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srI:
SrI  upakAra  sangraham ? 46
--- 
adikAram ? 1
poorva upakAra paramparai
(The Foremost Series of Favours) 
---   
SECTION ? 5 (11)  
(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for
MOKSHAM)  
-----   

        In the last sub-section, SwAmi Desikan showed us how
the Lord helps a jIva having a very tiny spot of
goodness and makes him to take birth with a human
body, that too, in a lineage of sAttvik persons. In
this birth the jIva gets a body and sense organs of
virtuous nature at the time of birth. 
        The Lord does not stop with that. A child who has
started his or her life which may extend to a number
of decades, even 10 or 12, that is, he or she can live
up to 100 or 120 years.  But he or she has to be
ensured that he or she does not go astray leaving the
virtuous path in which the Lord has helped him or her
to begin the life-journey. 
        It is a common sight how a person who is in the
initial stage of study, is being carried away by
different theories which may appear convincing to him,
but actually they may without authoritative support. 
For a sincere person who has developed virtuous
qualities by the grace of the Lord, He Himself
intervenes through our AchAryAs in order to save the
person from going astray. 

        This is another favour done by the Lord, says SwAmi
Desikan in this sub-section:

(11)
cArvAka-bauddha-Arhata-vaishEShika-sAnkhya-pashupatAdi-bahuvida-bAhya-kudruShti-matangkaLal
kalangkAtapdi paNNinatuvum;

        The Lord, by His compassion, ensures hat the person
who has taken the first step towards Him, does not be
carried away by such cleverly launched religions.
SwAmi Desikan has named the relevant religions
specifically. We shall just see what are they and how
our AchAryas have exposed their hollowness. 
        Before going into the detail discussion, we must note
a general picture about the concept of religious
philosophy. 
        The Indian philosophical systems are categorized into
two major divisions ? those systems which do not
subscribe to the authority of the Vedas, and those
which have accepted the authority of the Vedas. The
first group is mentioned as ?bAhya matangkaL?, that
is, outside the Vedic tradition. Even among the
religious theories based on the authority of the
Vedas, there are some which have twisted the Vedic
concepts for their own purpose. They are being
described by SwAmi Desikan as  ?kudruShti-matangkaL?. 
        ?kudruShti? means, according to the Apte dictionary,
?weak sight, an evil eye, sinister eye, an opinion or
doctrine opposed to the Vedas, heterodox doctrines?.
All these meanings are applicable to such religious
theories denoted by SwAmi Desikan by the term,
?kudruShti-matangkaL?.  
        The philosophical systems which do not accept the
authority of the Vedas are being referred to by SwAmi
Desiakn here are: ?cArvAka-bauddha-Arhata matangkaL?. 
Those philosophical systems which are supposed to be
based on the Vedas, but unfortunately not on the
proper way, referred to by SwAmi  as 
?kudruShti-matangkaL?, are:
?vaishEShika-sAnkhya-pashupatA matangkaL?. 
        Generally, the systems which deny the authority of
the Vedas, which are the great primary scriptures, are
pronounced as nAstika, that is, unorthodox and those
which accept the authority of the Vedas are called
Astika, orthodox. There is also a view that those
systems which believe in the existence after death and
in the existence of God are Astika and those which do
not believe in the existence of soul or God, are known
as nAstika.   
        Here is a brief note on each of these religious
theories followed by the arguments against it. This is
not intended to despise them but only to explain how
they fall outside the basic Vedic concepts and to keep
those who are sincerely following the religious
concepts based on the correct Vedic tenets.      

1) The first one taken up by SwAmi Desikan is cArvAka
religious theory: 

                   The cArvAka theory is attributed to
a philosopher named, cArvAka. It is also called
?lOkAyata? system. cArvAka literally means sweet word.
It is probably because his was a philosophy of
sensualism. It was a simple theory of skepticism.
According to this theory, direct perception is alone
the authority, neither, inference nor shabda, (Vedas).
Whatever known through the sense organs, namely, eyes,
ears, nose, tongue and skin are real. Material things
(artha) and pleasure (kAmam) are alone the goal of
human beings (puruShArta). There is nothing beyond
this world. The theories that denounce worldly
prosperity and sensual pleasure, such as the nIti
(ethical) scriptures, and the kAma shAstras (those
advocating sensual pleasures), are only to be
followed. Vedas are not an authority. Hence, dharma,
puNya, pApa (sin) and God are not at all true. These
are being taught only for livelihood. The Ruler of the
country is the only God. Everyone?s body is the jIva.
The physique is constituted by the elements of earth,
water, fire and wind. 
Question: Then how does the body get the faculty of
knowing, that is, consciousness?
cArvAka: When these four elements mix together,
automatically the body gets ?Caitanyam?,
consciousness. If, for example, the barks and the
roots of different plants are powdered, mixed in water
and the mixture is boiled, the solution acquires
intoxicant nature. Similarly, in the case of the human
body which is a mixture of the four elements, it gets
the power of knowing, that is, consciousness. The
sensual pleasure is the ultimate goal for a human
being. 

        When Bharata met SrI rAma in Chitrakoota and urged
Him to return to ayOdhya and assume the ruler-ship,
those who accompanied him included a sage, JAbAli by
name. He tried to persuade SrI rAma to accept the
throne by advocating the theory of the nAstikas
similar to the cArvAka materialistic theory, in order
in arouse in Him the lust for sovereignty. The sage
told SrI rAma, ?There is nothing beyond this visible
universe. Believe in that which appears to the senses
and discard that which is outside the ken of your
senses.?
        As He was with a strong conviction opposed to
jAbAli?s point of view, SrI rAma gives the sage a very
bold reply without hesitation. The Lord sets an
example for all of us as how to hold on to our
conviction in the concept of righteousness as outlined
by the Vedas and the related scriptures taught by our
AchAryas. He says:

 ?nirmaryAdastu puruShah pApAcAra samanvitah /
  mAnam ca labhatE satsu bhinnacAritradarshanah // ?
(ayOdhyAkANda, 109-3)

(A man who has transgressed the bounds of propriety
and is characterized by a sinful conduct, and who is
wedded to a moral philosophy different from the
established ethical doctrines does not get recognition
among the wise.)
?kuleenam akuleenam vA veeram puruShamAninam /
cAritramEva vyAkhyAti shucim vA yadi vA ashucim //?
(ayOdhyAkANda,109-4)

(Conduct alone proclaims a man to be well-born or
otherwise, gallant or only fancying himself to be
gallant, honest or dishonest.)

        SrI rAma further says, ?One following the way of life
propounded by you will be ignoble, though appearing to
be noble, will be accepted as clean, though devoid of
cleanliness, would pass for one endowed with
auspicious bodily marks, though lacking in such marks,
will appear as possessed of an amiable disposition,
though ill-mannered.(109-5) What any sensible man
capable of discerning what ought to be done and what
ought not to be done, would hold Me in high esteem in
the world, knowing me to be vile of conduct and
corruptor of the people? Conducting Myself according
to the mode of life recommended by you in which My vow
of remaining in exile in the forest for fourteen years
has to be abandoned, whose way of life shall I follow
so that I may attain heaven since you tell me my
father was none to Me? By following your advice I will
act according to My own inclination, disregarding the
authority of the shAstras and following my example,
this whole world too is likely to turn licentious; for
people follow the same way of life as kings do. 
Truthfulness alone, which is divorced from cruelty, is
the eternal way of life prescribed for kings.
Therefore, truthfulness is the soul of a kingdom; the
world itself is founded on truth. The seers of Vedic
Mantras as well as gods have respected truthfulness
alone. Indeed a veracious man in this world attains
the highest realm, which knows no decay. People turn
away in fear from a man telling lies in the same way
as they do from a serpent. Virtue has its culmination
in truthfulness; it is also declared to be the root of
all. Truth alone is God in the world, piety ever
hinges on truth. All have their root in truth; there
is no goal higher than truth. Charity, sacrificial
performances, as well as offering oblations into the
sacred fore, and the austerities actually practiced
and the Vedas studied have their foundation on truth.
Hence, one should remain devoted to truth.(109-7 to
14) 

?It has been heard by us that neither gods nor even
manes accept the offerings of a man who is not true to
his promise, and has thus deviated from the truth and
is of irresolute mind. I recognize this virtue in the
form of truthfulness as binding on all embodied beings
and as the foremost. The burden in the form of matted
locks has been made much of by good men; hence, it is
welcomed by Me. I shall certainly renounce the duty of
a kShtriya which consists mostly of unrighteousness,
though attended with an iota of virtue and which is
followed by petty, cruel and greedy men and those of
sinful deeds. (109-17 to 20). 
        
?Indra was able to attain the sovereignty of heaven
only after performing a hundred sacrifices. The
eminent seers of Vedic Mantras too ascended to the
eternal regions, even higher than heaven, after
practicing rigorous austerities only.(109 ? 29) 
        
?The sages speak of truthfulness and piety and valour
and compassion for created beings and polite speech
and worship of BrAhmanas, gods and unexpected guests
as a road to heaven. Scrupulously and duly practicing
virtue in all its aspects, having in the first
instance correctly understood its meaning through
learning from a sage and reached complete unanimity on
the point, brAhmaNas seek to attain realms of their
choice. I denounce the way you described the action of
my father, who picked up as his counselor-priest, you,
a staunch unbeliever, who has not only strayed away
from the path of righteousness but whose mind is set
on a wrong path opposed to the Vedic path; who is
moving about in the world with such an ideology,
conforming to the doctrine of the atheistic cArvAka,
who believes only in the world of senses as has been
set forth in your speech.? (109- 31 to33)

        Thus the Lord prevented the virtuous persons from
being diverted by superficial wise theories but in
reality against the dharmic tenets. One among such
theories is cAravAka doctrine, mentioned by SwAmi
Desikan.

        It may noted that SwAmi Desikan has left us another
voluminous work, ?Paramata-bhangam? in which he has
dealt in detail about this theory of cArvAka. 

[Books Consulted:
Shrimad VAlmIki rAmAyaNa -- Text with English
translation. Published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
Spritual Heritage of India, by SwAmi PrabhavAnada.
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai.]

(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan 
-------------- 



      
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