1862.] The Charvaka System of Philosophy. 375 



the necessary shadow that the human mind flings as it advances, — 

 the slave set to warn the conqueror in the triumphal procession ? 



We now proceed to give a literal translation of Madhava's 

 account of the system from the Sarva-dars'ana Sangraha. 



The Charvaka doctrine. 

 We have said in our preliminary invocation " salutation to S'iva, the 

 abode of eternal knowledge, the storehouse of supreme felicity," but 

 how can we attribute to the Divine Being the giving of supreme 

 felicity, when such a notion has been utterly abolished by Charvaka} 

 the crest-gem of the atheistical school, the follower of the doctrine 

 of Brihaspati ? The efforts of Charvaka are indeed hard to be eradicat- 

 ed, for the majority of living beings hold by the current refrain, 



While life is yours, live joyously, 

 None can escape Death's searching eye ; 

 When once this frame of ours they burn, 

 How shall we e'er again return? 



The mass of men, in accordance with the S'astras of policy and 

 enjoyment* considering wealth and desire the only ends of man, and 

 denying the existence of any thing belonging to a future world, are 

 found to follow only the doctrine of Charvaka. Hence another name 

 for that school is Lokayata, — a name well accordant with the thing 

 signified. f 



In this school the four elements, earth, &c, are the original principles, 

 — from these alone when transformed into the body, intelligence is 

 produced, just as the inebriating power is developed from the mixing 

 of certain ingredients, J and when these are destroyed, intelligence at 

 once perishes also. They quote the S'ruti for this (Brihad Arany. 

 Up. II. 4. 32.), " springing forth from these elements, itself solid 

 knowledge, it is destroyed when they are destroyed, — after death no 



* See Dr. Hall's preface to the Vasavadatta, p. 11. 



•}■ " S'ankara, Dhaskara, and other commentators name the Lolsayatikas, and 

 these appear to be a branch of the Sect of Charvaka" (Colebrooke). Lokayata 

 may be etymologically analysed as 'prevalent in the world' (loka, and di/ataj. 

 Laukayatika occurs in Panini's ukthagana. 



% Kintva is explained as " a drug or seed used to produce fermentation in the 

 manufacture of spirits from sugar, bassia, &c." Colebrooke quotes from S'an- 

 kara : "The faculty of thought results from a modification of the aggregate ele- 

 ments in like manner as sugar witli a ferment and other ingredients becomes an 

 inebriating liquor; and as betel, areca, lime and extract of catechu chewed toge- 

 ther, have an exhilarating property not found in those substances severally." 



