The mainstream Hindu philosophy includes six systems. Collectively, they are known as the Shad Darshanas. Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta are the six systems.

Samkhya is the oldest philosophical systems in Hinduism, with origins from the 1st Millennium. It is a school of Indian philosophy, and had a strong influence on other schools of Indian philosophies.

The Yoga philosophical system is closely connected to the Samkhya school. The Yoga school accepts the Samkhya psychology, but is considered theistic because it accepts the concept of personal god, unlike Samkhya.

The Vaiseṣika philosophy is a naturalist school; it is a form of atomism in natural philosophy. It says that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to atoms, and one's experiences are derived from the interplay of substance, quality, activity, commonness, particularity and inherence.

The Nyaya school is a realist philosophy. This school's most significant contributions to Indian philosophy was systematic development of the theory of logic and methodology.

The Mimaṃsa school emphasized hermeneutics and exegesis. It is a form of philosophical realism. Key texts of the Mimaṃsa school are the Purva Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini. This school is sometimes referred to as purvamimaṃsa or Karmamimaṃsa in reference to the first part of the Vedas.

The Vedanta school built upon the teachings of the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras from the 1st millennium and is the most developed and well-known of the Hindu schools.