of poetry, art of poetry; N. of a work);
‘examination (of the sacred text),’ N. of one of three
great divisions of orthodox Hindū philosophy (divided
like the Nyāya and Sāṅkhya into two systems, viz.
the Pūrva-mīmāṃsā or Karma-mīmāṃsā founded by
Jaimini, and the Uttara-mīmāṃsā or Brahma-mīmāṃsā
or Śārīraka-mīmāṃsā by Bādarāyaṇa, the latter, how-
ever, is more commonly called the Vedānta system,
while the Pūrva-mīmāṃsā is usually called the
Mīmāṃsā; though the Mīmāṃsā by Jaimini is classed
among the six orthodox systems of philosophy, it
does not concern itself like the others with the
nature of soul, mind, and matter, but rather with a
correct interpretation of the ritual of the Veda and
the solution of doubts and discrepancies in regard to
the Vedic texts caused by the discordant explanations
of opposite schools; it may therefore be described as
a critical commentary on the first or ritual portion
of the Veda, and its only claim to the title of a
philosophy consists in its philosophical method of
interpretation, the topics being arranged according
to particular categories, such as authoritativeness,
indirect precept, &c., and treated according to a
kind of logical sequence, which commences with
the proposition to be discussed, the doubt arising
about it, the Pūrva-pakṣa or primâ facie and wrong
view of the question, the right argument or refuta-
tion of the Pūrva-pakṣa, and the conclusion; see,
Page0780-c+ 78 moreover,
Pūrva-mīmāṃsā: Jaimini, whose date is
unknown, taught his system in twelve books, each
book containing either four or eight chapters, and
each chapter being subdivided into sections compris-
ing one or more Sūtras; the oldest commentary on
these obscure aphorisms being the Bhāṣya of Śabara-
svāmin, explained by the great Mīmāṃsā authority
Kumārila-svāmin or Kumārila-bhaṭṭa, and again elu-
cidated by Mādhavācārya in the Jaiminīya-nyāya-
mālā-vistara).
—Mīmāṃsa-kṛt, t, m. ‘the author of
the Mīmāṃsā system,’ an epithet of Jaimini.
—Mī- māṃsā-kautūhala-vṛtti, is, f., N. of a commen-
tary by Vāsudeva Adhvarin (also called Vāsudeva
Dīkṣita) on the Mīmāṃsā-sūtras of Jaimini.
—Mī- māṃsā-kaustubha, as, m., N. of a commentary by
Khaṇḍa-deva on the Mīmāṃsā-sūtras of Jaimini.
—Mīmāṃsā-jīva-rakṣā, f., N. of a Mīmāṃsā
work.
—Mīmāṃsā-tattva-candrikā, f., N. of a
work by Gopāla-bhaṭṭa on various Mīmāṃsā topics.
—Mīmāṃsā-tantra-vārttika, am, n., N. of a com-
mentary by Kumārila-svāmin on the Sūtras of Jai-
mini.
—Mīmāṃsā-naya-viveka, as, m., N. of a
commentary by Bhavanātha-miśra on the Mīmāṃsā-
sūtras of Jaimini.
—Mīmāṃsā-nyāya-prakāśa, as, m., N. of a celebrated elementary work on the
Mīmāṃsā system by Āpa-deva (son of Ananta-deva
and pupil of Govinda).
—Mīmāṃsā-paribhāṣā, f.,
N. of an elementary treatise by Kṛṣṇa-dīkṣita on
the Mīmāṃsā.
—Mīmāṃsā-bhāṣya-vivaraṇa, am, n., N. of a commentary by Kumāra-svāmin on a
work entitled Mīmāṃsā-bhāṣya.
—Mīmāṃsārtha- pradīpa (°sā-ar°), as, m., N. of a disquisition by
Śaṅkara-śukla on the provableness of the Veda.
—Mī- māṃsā-vidhi-bhūṣaṇa, am, n., N. of a Mīmāṃsā
work by Gopāla-bhaṭṭa, written in refutation of
the Vidhi-rasāyana.
—Mīmāṃsā-śiromaṇi, is, m.
‘crest-gem of the Mīmāṃsā,’ epithet of an author,
(also called Nīla-kaṇṭha.)
—Mīmāṃsā-sarvasva, am, n., N. of a work by Halāyudha.
—Mīmāṃsā- sūtra, am, n., N. of the twelve books of aphorisms
by Jaimini on the interpretation of the Veda; see
Mīmāṃsā, col. 2.
—Mīmāṃsā-stavaka, as, m., N.
of a Mīmāṃsā work by Rāghavānanda.
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