Religion & Philosophy

📚 This topic overlaps across exams — read our in-depth, shared write-up: Buddhism & Jainism →

📚 This topic overlaps across exams — read our in-depth, shared write-up: Religious Sects & Traditions of India →

📚 This topic overlaps across exams — read our in-depth, shared write-up: Sufism and the Bhakti Movement →

📖 Vedic and orthodox philosophical schools

Indian philosophy includes six classical orthodox (astika) schools, all accepting the authority of the Vedas: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta — each offering distinct approaches to logic, metaphysics, and liberation (moksha).

☸️ Buddhism and Jainism

Both Buddhism (founded by Gautama Buddha) and Jainism (associated with Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara) are heterodox (nastika) traditions, rejecting Vedic authority. Buddhism emphasises the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to end suffering; Jainism emphasises ahimsa (non-violence) and asceticism as the path to liberation.

🕉️ Bhakti and Sufi traditions

The medieval Bhakti movement emphasised personal devotion to a chosen deity over ritual, with saint-poets like Kabir, Mirabai, and Tulsidas. Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam, similarly emphasised personal spiritual experience, organised into orders (silsilas) like the Chishti and Suhrawardi.

⛪ Other traditions

India is also home to significant populations following Sikhism (founded by Guru Nanak, emphasising one God and equality), Christianity, and Zoroastrianism (practised by the Parsi community, tracing its arrival in India to Persian migration centuries ago).

💡 Key Facts

The six orthodox (astika) schools of Indian philosophy all accept Vedic authority: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, Vedanta.
Buddhism and Jainism are heterodox (nastika) traditions that reject Vedic authority.
Buddhism's core teaching includes the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak, emphasising one God and social equality.

🔖 60-Second Revision

6 orthodox schools (accept Vedas): Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, Vedanta.
Heterodox (reject Vedas): Buddhism (Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path), Jainism (ahimsa).
Bhakti (devotion, Kabir/Mirabai) & Sufi (mysticism, silsilas) — medieval traditions.
Sikhism (Guru Nanak), Christianity, Zoroastrianism (Parsis) — other major Indian traditions.