CHARVAKA DESK
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J Muir’s Essay on Carvaka/Lokayata
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The Chárváka System
Mádhava Áchárya [Madhavacharya was a minister of the Vijayanagara empire. He later became the 12th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham from 1380 to 1386CE. He is the author of Sarva-darśana-saṃgraha, a compendium of Indian Philosopy, which discusses sixteen philosophical views. The Carvaka System (reproduced below) forms the first chapter. Sarva-darśana-saṃgraha was translated into English…
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Bhagavad Gita and Anti-Corruption Movement – A Bunch of Thoughts
Kesahava Shet Revankar (Here is an interesting take on the on-going anti-corruption movement. The author, an octogenarian, was an officer with MIG Aircraft Division, HAL, Nasik, and now spends his time between Kundapur (Karnataka) and Dubai) This article is an attempt to show the parallel between Anna Hazare of Jan Lokpal Bill (JLP) and Krishna of Bhagavad Gita.…
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Science versus Miracles: Performing “Miracles” with Fire!
B Premanand Burning camphor on the hand and waving it in front of the idol, without apparent injury In 1977, a film artist of Kerala published an article challenging us to burn camphor on the hand and wave it before the idol in the temple. He said that his godman, Swami Satyananda Saraswathi, the International…
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Babri Demolition to Anna Hazare – Changing Strategies of RSS Politics
Ram Puniyani This December, Babri demolition act completed its 19years. On the occasion many a Muslim groups demanded the reconstruction of the masjid. This demand is just but is mired in many a complex legalities and is trapped in the politics in which there are many diverse players. One again needs to clarify that Hindutva…
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Made Snana: Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Evidence
Narendra Nayak Loosely translated into English, Made Snana means taking bath on leftovers but a detailed one would mean rolling over the leaves on which others have eaten and discarded. .Again, a lengthier one would be lower caste people rolling on the leaves on which Brahmins have eaten! This has been taking place since hundreds…
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Deepti weds Sandesh
Prof Narendra Nayak with the couple after their wedding Well this is not the cliched title of a wedding invitation but the narration of events that led to this wedding! For, Sandesh is a Pambada, a caste of dalits who are untouchables except when they get possessed by spirits- sorry not of those of the…
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History of Indian Materialism
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Premanand Memorial Lecture
The 3rd Premanand Memorial Lecture organized by Science Trust, Kozhikode, Kerala will be held on January 22, 2012 at Nalanda Auditorium, Kozhikode. We give below the programme schedule mailed to us by Sajit C, an office bearer of the Trust. The 5th Anniversary of Science Trust & the 3rdPremanand Memorial Lecture On Sunday, the 22nd January 2012 …
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On Lokayata Philosophy
Rhys Davids (From the introduction to the English translation of the Kutadanta Sutta; Dialogues of the Buddha – page 166-172, London, 1889) T. W. Rhys Davids There is a curious expression in the stock phrase describing the learned Brahman, so often found in the Piṭakas, which I have left untranslated in this Sutta, being uncertain…
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Fire Walking
B Premanand Walking on Red Hot Coals Does Not Prove Anyone’s Chastity Experiment – 17 Effect: Walking on red hot coals without the feet getting burnt Props: A pit one foot broad (minimum), eight feet long and three inches deep. At least 100 kg firewood, well dried and hard, kerosene, matches, metal leveler, two planks…
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Lokayata
Haraprasad Shastri (This essay was published in Dacca University Bulletin, No.1, 1925) Haraprasad Shastri The Sarvadarsanasamgraha was published in the Bibliotheca Indica Series in 1858 under the editorship of Pandit Isvar Chandra Vidyasagara. The first chapter of this work contained an account of the Carvaka Darsana – a system of philosophy which believed neither in…
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Premanand Memorial Award
Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA), an apex body of more than 75 rationalist, skeptic, secularist organizations in India, has instituted an award in memory of its founder-convener, B Premanand. This award will be given to people who have given valuable contribution towards secularism, scientific temper, skepticism, rational inquiry etc in India. For this year’s…
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Superstitions and Human Rights
Narendra Nayak (This is the text of a talk delivered on November 7 for All India Radio, Mangalore and broadcast today, December 10, 2011) The very term superstition denotes that it is a conclusion not based on rational thinking and evidence and hence has to be anti human rights. Because human rights respect individuals rights…
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Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) – 8th National Conference
The 8th National Conference of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) will be held at Nagpur, Maharashtra, on 11th and 12th February 2012. FIRA, an apex body of more than 75 rationalist, atheist, skeptic, secularist and science organisations in India., is committed to the development of scientific temper and humanism in India.. The Federation is…
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Behenji: The Pragmatist Politician
Ram Puniyani With elections looming over Uttar Pradesh horizon, recently (Nov 2011) UP Chief Minister Mayawati declared that her cabinet has approved the proposal to divide the UP state into four smaller states. She declared that only a dalit-OBC Chief Minister should be able to solve the problems of dalit-OBCs. There is also the talk…
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Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham – 27th State Conference
Celebrating the 45th anniversary of its formation, KeralaYukthivadi Sangham ( Kerala Rationalist Association) is holding its 27th State Conference from December 30, 2011 to January 1, 2012 at Kottayam, Kerala. The association had its genesis in a rationalist group formed in 1935 under the leadership of Panampally Govinda Menon and MC Joseph who brought out…
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Reasoners and Religious Law-makers: An Ancient Indian Case Study
Ramkrishna Bhattacharya Authors of Dharmaśāstra-s (religious law-books of India) like Manu and Yājñavalkya lose no opportunities of condemning freethinkers. They are called dambhin, nāstika, pāsandin, haituka, etc.1 The word, haituka, is of particular interest. Literally it means ‘a reasoner’ (from hetu, ‘reason’). But Medhātithi (ninth century CE), a commentator on the Manusamhitā (Manusmrti) glosses…
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Leftovers of Brahmanism
Here is report on a disgusting annual ritual practised at Kukke Subrahmanya, a prominent temple in Karnataka. This temple, located in one of the most forward districts in Karnataka and patronized by such luminaries from the Indian sports and the cine world as Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Aishwarya Rai, and Shilpa Shetty, attracts lakhs of devotees…
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Preface to “Science versus Miracles”
Pushpa M Bhargava The following is the Preface written by Dr PM Bhargava to the book “Science versus Miracles” of Premanand. We reproduce it as part of our effort to upload the entire book online in html format. We have already uploaded a few chapters of the book. The remaining chapters will be uploaded in…
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Syncretism in the Caraka and Suśruta saṃhitās
Ramkrishna Bhattacharya Ancient Indian physicians were as much interested in philosophical speculations as in the problem of diseases and their cure (Chattopadhyaya 1979: 110-13; Dasgupta 1975: VI and ch. 13). Two Sanskrit compendia of medicine and surgery, the Carakasamhitā (CS) and the Suśrutasamhitā (SS), often employ the Sāmkhya and Nyāya-Vaiśesika terminology (Dasgupta 1975: ibid.; Mrinal…
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Is there a Life after Death?
Innaiah Narisetti The majority of people believe in an after-life. If there is something after death, what is it? After death, the body is buried by some, cremated by some others, donated to hospitals by a few. These practices are common. When a person dies, along with other parts of the body, the brain also dies. That…
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The Early Miracles
B Premanand The early miracles were performed by shamans acting as oracles. Through incantations they brought the spirit of god on themselves, swaying and dancing, and making fearful sounds to prove to their followers that punishment meted out by the clan leader of the rulers could not harm them. Among self-inflicted punishments were ship lashes,…