History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.362

v2.c24.s1.362

⁸⁷⁵ Even in the Ṛgveda reference is made to people who did not look upon Indra as a god 'नेन्द्रं देवममंसत' ऋ. X. 86. 1. We saw above (p. 26) that the dasyus are often spoken of as 'avrata, ayajña and aśraddha' (vide Ṛg. I. 51. 8, I. 75. 3, VII. 6. 3). In the Kaṭhopaniṣad (I. 20 Naciketas says that people existed who thought that there was no (*Continued from last page*) survival of the soul after death and Yama declares that he who does not believe in the world hereafter again and again comes within his grasp (2.6). The word नास्तिक is derived by पाणिनि in 'अस्तिनास्तिदिष्टं मतिः' IV. 4. 60 (the meaning being नास्ति परलोक इति मतिर्यस्य). The बृहती (of प्रभाकर) on the पूर्वमीमांसासूत्र p. 284 (Madras ed.) regards बृहस्पति as the founder of materialism and the com. ऋजुविमला on the same quotes a verse (p. 285) 'अग्निहोत्रं त्रयो वेदास्त्रिदण्डं भस्मगुण्ठनम् । बुद्धिपौरुषहीनानां जीविकेति बृहस्पति॥.' This verse is quoted in the सर्वदर्शनसंग्रह (चार्वाकदर्शन) also. मेधा० on मनु IV. 163 says 'वेदप्रमाणकाना मर्थानां मिथ्यात्वाध्यवसायो नास्तिक्यम् । शब्देन प्रतिपादनं निन्दा पुनरुक्तो वेदोऽन्योन्यव्याहतो नात्र सत्यमस्तीति', while स्मृतिच० (II. p. 395) explaining Manu III. 150 says 'नास्ति कालान्तरे फलदं कर्म नास्ति देवतेत्यादिमन्तो नास्तिकाः'. Manu IX. 225 prescribes banishment from the capital for heretics (pāṣaṇḍastha). विष्णुपुराण III. 18. 27–28 speaks of the teaching of मायामोह as यज्ञैर्नेकैर्देवत्वमवाप्येन्द्रेण भुज्यते । शम्यादि यदि चेत्काष्ठं तद्वरं पत्रमुक्पशुः ॥ निहतस्य पशोर्यज्ञे स्वर्गप्राप्तिर्यदीष्यते । स्वपिता यजमानेन किं नु तस्मान्न हन्यते '. नारद (ऋणादान verse 180) regards a नास्तिक as an unfit witness in general. The Sarvadarśanasaṃgraha gives a synopsis of the views of Cārvāka and the षड्दर्शनसमुच्चय of हरिभद्र composed about 528 (A. D.) also summarises the views of लोकायत (ed. in B. I. series by L. Suali). The Mahābhāṣya (vol. III. pp. 325–326) refers to Lokāyata. The well-known verse 'यावज्जीवं सुखं जीवेदृणं कृत्वा घृतं पिबेत् । भस्मीभूतस्य देहस्य पुनरागमनं कुतः ॥' occurs in the सर्वदर्शनसंग्रह in its summary at the end of the section on चार्वाकदर्शन. The षड्दर्शनसमुच्चय verse 80 succintly expresses the लोकायत view 'लोकायता वदन्त्येवं नास्ति जीवो न निर्वृतिः । धर्माधर्मौ न विद्येते न फलं पुण्यपापयोः ॥ '. निर्वृतिः means मोक्ष. A comprehensive history of Indian Materialism would be a very interesting work but it has yet to be written.