LITERATURE OF BRAHMINISM 247
some coordination was necessary to bring order out of this chaos. As a result of the necessity for this coordination, there grew up a branch of inquiry called “Mimansa” i.e. an inquiry into the connected meaning of sacred texts i.e. the Vedic literature. Those who thought it necessary to undertake such a task of systematization and coordination divided themselves into two schools, those who systematized the ‘ Karmakand’ portion and these who systematized the ‘ Gnanakand” portion of the Vedic literature. The result was that there grew up two branches of the Mimansa Shastra, one called Purva Mimansa and the other Uttara Mimansa. As the names suggest, the Purva Mimansa deals with the early portion of the Vedic literature namely the Vedas and the Bramhanas. That is why it is called Purva (early) Mimansa. The Uttara Mimansa deals with the later portions of the Vedic literature namely the Aranyakas and Upanishads. That is why it is called Uttara (later) Mimansa.
The literature connected with the two branches of the Mimansa Shastra is immense. Of this, two collections of Sutras stand out as the principal and leading works in this field of Mimansa. The authorship of one is attributed to Jaimini and that of the other is ascribed to Badarayana. Jaimini’s Sutras deal with ‘Karmakanda’ and Badarayan’s deal with ‘Gnanakand’. There is no doubt that there were prior to Jaimini and Badarayana, other authors who had written treatises on these subjects. Nonetheless the sutras of Jaimini and Badarayana are taken as the standard works on the two Branches of the Mimansa Shastra.
Although the Sutras of both relate to that branch of inquiry called Mimansa, Jaimini’s sutras are called Mimansa Sutras [2] while those of Badarayana are called Vedanta Sutras. The term ‘Vedanta’ is taken to mean “the end of the Veda”, or the doctrines set forth in the closing chapter of the Vedas which comprise the Upanishads and as the Upanishads constitute “the final aim of the Vedas.” The Sutras of Badarayana which go to systematize and coordinate them have come to be called Vedanta Sutras, [ 3] - or the doctrines set forth in the closing chapter of the Vedas which asked Sanjaya to report to. This is the origin of the Vedanta Sutras.
1 At a matter of fact the systematization of the Karmakand portion of the Vedic literature gave rise to two kinds of works (1) Kalpa Sutras and (2) Purva Mimansa Sutras. The former give only a ahort and concise description of the rituals enjoined in the Brahamanas; while the latter enunciate and support the general principle which the author of the Kalpa Sutra must follow, if he wishes to render his rules strictly conformable to the teaching of the Vadas.
2 They are also called Purva Mimansa or Karma Mimansa.
3 They also go by various other names such as Uttara Mimansa Sutras, Brahma Sutras or Saririka Sutras or Saririka Mimansa Sutras.