Charvaka, The Indigenous.

The founder of Charvaka is Brihaspati; Pursuit of sensuous pleasure is its ethic. Its concept is to reject liberation belief, Karma theory and the immortality of soul. No pleasure is bad in itself, it says. Sexual pleasure is the greatest pleasure. Chastity for woman is an invention On women by the clever male weaklings. Not five but four elements do they Recognise, leaving ether as not perceivable. Pratyaksa (perception) is the sole source of knowledge And not Anumanya (inference) , Upamanya (comparison) , Arthapatti (postulation) , Anupalabdi (Cognitive) and Sabda (testimony of past proof) Thus, Charvaka holds direct perception, Empiricism and conditional Inference as the source of knowledge. It embraces philosophical scepticism And rejects ritualism and supernaturalism. It is one of the Nastika or heterodox Schools of Indian Philosophy. Whenever one infers a truth From a set of observations Or truths, one must acknowledge doubts; Inferred knowledge is conditional. The fire is hot, the water cold, Refreshing cool the breeze of morn; By whom came this variety? From their own nature was it born. All natural phenomena Was produced spontaneously From the inherent nature of things. Hence soul is one such phenomena. Vedic literature speaks of Charvaka There is no other world than this; There is no heaven and no hell. The realm of Shiva and like regions Are fabricated by stupid imposters. (Sarvasiddhanta Samgraha verse 8) "Which life is yours, live joyously; None can escape Death's searching eye, When once this frame of ours they burn, How shall it ev'r again return? " (Madhave Vidyaraya) "O, the highly wise! Arrive at a conclusion, Therefore, that there is nothing beyond this universe; Give precedence to that which meets the eye, And turn your back on what is beyond our knowledge" (Valmiki Ramayana (2.108.17)) 25'02'2023