Charvaka (Cārvāka)

[ken p]

Please provide some more information about this topic and Sutras.

The Bārhaspatya-sūtras (a patronymic of Brhaspati), also Lokāyata ("materialistic", "atheistic") sutras is the foundational text of the Cārvāka school of "materialist" (nastika) philosophy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charvaka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barhaspatya_sutras

[Arvind_Kolhatkar]

Ken,  

I write this from my general knowledge without claiming any authority over it.

चार्वाकदर्शन or लोकायतदर्शन was the Materialistic School in Indian Philosophy.  It did not subscribe to the standard doctrines such as  the Vedas being 'inspired' (अपौरुषेय) or the immortality of the soul (आत्मन्) etc.  One whole chapter in the celebrated सर्वदर्शनसंग्रह of विद्यारण्यस्वामी (15th c.,  a summery of all major schools of Indian Philosophy) is devoted to चार्वाकदर्शन or लोकायतदर्शन.  The following two popular verses that summarize the teachings of this School also appear in सर्वदर्शनसंग्रह.

यावज्जीवेत्सुखं जीवेन्नास्ति मृत्योरगोचरः।

भस्मीभूतस्य देहस्य पुनरागमनं कुतः॥

यावज्जीवेत्सुखं जीवेदृणं कृत्वा घृतं पिबेत्।

भस्मीभूतस्य देहस्य पुनरागमनं कुत:॥

With the decline of Brahminism in modern India and the balancing rise of more materialistic schools such as Marxism and Socialism, चार्वाकदर्शन is also receiving a good amount of attention.  Several books in regional languages have appeared on it in the recent years.

If you enter the search terms चार्वाकदर्शन or लोकायतदर्शन in Google Books (Free view), you will get several hits.  Perusal of them may supply you with what you want to know. 

Arvind Kolhatkar.

[G S S Murthy]

An early exposition of Charvaka philosophy is in Valmiki Ramayan in Ayodhya kanda, where sage Jabali asks Rama to get back to Ayodhya not bothering about all this so called, "dharma". 

Regards,

Murthy

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My web site : http://murthygss.tripod.com/index.htm
and also my Sanskrit blog :

http://simplesanskrit.blogspot.com/

http://gssmurthy.blogspot.com

[Surendra Mohan Mishra]

a few books you may see: 1. चार्वाक दर्शन की शास्त्रीय समीक्षा - सर्वानन्द पाठक 

                                           2. चार्वाक दर्शन - आनन्द झा 

                                       3. Studies in Ancient Indian Materialism - K K Mittal

                                       4. Lokayata - D P Chattopadhyaya

                                       5. Indian Philosophy: A Marxist Interpretation - do-

                                       6. Charvaak Philosophy(the title is another) - Dakshinaranjan Ray(in Bengali)

                                       7. A chapter in Haribhadrasuri's Saddarshanasamuccaya etc.

                                        

                                       

*****
Surendramohan Mishra
Dept of Sanskrit,Pali & Prakrit
Faculty of Indic Studies,Kurukshetra University
KURUKSHETRA-136 119,Haryana,INDIA
Tel : (Off.)01744 238410(extn.)2504
(Mob.)098960 86579;(Res.)01744-238567
Blogs : http://surendrashastram.blogspot.com
            http://surendra-shaastram.blogspot.com

[Subrahmanian R]

Respected Sirs,

I have a scanned PDF version of Barhaspatya Sutra - in devanagari with English meaning - running to about 100*2 pages and 6+ mb size; a little too big for attaching to this mail. I however attach a copy of the front page. I do not remember wherefrom I have downloaded it.

Sri Adi Sankara and Sri Madhwa have commented on and condemned the Charvaka. However, I am told that their 'purvapaksha' would be a better delineation of the principles of Brihaspati than Brihaspati himself can describe; and in the next section, the samadhana is mentioned.in His Sarva Siddhanta Sangraha and Madhwas comment/ criticism is contained in Sarva Darshana Sangraha.

I also have a handwritten copy of a Brihaspati Sutra (which appears to be different from the above mentioned 6 mb version - This was copied by me from some work from Connemara library about 30 years ago. This could probably excerpts from the earliear version. I will digitize and send after a few days if any one is interested.

With respects

R Subrahmanian

[Shrivathsa B]

hariH OM,

   The book seems already online Sir.
https://archive.org/details/brihaspatisutrao00brharich

svasti,

       JAYA BHAVAANII BHAARATII,

                                                  shrivathsa.

[Surendra Mohan Mishra]

Thanks for inf. but i don't think this is that brihaspati sutra you are looking for.this may be a work on polity. or please enlighten om on it's contents.

[Subrahmanian R]

Sirs, It is really Barhaspatya sutra also known as Charvaka or Lokayatika. There is some section on Artha sastra; there is mention of दण्डनीति etc but by and large it is 'materialism' or 'hedonism'

With respects

R Subrahmanian

[Surendra Mohan Mishra]

thanks sir. i got it: the alias is baarhapatya arthashastra for brihaspati-sutra-s. in fact artha n kaama are intimately related.

that's how manu says: arthakaameshvasaktaanaam dharmajnaanam  vidhiiyate / etc.

all materialism may not be hedonism. there are sections within the lokaayata-s. jayanta bhatta names them as dhuurtaah and sus'ikshitataraah.rgds

[Arvind_Kolhatkar]

As to the book 'Barhaspatya sutra'  that came out in 1921, translated and edited by FW Thomas, Debiprasad Chattopaadhyaya, in his 'Loayata - A Study in Ancient Indian Materialism' has made the following observation on p.8:

"It is true that FW Thomas recovered a certain Brihaspati Sutra which, as edited and translated by him, was published in 1921.  It could be a Lokayata work because Brihaspati is said to have been the founder of the school.  However, no scholar could take this text seriously.  It was a very late product often dominated by an ideology really alien, or even positively hostile, to the Lokayata-views." (p. 8)

Arvind Kolhatkar.

[Hnbhat B.R.]

"अग्निहोत्र त्रयो वेदास्त्रिदण्डं भस्मगुंठनम्| बुध्दिपौरुषहीनानां जीविकेति बृहस्पति:"||

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[Dipak Ashar]

Dear Mr Subramaniam R. 

Thank you for your mail. I would be very much interested to get this digitized copy. 

Also, the other version from the connemara library, from where one can get it ? If you can indicate, I will be greateful 

Thanks & regards 

Dipak Ashar 

On 24 November 2015 at 00:31, Subrahmanian R <subrah...@gmail.com> wrote:

[shankara]

Namaste,

Sutra 1.37 mentions Devapuja. So, this text might not belong to lokayatas.

औषधोपयोगविण्मूत्रविसर्जनकस्नानदन्तधावनमैथुनोपभोगदैवतपूजापि रहस्येन॥१.३७॥ Taking of medicine, evacuation of urine and faeces, bathing, teeth-cleaning, enjoyment of copulation, worship of divinities - these also are to be done in private.

 

regards
shankara

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From: Surendra Mohan Mishra <dr.surendramo...@gmail.com>
To: samskrita <sams...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, 24 November 2015 2:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Re: Charvaka (Cārvāka)

[Arvind_Kolhatkar]

I quickly went through the 'Barhaspatya sutra' edited by FW Thomas, referred to above.  I did not find anything that would make it the standard text of Lokayata,  It is a strait-forward list of advisory aphorisms  for the guidance of  the kings.  At some of the places, for example in Ch 2, the Lokayatikas are spoken of with derision and disdain.

Just as there are several Canakyas whose sutras are available, not all of them traceable to the author of Arthashastra, so also there are perhaps multiple Brihaspatis under that umbrella name.

Arvind Kolhatkar.

[shankara]

Namaste,

The sutras 10 to 15 in 3rd chapter also seem to be not in favour of Laukayatikas.

3.10 मोक्षपुर्या द्वारं त्रयम्॥ Entrance to the city of Liberatlon is by three:
3.11 शाक्ता वैष्णवाः शैवाः॥ Shaakta, Vaishnava, Shaiva
3.12 पोतायनमार्गवच्छाक्तम्॥ The Shaakta is like a joumey in a vessel,
3.13 महापथवद्वैष्णवम्॥ The Vaishnava like a high road,
3.14 केवलप्रधानिकमश्चरथयानवत्॥ That which believes in Kevala and Pradhana is like a horse chariot
3.15 लौकायतिकक्षपणकबौद्धादि बहुशारदूलदुष्टमृगाकीर्णशून्याटवीगुहामार्गवत्॥ The laukaayatika, Kshapanaka, Bauddha and so forth are like a cavernous route through a desolate forest swarming with many tigers and malignant beasts.

 

regards
shankara

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From: 'shankara' via samskrita <sams...@googlegroups.com>
To: "sams...@googlegroups.com" <sams...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 25 November 2015 8:45 AM

[Surendra Mohan Mishra]

yes, this is why the late prof. anantalal thakur wrote an article stating that thr materialists did have a cult. dpchattopadhyaya is of similar view. this is attested by haribhadrasuri in his saddarshanasamuccaya wherein he tells " bhasmoddhulanaparaah, kapaalapaanayah" etc. for the caarvaaka-s. after all they could not fall from the heavens !

some dharmas'aastra advises to have a materialist thinker in a royal court for his unbiased(secular !) judgement on situations. can some one kindly name this dharmas;aastra ? regds.

[Subrahmanian R]

Dear Sri Dipak Ashar,

I came across a book on Charvaka in Hindi - some Sanskrit text and Hindi notes. Some of that I noted - partly in English and partly in Hindi (when I found it difficult to convert to English). The sandhi vichhedh is for my convenience - words split - two vowels close by and not coalescing etc. I have now typed out the entire thing using Baraha. There are bound to be other typing mistakes also. Do bear with me.

It is not the entire book. Whatever attracted me or interested me at that time, I have copied.

With respects

R Subrahmanian