The Role of Intention in Indian Philosophy of Action

In Indian philosophy, intention is considered to be the mental state that is necessary for an action to be considered intentional. It is the mental state that precedes and accompanies the action and that provides the motivation for the action.

According to the Nyaya school, the three types of intention are pravrtti (the intention to perform an action), nivrtti (the intention to refrain from an action), and upeksa (the intention to remain indifferent to an action).

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that the results of an action are determined by the intention behind it, not by the action itself. This means that even if an action is harmful, it can be justified if it is done with a good intention.

In the theory of karma, intention is considered to be the primary factor that determines the type of karma that is created. This means that even if two people perform the same action, the karma that they create will be different if their intentions are different.

In Indian philosophy, intention is considered to be necessary for moksha to be achieved. This means that even if a person has the knowledge or devotion that is necessary for moksha, they will not be able to achieve it unless they also have the intention to achieve it.