One more thing ! ......

Charuvaka School of Brihaspati !!

Charvaka School of Brihaspati !!

"Charvaka" school makes clear that Charvaakas have no faith in any religious practice .They denounce religious practices to attain Heaven . They declare all the severe penances to attain salvation are meaningless. All efforts to please Gods and obtain fruits are also useless, according to this school of Philosophy . The main aim of life according to them is to enjoy the life as it happens. This is truly the "Here " and " Now" sect.

According to Charvaakas- it cannot be said that enjoyment of life cannot be the goal of man because there may be pain associated with such enjoyment. A man wanting to eat fish does not reject it because there are bones , nor does a man reject rice because it may carry husk and small stones. It proclaims that it is foolish reasoning that pleasure arising from sense objects should be relinquished as it is accompanied by pain. It asks ' does a man desirous of keeping good health throw away the berries of paddy rich with finest grain considering it to be covered with husk and dust?

There is no heaven ( other than the pleasures on this earth), Therefore it follows that there is no hell other than the pain on this earth. King whose existence is proved by all is the God . The dissolution ( death) of the body is the liberation. Soul and body are one and the same.

All of this probably came as a reaction to Brahmanic schools of thought which pushed rituals and the Vedic philosophy. The Charvaka philosophy is difficult to set aside because majority of living beings live by this view even if they subscribe to the more esoteric Advaita Philosophy of Sankara or even Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya officially.

The timelessness of this philosophy can be see from the fact that probably the present " here and now" generation would have no difficulty in identifying with this philosophy,

The thought process of Charvaka School is ascribed to Brihaspati

A few lines on Charvaka school.

యావజ్జీవం సుఖం జీవేన్నాస్తి మృత్యురగోచరః|
భస్మీ భూతస్య దేహస్య పునరాగమనం కుతః||
यावज्जीवं सुखं जीवेन्नास्ति मृत्युरगोचरः।
भस्मी भूतस्य देहस्य पुनरागमनं कुतः॥

Lead life happily as long as you live. No one can escape from Vision of Death. When once this body is burned to ashes where from does it return again?

అగ్నిహోత్రం త్రయోవేదాః త్రిదణ్డం భస్మగుణ్ఠనాం|
బుద్ధి పౌరుష హీనానాం జీవికేతి బృహస్పతిః||
अग्निहोत्रं त्रयोवेदाः त्रिदण्डं भस्मगुण्ठनां।
बुद्धि पौरुष हीनानां जीविकेति बृहस्पतिः॥

The Agnihotra, the three Vedas and the smearing one self with ashes - all these are but means of livelihood for men destitute of man-power and intellect ( Brahmans)

న స్వర్గో నాపసర్గోవా నైవాత్మా పారలౌకికః|
నైవ వర్ణాశ్రమాదీనాం క్రియాశ్చఫలదాయికాః||
न स्वर्गो नापसर्गोवा नैवात्मा पारलौकिकः।
नैव वर्णाश्रमादीनां क्रियाश्चफलदायिकाः॥

There is no heaven . No final liberation, nor any soul in another world . The actions of four caste orders do not produce any effect.

పశుశ్చే న్నిహితః స్వర్గం జ్యోతిష్ఠోమే గమిష్యతి|
స్వపితా యజమానేన తత్ర కస్మాన హింస్యతే||
पशुश्चे न्निहितः स्वर्गं ज्योतिष्ठोमे गमिष्यति।
स्वपिता यजमानेन तत्र कस्मान हिंस्यते॥

If a beast killed in the Jyothisma rite ( animal sacrifice) will itself go to Heaven ,then why not the sacrificer forthwith offer his own father ( who can then go to heaven directly!)

మృతానామపి జంతూనాం శ్రాద్ధం చేతృప్తికారణం|
నిర్వాణస్య ప్రదీపస్య స్నేహః సంవర్ధయేచ్చిఖాం||
मृतानामपि जंतूनां श्राद्धं चेतृप्तिकारणं।
निर्वाणस्य प्रदीपस्य स्नेहः संवर्धयेच्चिखां॥

If Shraddha produces gratification to beings who are dead and in another world , then here too in the case of travelers it is needless to give provisions for the journey ( offer Shraddha for them also - so they can get gratified and there is no need to carry the provisions!!)

తతశ్చ జీవనోపాయో బ్రాహ్మణైర్విహితాస్త్విహ|
మృతానాం ప్రేతకార్యాణిన త్వనద్విద్యతే క్కచిత్||
ततश्च जीवनोपायो ब्राह्मणैर्विहितास्त्विह।
मृतानां प्रेतकार्याणिन त्वनद्विद्यते क्कचित्॥

Hence it is only as a means of Livelihood that Brahmins have established here . All these ceremonies for the dead there is no other fruit anywhere !.

Brihaspati as a God in heaven seem to have propagated the philosophy to Rakshasas With the idea that following this philosophy they will self destruct.

Rakshasas as one sect followed this philosophy in its totality. They are probably being followed by the current generation of "Nasthikas"

||om tat sat||