Questions on Indian Philosophy

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

>--> It is true, however, that there is an irrational side to the Mimansa
>philosophy. Thus, the Mimansakas believe, for example, that if you wish to
>have a son, you will have to perform the appropriate ritual for that in a
>correct and flawless fashion. This, i submit, is magic.

Ahem, the Mimasakas recognize that the central ritual to be
performed to obtain a child is sexual intercourse. The sexual
act is described in terms of the sacrifice and the sacrifice
is described using sexual metaphors. A putrakAmeshTi sacrifice
was described only for cases where no children were born after
a long period of trying normally. Dasaratha tried with three
queens before resorting to the ritual.

You can't separate Indian philosophy from Indian religion, and
ultimately, you can't purge any religion of magic. Even today,
in this supposedly scientific and rational age, childless
couples pray at a Hindu temple or at the grave of a Muslim
pir or a Christian saint, believing that a miracle will provide
a child. Why, the Roman Catholic church even has an involved
procedure for authenticating such miracles before canonizing
a dead person into a saint. I think one can't have any religion
without being a little irrational and without recourse to some
amount of magic.

>--> I have actually read those parts of Kumarila Bhatta's "Slokavartika" in
>which he refutes the idea of God in quite a comprehensive manner. I have
>not

Kumarila refutes various notions of an ISvara, but has a place
for the devas in the sacrifice. And you must also distinguish
among the ISvara of nyAya, the ISvara of yoga and the ISvara
of vedAnta. If "atheism" means that one is not monotheistic,
then yes, the Mimamsa is atheistic. But if you were to think
about it, the Mimamsakas are quite in tune with what some have
called the "henotheism" or the "kathenotheism" of the Vedas.

Other Mimamsakas admit ISvara, but what does not seem to be
realized is that this is in response to the criticisms that
were raised against the Mimamsa concept of apUrva. Instead of
this apUrva mediating the fruits of the action, it was acceptable
to say that ISvara oversees the fruits of the karma. The ritual
act still remains central, and the categories of "theistic" and
"atheistic" do not say anything much at all.

Vidyasankar

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