Karma Mimansa

Here's a comprehensive summary of "Karma-Mīmāṁsā" by A. Berriedale Keith, based on the provided text:

Overview:

"Karma-Mīmāṁsā," part of "The Heritage of India Series" and published in 1921, is an exploration of the Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā school of Indian philosophy by A. Berriedale Keith. This school is primarily concerned with the interpretation of the Vedic texts, particularly the rituals and injunctions (Vidhi) contained within them, to understand Dharma (duty or righteousness). The book delves into the historical development, literary sources, philosophical underpinnings, and legal applications of this intricate system.

Key Themes and Sections:

1. Development and Literary History:

   • Origins: The term "Mīmāṁsā" (discussion or investigation) initially referred to discussions on ritual practices within the Brahmanas. The classical Karma-Mīmāṁsā, however, evolved into a systematic science of interpreting Vedic injunctions, addressing discrepancies and obscurities in the textual tradition.
   • Key Texts: The foundational text is the Mīmāṁsā Sūtra attributed to Jaimini. This work, likely redacted around the 3rd century BC, presupposes a long history of discussion. Its structure is based on Adhikaranas (topics of discussion), typically comprising a subject, doubt, prima facie view, and conclusion.
   • Commentaries and Schools: Crucial to understanding the Sūtra are the commentaries, starting with the Vṛttikāra (whose identity is debated but potentially Upavarșa or Bodhāyana). Later significant figures include Śabarasvāmin (author of the Bhasya), Prabhākara, and Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, whose differing interpretations led to the development of distinct schools within Mīmāṁsā. Kumārila's extensive works, like the Slokavārttika and Tantravārttika, are highly influential.
   • Dating: Keith attempts to place the Mīmāṁsā Sūtra and its early commentators historically, often through comparison with other philosophical and Buddhist texts, suggesting a timeline that predates later schools like the Vedanta but is not precisely fixed.

2. The Problem of Knowledge (Epistemology):

   • Validity of Cognition: A central debate is the inherent validity of knowledge (Pramāṇa). The Mīmāṁsā, particularly Prabhākara and Kumārila, asserts the intrinsic validity of apprehension (anubhūti), meaning all cognitions are valid unless proven otherwise. This contrasts with the Nyāya school, which argues that validity is external.
   • Means of Proof (Pramāṇa): Mīmāṁsā recognizes several means of valid knowledge:
     • Perception (Pratyakṣa): Defined as contact between sense organs and objects. There's discussion on determinate and indeterminate perception.
     • Inference (Anumāna): Reasoning based on a previously established connection between two entities.
     • Analogy (Upamāna): Recognizing similarity between a known and an unknown object.
     • Verbal Testimony (Śabda/Āgama): The authority of Vedic texts is paramount. Human testimony is considered valid based on the trustworthiness of the speaker.
     • Presumption (Arthāpatti): Assuming a fact to avoid inconsistency with perceived reality.
     • Non-existence (Abhāva): Accepted by Kumārila and the Vṛttikāra as a distinct means of proof, representing the knowledge of absence. Prabhākara and Nyāya reject this as a separate category.
   • Nature of Words: Mīmāṁsā emphasizes the eternity and natural meaning of words (autpattika), rejecting human convention as the source of meaning. This is tied to the belief in the Veda's authorless and eternal nature.
   • Theories of Meaning: Prabhākara's Anvitābhidhāna (syntactical combination) argues that words derive meaning only in sentences, while Kumārila's Abhihitānvaya allows words to have independent meaning.

3. The World of Reality (Metaphysics):

   • Refutation of Buddhism: Mīmāṁsā actively refutes Buddhist nihilism (Śūnyavāda) and idealism (Vijñānavāda), defending the reality of the external world and the self against arguments that posit only momentary cognitions or ideas.
   • Categories of Reality: Prabhākara and Kumārila differ on the number and nature of metaphysical categories (Padārtha). While agreeing on substance, quality, action, and generality, Prabhākara includes inherence, potency, similarity, and number, while Kumārila rejects potency and similarity as distinct categories, emphasizing the reality of generality.
   • Substance: Discussed are the classical elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and other substances, with debates on the perceivability of ether, darkness, and air.
   • Generality (Sāmānya): Mīmāṁsā asserts the reality and perceptibility of universals, a concept central to its understanding of language and ritual, and a point of contention with Buddhist philosophy.
   • Inherence (Samavāya): Prabhākara accepts it from Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika, while Kumārila rejects it.

4. God, the Soul, and Matter:

   • Atheism: A key characteristic of Mīmāṁsā is its atheism. It denies the existence of a creator God or divine intervention in the efficacy of sacrifices. Rewards are generated by the ritual action itself, through an unseen potency called Apūrva.
   • The Soul (Ātman): Mīmāṁsā strongly affirms the existence of an eternal, immaterial soul, distinct from the body and mind. The soul is the agent and experiencer of actions and their consequences across lifetimes. The Buddhist doctrine of a soul-less series of cognitions is rejected.
   • The Destiny of Man: The soul undergoes a cycle of rebirth determined by past actions. Liberation (Mokṣa) is achieved through the exhaustion of karma and the knowledge of the soul, leading to a state of pure existence without cognition or feeling.
   • Matter and Causation: The book touches on the Mīmāṁsā understanding of matter, atoms, and causation, often engaging with the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika framework but deviating in specific points.

5. The Rules of Ritual Interpretation:

   • Authority of Texts: The Veda is the ultimate source of authority. Smṛtis (traditions), custom, and the practices of good people are considered valid insofar as they can be traced back to Vedic authority.
   • Classification of Vedic Texts: Brahmanas contain injunctions (Vidhi), explanations (Arthavāda), and names (Nāmadheya). Mantras are primarily illustrative or denote deities.
   • Types of Injunctions: Mīmāṁsā meticulously classifies injunctions, including originating injunctions (Utpatti), injunctions of application (Niyoga), injunctions of performance (Viniyoga), and injunctions of qualification (Adhikāra).
   • Principles of Interpretation: The text details rules for resolving conflicts, determining subsidiaries, understanding context, and interpreting various forms of injunctions (restrictive, limiting, prohibitive).
   • Apūrva: The concept of Apūrva is central to explaining how ritual actions produce results, often in the future, without divine mediation.

6. The Mīmāṁsā and Hindu Law:

   • Legal Methodology: The principles of Mīmāṁsā interpretation are directly applied to Hindu law. Its methods for harmonizing conflicting texts, classifying injunctions, and resolving disputes provide a framework for legal reasoning.
   • Application to Dharmaśāstras: Mīmāṁsā principles are evident in commentaries on legal texts like Manu Smṛti. Concepts like injunctions, prohibitions, and Arthavāda are adapted to legal contexts.
   • Specific Legal Areas: The book illustrates the influence of Mīmāṁsā on concepts of property ownership, inheritance, partition, adoption, and even criminal law and evidence, often citing legal scholars and their interpretations. The idea of "duty" (Dharma) as understood in Mīmāṁsā significantly shapes legal principles.

Overall Significance:

"Karma-Mīmāṁsā" by Berriedale Keith provides a detailed and scholarly analysis of a foundational school of Indian thought. It highlights Mīmāṁsā's critical role in Vedic exegesis, its sophisticated epistemological and metaphysical arguments, its distinctive atheistic stance, and its profound impact on the development of Hindu law. The book emphasizes Mīmāṁsā as a logical system concerned with establishing Dharma through rigorous interpretation of sacred texts.