Mimamsa also called Purva , an orthodox school within Hinduism that accepts the existence of everlasting souls or minds to which consciousness is not intrinsic, everlasting material atoms, and mind-independent physical objects caused by the natural mutual attraction of atoms. Atheistic, it accepts – in common with the other orthodox schools – the doctrines of the beginningless transmigration of souls and the operation of karma.
Mimamsa accepts perception, inference, and testimony (or authority) as reliable sources of knowledge. Testimony comes in two kinds, personal and impersonal. Personal testimony (someone’s spoken or written word, giving knowledge if the person giving it is reliable) is descriptive. Impersonal testimony (the Vedas) is imperatival, giving commands that ritual actions be performed; properly understanding and following these commands is essential to achieving enlightenment. Reliable personal testimony presupposes reliable perception and inference; impersonal testimony does not. Postulation is taken to be a fourth source of knowledge. If the postulation that event A occurred adequately explains that event B occurred, though A is unobserved and there is no necessary or universal connection between events like A and events like B, one can know that A occurred, but this knowledge is neither perceptual nor inferential. In effect, this distinguishes inference to best explanation (abduction) from inductive reasoning. See also HINDUISM , KARMA. K.E.Y.