Indian Philosophies

Compare Philosophies

Feature	Jainism	Theravada / Mahayana	Madhyamaka	Advaita	Vishishtadvaita	Dvaita	Sikhism	Lingayat (Basava)	Navayāna (Ambedkar)
Timeline	~9th–6th c. BCE	~6th c. BCE	~2nd c. CE	~8th c. CE	~11th c. CE	~13th c. CE	~15th c. CE	~12th c. CE	20th c. CE (1956)
Founder / Leader	Mahavira	Buddha	Nagarjuna	Adi Shankara	Ramanuja	Madhva	Guru Nanak	Basavanna	Ambedkar
Self / Soul	Eternal Jiva	No-self (Anatta)	No inherent self (Na svabhava)	Atman = Brahman	Soul is part of Brahman	Soul is separate	Soul is divine light	Soul is independent, real	No eternal self (Anatta, social focus)
Ultimate Reality	Many eternal souls	Nirvana / Emptiness	Emptiness (Śūnyatā)	Non-dual Brahman	Qualified Brahman (God)	Vishnu – personal God	One formless God (Ik Onkar)	One God – Shiva (Ishtalinga)	Pragmatic Dhamma (justice, equality)
World	Real and eternal	Impermanent, empty	Empty of essence	Illusion (Maya)	Real, divine	Real and separate	Real, created by God	Real and sacred	Real, to be transformed
God	No creator god	No god	No creator god	Optional Ishvara	Personal God (Narayana)	Personal God (Vishnu)	One God, formless	Yes, personal Shiva	No creator god
Liberation Goal	Purify soul from karma	Nirvana	Freedom from conceptual views	Moksha – realize Brahman	Moksha – union with God	Moksha – service to God	Union with God	Unity with Shiva	End oppression & inequality
Path / Practice	Vows, non-violence	Eightfold Path	Middle Way, Prasanga logic	Jnana Yoga, detachment	Bhakti + Grace + Knowledge	Pure Bhakti	Naam, Seva, Bhakti	Personal devotion, work ethic	Rational ethics, compassion, equality
Karma	Real, material	Mental force	Conceptual only	Illusory ultimately	Real, removed by devotion	Real, removed by grace	Real, transcended by grace	Real, but overcome by devotion	Reinterpreted as social cause–effect
Scriptures	Agamas	Pali Canon, Mahayana Sutras	Madhyamaka texts	Upanishads, Gita, Brahma Sutras	Same + devotional works	Same + commentaries	Guru Granth Sahib	Vachanas (poetic sayings)	The Buddha and His Dhamma
Logic Style	Anekantavada	Conditional reasoning	Catuṣkoṭi, Prasanga	Dialectics, Vedanta logic	Logical + devotional	Realist + Bhakti logic	Simple, direct reasoning	Practical, poetic reasoning	Rationalist, modernist
Creation View	Eternal world, cycles	Dependent origination	No beginning	World = illusion	Created by God	Created by God	Created by God	Created by God	Not emphasized
Caste & Social View	Spiritually rejects, socially followed	Fully rejected caste	Rejects caste (emptiness of status)	Theoretically rejects, socially accepts	Tried to include all castes	Accepts caste roles	Strongly rejects caste	Strong anti-caste	Radical rejection of caste
Equality (Spiritual)	All souls equal	All beings equal	All beings equal	All Atman = Brahman	All souls equal but hierarchical paths	Souls differ by karma	All souls equal	All souls equal	Full human equality
Ritualism	Minimal rituals, focus on vows	Minimal rituals	Rejects rituals	Accepts Vedic rituals (as Maya)	Temple rituals + Bhakti	Ritual-heavy (pujas, offerings)	Minimal rituals (focus on devotion)	Rejects Vedic rituals	Rejects rituals, ethics emphasized
Gender Equality	Women can be nuns (Shvetambara)	Women can be nuns (with rules)	Equal potential for liberation	Women can achieve moksha (later debated)	Some gender restrictions	Women less encouraged for moksha	Full gender equality	Strong gender equality	Full gender equality

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Philosophy vs Practice

School	Caste (Theory)	Caste (Reality)	Gender (Theory)	Gender (Reality)	Ritualism (Theory)	Ritualism (Reality)
Jainism	All souls equal	Caste followed socially	Women can attain moksha (Śvetāmbara)	Limited roles in Digambara sect	Focus on vows, minimal ritual	Elaborate rituals developed over time
Theravāda / Mahāyāna	Caste irrelevant	Rejected in Sangha	Equal potential for Nirvana	Nuns had lower rank than monks	Simple ethical practice	Devotional forms evolved
Madhyamaka	Caste is empty (conceptual)	Often retained locally	Gender is also empty	Inclusion varied by region	Rituals are skillful means	Flexible usage depending on culture
Advaita Vedānta	All are Brahman	Varna upheld socially	Atman is genderless	Scriptural study limited to men	Knowledge over ritual	Vedic ritualism upheld socially
Viśiṣṭādvaita	All souls reach God	Softened caste, but retained hierarchy	All souls eligible for devotion	Male-led priesthood	Bhakti over ritual	Temple rituals central
Dvaita	Caste tied to karma	Caste duties essential	Souls differ in rank	Limited access to scripture for women	Ritual devotion required	Extensive temple + Vedic rituals
Sikhism	Absolute caste equality	Strong anti-caste society	Full equality in scripture	Leadership still male-dominated	Rejects ritualism	Some customs emerged over time
Lingayat (Basava)	Strong caste rejection	Included all castes	Men and women spiritually equal	Women saints existed (e.g. Akka Mahadevi)	Rejects Brahminical ritual	Daily Ishtalinga worship practiced
Navayāna Buddhism	Caste is violence; totally rejected	Tool for Dalit dignity & identity	Men and women equally capable	Women actively included in movement	No ritual, rational ethics focus	Commemorative practices (Ambedkar Jayanti, etc.)

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