Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 150 ( Desika Prabhandham-- 41: Paasuram 165-166

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study the two Paasurams dealing

with the criticism of the ChArvAka Matham .

 

165) Condemnation of the ChaarvAka /UlOhAyatha Matham

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KaNdathu mey yenil kANum maRayil aRivu kaNDOm

kaNDathu alAthathu ilathu yenil ithil kuRRam kaNDilam

kaNDathu pOl maRai kAttuvathum kaNDathu otthathanAl

uMDathu kEtkkum ulOhAyathar yenRu meeruvathE

 

The Doctrine of ChArvakam : Prathyaksham alone is PramANam says

ChArvaakAs.Only those recognized by direct perception (Prathyaksham)

are true according to them. Rest are false . Therefore , every thing

described by Vedam that is not seeable by the direct perception

such as Dharmam, adharmam , Iswaran , the Other world are all false

according to CharvAkAs.

 

These CharvAkAs equate arTa kAmams (POruL , Inbham) as

equal to PurushArTam ( Veedu). Swamy Desikan rejects the view

that Prathyaksham alone is PramANam.He goes on to establish why

anumAnam and Sabdham(Vedam) are additional necessary PramANams.

Swamy Desikan quotes Swamy ParAsara Bhattar's SrI RangarAja Sthava

SlOkam 2.5 to refute CharvAkA's claim that Vedam is not PramANam .

Here Bhattar argues that CharvAkAs hear the Vedam through their ears ,

which is Prathyaksham since it is a prathyaksha indhriyam and

develop knowledge about the Meanings of the Vedam (arTa Jn~Anam )

from there. Bhattar asks how one can categorize Vedam as Meaningless ,

when the knowledge about meaning is obtained through one's ears .

The chief reason for Prathyaksham is the assistance of an Indhriyam .

When the ear as an Indhriyam hears it and develops arTa Jn~Anam ,

Bhattar asks how can you reject sabdham(Vedam ) as false .

 

Some CharvAkAs include anumAnam and aagamam in Prathyaksham .

Swamy Desikan rejects that view and points out that Prathyaksham and

anumAnam are separate PramANams .Swamy Desikan's arguments

are deep and incisive to reject ChArvaka Matham as unacceptable

as elaborated in the next paasuram.

 

166) The inconsistency between the ChArvakA's doctrines and actions

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KaNDathanAl kANathathu anumikkinranar

KaNDu Orutthan uraitthatanai kavaruhinRAr

uNDu pasi kedum yenRE uNarnthu uNkinrAr

onRAlE onRait-tAmm sAdhikkinRAr

paNDu mulai uNDu athanaal mulai uNkinrAr

pArkkinrAr pala allAt-taMMai maRRum

kaNDu mathi ketta nilai kANahillAr

kANathathu ilathu yenRu kalnguvArE

 

(Meaning ): ChArvakAs infer the presence of Agni from

the directly seen smoke. Another believes in the vishayam

that is directly seen and experienced by the ear and accepts it .

From this , it is clear that the charvAkAs accept anumAnam and

sabdham. They consume food with the knowledge that hunger will

be relieved , when one is hungry. They do not know however that

hunger will be removed by eating , before eating through the power of

prathyaksham . Further , as Vaadhis , they point why they agree

with the PrathivAdhis on the reasons and state that the unseen

vasthu exits. By this act, they have agreed to the validity of

anumAnam and Sabdham.

 

The CharvAkAs , who only accept the body that is

seeable by prathyaksham and reject the unseeable aathmA

as nonexistent can come up with the only answer for the new born

baby drinking mother's milk because of poorva janma vaasanai

(memories of previous births). By this they have to agree that

there is an eternal aathmA other than the SarIram . Further ,

the CharvAkAs who equate the body with the aathmA see

the aathmA , which has no hand or leg or eye in the same way

as the limbs of the SarIram ( hand, leg, eye of that SarIram )

that they can see by direct perception (Prathyaksham).

 

Thus the CharvAkAs know that their doctrines are inconsistent

with their actions and lose their minds and yet wont give up their

faulty doctrines.

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

SrImate SrI Lakshminrusimha PaadhukA sEvaka

SrI Aadhi VaNN SaThakOpa SrIman NaarAyaNa YathIndhra

MahA DesikAya Nama: