Shadadarshana is an Sanskrit term from two small words i.e. Shada (six) and Darshana (vision), So Shadadarshana means as the six vision or insight present during the vedic period.
In vedic period the saints and rishis all used to study the different part of life; from non living to living, from Vastushastra to Jyotishshastra and from Kamasutra to Ayurveda etc. This way of study and looking towards every aspect of life comes, because of the vision in the way of study. Darshana shastras (scriptures) gives an insight towards the desire or urge of humans to know about them and their surroundings. So the Darshana stands for ‘vision’ or ‘the instrument of vision’ towards reality of life or also called as perception of Truth. This Darshan is not limited only upto the Veda kala (vedic time period) but also present in todays World.
Darshana bascially means the philosophy of a person in which they taught the understanding of life. As per Kala gati (movement of time or passage of time) many philosphical views comes in the contact with culture, religion, origin and time etc. and reproduce a new philosphical view towards life.
Some of them afterwards converted to the religion for particular population which may or may not expends over the globe. When a relgion is formed first of all it is based on some factors of beliefs; which with the help of faith and applicability over the time converted into the religion. All the religions basically talk about the enlightenment of the soul with different appraoches. And for that they provides you a particular way to look around you or towards life, this is the basic structure of a religion. But in Philosophy or darshana they give you insight towards the life in way to lead a happy and meaningful life. Hence a religion could include one or more darshana, like in Sanatana dharma there are many Darshanas and these Shadadarshanas are the proof of that.
These darshana or philosophy is diveded mainly into two cateogary i.e.
Those who believs in the God and assumes the presence of God. It is also the used for the believers of Vedas.
Those who does not believes in the God, and assume that there is no such force as God. Sometimes it is correlated to those who don’t believes into the Vedas.
Also some of the people belives or comments about a third type i.e. Astkia-nastika darshana; which belives in both the views towards God and Vedas.
These Shadadarshanas comes under the Astika types of Darshana. And they comes from the ancient India at the time of Vedas. Each Darshana is originated from a particular sage/ rishi/ maharishi/ muni.
1. Nyaya darshana by Gautama
2. Vaiseshika darshana by Kananda
3. Samkhya darshana by Kapila
4. Yoga darshana by Patanjali
5. Mimansa darshan by Jaimini
6. Vedanta darshana by Vyasa
These Shadadarshana are having different opinion towards the life, and sometime they also accept a single approach. Ayurveda shastra or the Upanga of Atharvaveda follows the Samkhya darshana. The bases of Ayurveda can be easily traceable in the Samkhya darshana. In Charaka samhita (compendium of Charaka/ most followed scripture of Ayurveda) suggests many times about the samkhya darshana. To understand Ayurveda completely one must understand the samkhya darshana.
