“Mythbuster #2: Darśana, not Philosophy”, Sarvotthāna Substack, 9 Aug 2026.
“The Greek word Philosophus was used to mean both Knowledge and Love, and it is on this basis that the English word Philosophy was popularised. Even though its primary meaning is detailed deliberation or contemplation, the word is still used for contemplative systems within specific subjects. Nowadays, the word Philosophy is even used for each strain of Darśana. Any modern Western scholar holds philosophy to be just a perspective on life. In his view, Philosophy introduces the flow of an era, born from the struggle between ages.
A philosophy is also related to the life events of its creator. Plato was an educator in a royal household, hence his philosophy carries a special influence from this political connection. Heraclitus was born into a downtrodden class, hence his Philosophy became one of change, since the oppressor class had to be changed. Helūmūsius represented the middle class, and Karl Marx represented the emerging working class; hence, according to this view, their philosophies were shaped accordingly. Marx was born in a time of great upheaval, so his life and philosophy was also one of revolution.
Even though this is true in part, it is nonetheless only the natural state of things. Such doctrines cannot be called darśana, since emotions are primary in them, and emotions are not darśana. Through emotion, even a widower can have a vision of his beloved. It is natural to doubt the truthfulness of thoughts that are affected by one’s situation. It is clear, for instance, that a tongue afflicted by a pitta disorder cannot taste the sweetness of jaggery; an eye afflicted by a pitta disorder sees even a white conch as yellow; a man bitten by a snake perceives even a sour lemon as sweet; and objects appear blue or yellow if viewed through blue or yellow glasses.
The lustful man sees the world as full of beautiful women, while the jñānin (the one who knows) sees the entire world as Brahman. The insect that lives on the nīma (Indian lilac) tree finds it difficult to experience the sweetness of rock sugar, and an ant living on a hill of salt cannot taste sugar even upon reaching a mountain of sugar, unless it first removes the particles of salt from its mouth…………”
Read the full article at Sarvotthāna Substack.
