4.2.

1 CHARVACA
ETYMOLOGY
•NAME OF CHIEF DISCIPLE OF BRIHASPATI
•“CHAR” MEANS “TO EAT”: MAY REFER TO A COMMON
NAME GIVEN TO A MATERIALIST WHO BELIEVES IN THE
SAYING: “EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY, FOR YOU HAVE
ONLY ONE LIFE TO LIVE”; AND ALSO “TO EAT UP ALL
THE ETHICAL AND MORAL CONSIDERATIONS.”
•“CHARU” + “VAK”:CHARU = BEAUTIFUL OR
ATTRACTIVE; “VAK” = WORD OR SPEECH. CHARVAKA
MAY ALSO REFER TO A PERSON WHO IS SWEET-
TONGUED AND TEMPTS INNOCENT PEOPLE BY THEIR
SKILLED ARGUMENTS
THE TERM “CHARVACA”

• CHARVAKA/CARVAKA – REFERS TO THE SCHOOL OF

INDIAN MATERIALISM WHICH RESTRICT TRUTH TO
THIS WORLD; IT IS KNOWN FOR PHILOSOPHICAL
SKEPTICISM & RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE

• LOKAYATA – ITS ANOTHER NAME MEANING “ONE WHO

GOES THE WORLDLY WAY”

• BRIHASPATI (@6 TH CENTURY BCE) – ALLEGED

FOUNDER

• BRIHASPATISUTRA - THE SOURCE

HUMAN LIFE

• OF THE FOUR GOALS OF HUMAN LIFE (ARTHA,

DHARMA, KAMA, MOKSHA), ONLY ARTHA & KAMA ARE
THE REAL GOALS

• THERE IS NO SAMSARA (REINCARNATION OR

TRANSMIGRATION OF THE SOUL))

• THERE IS NO SOUL THAT LEAVES THE BODY AFTER

DEATH AND GOES TO THE OTHER WORLD; LIFE
BELONGS TO THIS WORLD AND ENDS IN THIS WORLD
SALVATION & RELIGION

• THERE IS NO SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE; DEATH IS

THE END TO LIFE

• RELIGION OF SACRIFICES IS FALSE AND IS PROPAGATED

ONLY BY INTERESTED PRIESTS

• PRIESTS DO NOT BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY PREACH

• TEACHINGS OF THE VEDAS ARE THOSE FOOLS, ROGUES

AND DEMONS
GOD, HEAVEN & HELL

• THERE IS NO GOD (JUST AN IMAGINATION OF CRAFTY

PRIESTS)

• THERE IS NO NIRVANA NOR NARAKA (HEAVEN, HELL)

• NIRVANA IS THE PLEASURE WE HAVE IN EATING,
DRINKING, SINGING, AND IN THE COMPANY &
EMBRACE OF WOMEN.

• NARAKA IS THE PAIN WE EXPERIENCE IN THIS WORLD

ITSELF
EPISTEMOLOGY

PERCEPTION IS THE ONLY VALID SOURCE OF

KNOWLEDGE; AND REJECTED BOTH INFERENCE &
VERBAL TESTIMONY
INFERENCE (WESTERN) IS NOT A VALID SOURCE OF
KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE THE MAJOR PREMISE OF AN
INFERENCE CANNOT BE PROVED:
EXAMPLE: WHEREVER THERE IS SMOKE, THERE IS FIRE.
THIS MOUNTAIN HAS SMOKE.
THEREFORE, THERE IS FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN.
VERBAL TESTIMONY: VERBAL KNOWLEDGE IS ONLY
KNOWLEDGE OF WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS ARE
BASED UPON INFERENCE. THE VEDAS ARE NOT
RELIABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE SELF-CONTRADICTORY.
METAPHYSICS

• ATMAN IS NOT ETERNAL; IT DOES NOT EXIST

BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE PERCEIVED, EXCEPT WITH
THE HELP OF INFERENCE (NOT A VALID SOURCE)
• CONSCIOUSNESS ARISES FROM MATTER; NOT
FROM THE SOUL (MIND OR “MANAS” IS DIFFERENT
FROM THE SOUL; IT IS MATERIAL)
• THERE ARE ONLY 4 FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS:
EARTH, WATER, FIRE & AIR (EXCLUDED ETHER)
• THE EXISTENCE OF ALL THINGS IS A CHANCE;
THERE ARE NO LAWS OF NATURE, BUT EVERY
OBJECT HAS ITS OWN NATURE
ETHICS
• NO OBJECTIVE ETHICAL LAWS; THE ONLY BINDING
LAWS ARE THE LAWS OF THE STATE (THE ONLY
SCIENCE OR “SASTRA” WORTH STUDYING)

• THERE IS NO DUTY (DHARMA)… MAN CAN DO

ANYTHING—BEG, SORROW, STEAL OR MURDER IN
ORDER TO HAVE WEALTH & MORE PLEASURE (BUT
STATE LAWS PREVENT THEM & PUNISHES THEM)
CONCLUSION

• IT IS NAÏVE MATERIALISM

• NONETHELESS, IT HELPS PEOPLE BREAK FREE OF

SUPERSTITION AND TAUGHT THEM TO STRIVE FOR
HAPPINESS HERE ON EARTH