Adhyatma carvaka

1. Adhyatma Carvaka
Allegorical interpretation of Cārvāka within
the framework of Advait Vedanta
Ganesh Bharate

2. Context of discussion
This is one part of project in the back of my mind with regards to applied
ethics in Indian Philosophy.
Casuistry critique against principle or rule based reasoning.
Cleansing the emotions, as at times rationalizing does not help (reason &
emotion are not watertight compartments)
External anchor - God, Internal anchor - self, No anchor - for the strong
willed
Here I talk only about Internal anchor - self which will be further elaborated as
Adhyatma

3. Overview
1) Understanding the breadth of the word Adhyātma
2) Augmentation and attenuation of Cārvāka Darsana
3) Engaging with prevalent myths
4) Contextualising the discussion of human nature
5) Relations in macrocosm and microcosm
6) Reinterpret
7) Conclusion

4. Polarities mortalism-eternalism

5. 1) Understanding the breadth of the word Adhyātma
The Sanskrit term Ãtman literally means ‘I’ and the meaning of Adhyātma
depends on the conception of Ātman i.e. conception of ‘I’ of the person or any
darsana.
adhi + Ātman which means about the self - Ātmanam adhikrutya yad shastram
tad Adhyātma sāstram.
Adhyātma is a study about that which inheres immanently, ubiquitously in the
body as ‘I’ and dwells in the nature of ‘self’. Ātman (I) takes the body’s repose
(asraya) and is Brahman itself.
Ātmanam deham adhikrtya pratyagatmataya pravrttam paramartha
brahmavasanam vastu svabhavha Adhyātmam uchyate Adhyātma sabdena
abhidhiyate.

6. 1) Augmentation and attenuation of Cārvāka Darsana
Cārvāka as Darshan or just purva paksha a naive
objector
Lokayata, kundakita, Vitanda Sastra, body-soul identity
theorists (dehatmavadins), emergentist (Mahabhootodbhav
caitanya vadins)
Dhurta or Susiksita Cārvāka - naive or learned

7. Engaging with prevalent myths
Brihaspati the preceptor of gods addressed the Cārvāka
darsana to the demons to muddlehead them
Brihaspati is the preceptor of gods and not a man of flesh
and blood.
Allegory of gods as good dispositions and demons as evil
dispositions of the mind

8. Contextualising the discussion of human nature
Locke and Rousseau human nature is good.
Rousseau thought that the influx of bad or evil is after coming into contact with the society.
Man is a Noble savage ?
Hobbes according to whom state of nature was full of selfishness and gripped in fear.
Hobbes says we see evils of nature which is red in tooth and claw. State of nature - "war of
all against all" in which men's lives are "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short".
Instead of such a good and bad strict black and white dichotomy Human nature is grey.

9. Relations in macrocosm and microcosm
Macrocosm Microcosm
Indra Mind
Ether Ear - Sound
Air Skin - Touch
Fire Eye - Form & Colour
Water Tongue - Taste
Earth Nose - Olfaction
(i) For more information see Panchikarana - Vedantasara by Sadananda

10. Reinterpreting the myths betwixt the Allegory of
macro/micro-cosm. Some background
The faculty that makes resolutions and dissolutions of ideas
Sankalp vikalpatmika antahkarana vrttih manah - Tattavabodha,
Intellect is defined as the faculty of decision making
Nischayatmika antahkaran vrtiih buddhih - Tattavabodha,
Sankaracharya
Comparing Manas with Indra and Buddhi with Brihaspati
symbolically

11. Trigunas - naive classification of mental
dispositions (taken as workable classification)
Sattva guna Knowledge, patience, bliss, calmness etc.
Rajo guna Lust, greed, ego, hypocrisy etc.
Tamo guna Ignorance, lethargy, conceit, fear etc.
(ii) For more information check 14th and 18th Chapters of Bhagavad Gita

12. Brihaspati
(Preceptor)
Intellect (decision maker ciphers doubts &
resolutions)
1. Rationalizing Intellect
2. Thought provoked Intellect
Indra (Disciple) Mind (resolution making & doubting faculty of
consciousness )
(iii)Imposed Allegory

13. No Gods, Humans are good, bad, grey
Interpret the teaching of Brihaspati in two ways
One that intellect deludes the mind to rationalise in favourable to
oneself way
Hence, the teachings of Bṛihaspati are the same as the intellect
rationalising giving a logical/extra-logical basis to the bad
inclinations.
Secondly it becomes a stepping stone towards the true sense of being
thought provoked (leaving aside the short term pleasures for long
term good)

14. Conclusion
The point is that instead of giving ready-made do’s and don'ts we have a framework where
one can think according to the context (being thought provoked) and act accordingly without
falling for the treacherous ways of mind.
There is no watertight classification for thoughts as such, so even a vague classification
according to the three gunas can help us observe the mental states and thereby avoid us from
self-deception that is done by rationalizing our deeds under the name of us being embodied
and constituted of matter (which is undeniably true).
So instead of rationalizing it is important that we ponder upon the mental states before
engaging in action. I know it is easy said than done.

16. Works Cited
Bhattacharya, Ramkrishna. “Two Obscure Sanskrit Words Related to the Cārvāka: Pañcagupta and Kuṇḍakīṭa.” Journal of Indian
Philosophy, vol. 39, no. 2, 2010, pp. 167–171., doi:10.1007/s10781-010-9122-8.
Chattopadhyaya, Debiprasad. Lōkayata; a Study in Ancient Indian Materialism. People's Pub. House, 1973.
Cowell, E. B. Sarva-Darsana-Pamgraha. Routledge, 2014.
“Doxographies - Why Six Darśanas Which Six.” Scribd, Scribd, www.scribd.com/document/249196183/Doxographies-Why-Six-Darśanas-
Which-Six.
“Ekadash Skandh Bhasha : Sadhu, Chatur Das : Free Download & Streaming.” Internet Archive, 1 Jan. 1970,
archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.345470.
Gokhale Pradīpa. Lokāyata/cārvāka a Philosophical Inquiry. Oxford University Press, 2016.
Krishnananda. The Essence of the Brihadaranyaka. The Divine Life Society, 1977.

17. Raja, Kumarapuram Kunjunni. Indian Theories of Meaning. Adyar Library and Research Centre, 1977.
Shankaracharya, Alladi Mahadeva Sastri. “Bhagavad-Gita with the Commentary of Sri Shankaracharya, Translated to English by Alladi
Mahadeva Sastri : Shankaracharya, Alladi Mahadeva Sastri : Free Download & Streaming.” Internet Archive, 1 Jan. 1977,
archive.org/details/Bhagavad-Gita.with.the.Commentary.of.Sri.Shankaracharya.
Sivananda. Mundakopanishad, Commentary by ... Sri Swami Krishnananda, ... The Yoga-Vedanta Forest University, 1951.
Śaṅkara ,. (Brihadaranyaka). Mathrubhumi Print. & Publ. Co., 1994.
Śaṅkarācārya ,. Tattva Bodha of Sankaracharya. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1981.
Śaṅkarācārya , Chandogya Upanisad. Advaita Ashrama, 1997.
Yogīndra Sadānanda, and G. A. Jacob. Vedantasara. Chaukhamba, 1975.