Indian Philosophy

  • 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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  • History of Indian Materialism

    <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} Ramkrishna Bhattacharya There are two ways of reading philosophy: Philosophical-doctrinal and Historical-textcritical. The first approach does not pay much attention…

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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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  • 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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  • 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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