Astika

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on Hindu philosophy
Schools
Samkhya · Yoga
Nyaya · Vaisheshika
Purva Mimamsa · Vedanta
Schools of Vedanta
Advaita · Vishishtadvaita
Dvaita
Important figures
Kapila · Patañjali
Gotama · Kanada
Jaimini · Vyasa
Medieval
Adi Shankara · Ramanuja
Madhva · Madhusudana
Vedanta Desika · Jayatirtha
Modern
Ramakrishna · Ramana
Vivekananda · Narayana Guru
Nitya Chaitanya Yati
Aurobindo ·Sivananda
Satyananda · Nisargadatta
Lakshmanjoo · Chinmayananda
This box: view • talk • edit

Astika (Sanskrit:Āstika, "one who acknowledges") is a term used in Hinduism to refer to a person or philosophical school that accepts the Vedas. The term Astika is sometimes loosely translated as theist while Nastika as atheist. This may not be entirely accurate as the belief concerned is in the Vedas as a revealed scripture. It is notable that within the Astika schools of Hindu philosophy, the Samkhya and the early Mimamsa school do not accept a God in their respective systems (see Atheism in Hinduism). However, the other four schools namely, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga and Vedanta as well as the later Mimamsa (Seshvara Mimamsa) school accept a God in their respective philosophical systems.

[edit] Elaborations

The terms astika and nastika are a traditional classification of Indian schools of thought. Astika refers to those schools that accept the revealed authority of the Vedas as supreme scripture. This includes the four major sects: Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. It does not have to be just these sects, it can be any, including a Hindu worshipping their ancestors as Hinduism points out there is no difference between worshipping God and worshipping a great devotee of God. Nastika refers to all traditions that reject and deny the scriptural authority of the Vedas. This has included in the past Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, the Charvaka materialists and others. However Sikhs, Jains and the first devotees of the Buddha were indeed Astika as they were Hindus.

[edit] See also

• Nastika