372 
The Chdrvuka System of Philosophy. 
[No. 4, 
ally expected, that the doctrines in question would have been attri¬ 
buted to S'ukra, the preceptor of the demons, rather than to Brihas- 
pati, the preceptor of the gods; and plausible grounds for such an 
adjudication might have been found in the singular passage at the 
end of the Chhandogya Upanishad. There we read, that Indra 
among the gods and Yirochana among the Asuras or demons, went to 
Prajapati to learn the knowledge of the Soul, and that Yirochana 
acquiesced without further inquiry in the exoteric doctrine of the 
Self. “ He, Yirochana, with a feeling of satisfaction, repaired to the 
Asuras, and unto them imparted this instruction, ‘ Self alone is ado¬ 
rable ; in this world Self alone should be served ; by adoring and serv¬ 
ing one’s self, both this and the other world may be attained.’ There¬ 
fore thenceforward the Asuras give no alms, have no faith in good 
works, and officiate at no sacrifice; hence are they called Asuras. 
This is their Upanishad. Their dead are besmeared with aromatics 
and adorned with ornaments and costly raiment, and they think that 
thereby they will overcome this region and that.” Tradition, how¬ 
ever, gives a different origin ; and just as Yishnu is said to have as¬ 
sumed his ninth avatar as Buddha to destroy the daityas, so Brilias- 
pati is described as promulgating his system to overthrow the pre¬ 
eminence of the sons of Baji. 
The legend is given with more or less detail in the Yishnu and 
Matsya Puranas.* I subjoin the following abridgement of it from the 
Harivansa (chapter 28). 
A'yus, the son of Pururavas of the lunar dynasty, had five sons, 
Nahusha, Yriddhas'arman, Bambha, Baji and Anenas, of whom Baji 
had five hundred sons. A great war was going on between the devas 
and asuras, and Brahma had foretold victory to that side which was 
espoused by Baji. The two parties claim his aid,t but on his de¬ 
manding to be made an Indra as his reward, the demons refused 
saying, “Our Indra is Prahrada.” The gods on the other hand ac¬ 
cept the proposed condition, and Baji accordingly conquers their 
enemies and becomes during his lifetime their Indra. On Baji’s 
death, his 500 sons seize the inheritance, and Indra is unable to 
prevail against them. In the extremity of his distress he is repre- 
* The latter makes Brihaspati teach the Jaina doctrine. 
t Raji was descended by his father from Soma, but by his mother from Swar- 
bhanu, a danava. 
