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The Kaliedoscope of Jaina Wisdom
their highest aim of perfection :
varam vṛndāvane ramye kroștutvaṁ abhivāñchitam; na tu Vaiśeṣikīṁ muktiṁ Gautamo gantumicchati.
Like most of the other systems, the two systems under consideration believe in an endless number of Creations and Pralayas, except one special school of the Naiyayikas, which teaches that, at the very end, a final Pralaya will take place, after which only God, the individual Souls, and the passive atoms of the elements will remain. Another creation will not be possible, because all the Karmas will have been exhausted.
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Both the Naiyayika and the Vaiseṣika systems place logic above the word of the Vedas, not nominally, but practically, the latter always being, in some way or other, adapted to the respective propositions. The other four systems, on the contrary, respect the Vedas as their highest authority, rather adapting and formulating their propositions according to the Vedas than doing the reverse. Thus it is quite natural that logic and dialectics should act a prominent part in Naiyāyika and Vaiseṣika philosophy, which indeed even count several logical and dialectical conceptions amongst their Tattvas, such as the logical argument, the pseudo argument, and also some dialectical tricks with the Naiyāyikas.
5. Minor Vedic Systems
Besides these six chief systems and their main schools, just mentioned, there are number of smaller systems, which likewise claim to be Vedic philosophy. They are indeed chiefly branches and sub-branches of the chief systems. As a curiosity, the Pārada Darśana may be named here, which teaches that the highest aim of life is a state of Mokṣa, in which our own body rests unchanged, made immortal by various manipulations with Pārada (Mercury); an aim which Śiva, Śukadeva, and others are said to have reached.
[B] Non-Vedic Systems
1. Minor Systems
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Whereas all the systems mentioned claim the Vedas as their
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