Kolkata, West Bengal
There should be no objection to accepting that the word darśana means "seeing." But when we use its English equivalent, philosophy, doubts arise—does darśana mean only "seeing," or is it something more?
If we consider darśana as merely seeing, the first objection would come from philosophers themselves. Someone among them would surely argue: "Everyone sees; as long as one has eyes, one sees. Then what makes us special? Farmers see, potters see, artists see—are they all philosophers?" I have the same question. It is undeniable that the basic human needs are food, clothing, and shelter. However, if a person is provided with these three essentials and made to sit in one place, before long, they will set out in search of something. Some will call it a search for peace, others a quest for happiness, and some for knowledge. Even those who cannot specify exactly what they are looking for will still venture out in search of something. The truth is, after fulfilling these three essential needs, those who feel that something is still lacking in their lives will strive to fill that void. Happiness, peace, joy, and knowledge—these are mere words. When their sounds enter someone’s ears, they create a particular impression in the mind. However, the impression formed in the speaker’s mind when uttering the word happiness or similar terms may not be the same as the one formed in the listener’s mind. To someone who has never experienced happiness—who has no concept of what happiness feels like—the word happiness is meaningless. Just as hearing the word tamarind makes the mouth water only for those who have tasted it before. Why did I give the example of tamarind? Because I am speaking to those who know what tamarind is. This is an attempt at proof through analogy. The foundation of philosophy lies in prameya (the object to be proven) and pramāṇa (the means of proof). That which needs to be proven is prameya, and the method of proving it is pramāṇa. To prove something, perception is necessary first. Just as one must write before reading, and before writing, the thought must arise in the mind. If one asks, why does a thought arise at all? the answer could be that thoughts emerge for the same reason that evolution has occurred and continues to occur in the living world. The intense urge to resolve a question drives the search for its answer. At the dawn of civilization, people across different regions of the world experienced similar fundamental questions. And in the quest to answer these questions, philosophy emerged.
Let us first consider India. The Rig Veda is the oldest text—though there is no disagreement on this, its exact period of composition remains debated. It is believed to have been written over an extensive period, ranging from 1200 to 5000 years before the birth of Christ. Within it lay a fundamental question, expressed in extraordinary poetic form, which contained the very seeds of philosophy.
"Then, there was neither lifelessness nor life,
No air, no sky stretching beyond sight.
What was in motion? Who set the path right?
Was there water? Or the depths of an endless night?
There was no death, nor immortality,
No day or night in their ceaseless flight.
Breathless, motionless—only a singular tranquility,
Nothing else, nothing at all in sight.
Who truly knows? Who here can say
When was He born? Where did creation begin?
Were the gods present, standing in array?
Who knows then whence did it all begin?"
It was in the search for answers to these questions that numerous philosophies emerged. Some of these schools of thought align with each other, while others differ. Yet, each philosophy is distinguished by its unique characteristics and is known by a specific name—such as Sāṅkhya Darśana, Nyāya Darśana, Buddhist Philosophy, and so on. Those who relied on the Vedas to support their philosophical arguments were categorized under Āstika Darśana (theistic philosophies), while the others were classified as Nāstika Darśana (non-theistic philosophies). In Indian philosophy, there are six āstika schools and three nāstika schools. In modern schools and colleges, the name that appears at the foundation of most subjects is Aristotle. This extraordinary thinker is recognized as a philosopher. His ideas, rooted in the philosophical thought of his predecessor Socrates (born 470 BCE), were passed down through his teacher, Plato. These thinkers expressed their views through careful observation of nature, synthesis, and analysis of occurring phenomena. Generally, such systems of thought are referred to as philosophical doctrines. Over time, when these philosophical ideas were tested in laboratories or explained through mathematical principles, they transitioned into the domain of science. Once something enters the realm of science, it is no longer considered a subject of philosophy. For example, in Vaiśeṣika Darśana, the sage Kaṇāda proposed the concept of atoms. While his atomic theory does not perfectly align with modern scientific understanding, just as Dalton’s atomic model from the 19th century is no longer entirely accurate, we still remember Dalton as a scientist and Sage Kaṇāda as a philosopher. Similarly, concepts from Yoga Darśana, such as āsana (postures), mudrā (gestures), and prāṇāyāma (breath control), which were originally discussed within philosophical discourse, have been adapted into modern scientific studies of the body and mind. The study of the mind, once a subject of philosophy, has now given rise to the field of psychology. This is why philosophy is often called the "science of sciences." Science plays a crucial role in our daily lives. But what about those philosophical ideas that have not yet transitioned into scientific inquiry? Do they serve any practical purpose? To answer this, we must reflect on what we truly seek through scientific discoveries. As we continuously question ourselves, we inevitably step into the realm of philosophy. For example, science helps us achieve physical comfort. But if we seek mental peace within that comfort, we must turn to philosophy. This is because concepts like peace and suffering are not measurable or analyzable through scientific methods—they cannot be synthesized in a laboratory. The nature of suffering and the path to its resolution are explored in Buddhist philosophy. Just like science, philosophy remains deeply intertwined with our lives. Even today, when universities confer the highest academic degree (PhD), they retain the word Philosophy in its title—translated into Bengali as Darśana (দর্শন).
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