According to de Vries, mutations are

Hugo de Vries proposed mutation theory basing his work on evening primrose. According to him, mutations are large difference arising suddenly in a population. They are random and directionless. He stated that mutation causes speciation and eventually evolution. He coined the term saltation for single step large mutation.

Darwin's variations on the other hand are minor, heritable, and directional. Evolution is gradual process according to him. So, variations and mutations are not the same.