(Sanskrit, derived from vishesha, "difference, uniqueness")
Philosophical system within Hinduism, one of the six orthodox Hinduist philosophical systems, the darshana.
Traditionally, vaisheshika was founded by Kanada in the 2nd century. His Vaisheshika-sutra lists and classifies six categories as basic to the phenomenological world.
Vaisheshika gradually merged with nyaya, another of the darshana.