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Charvaka in Mahabharata

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Charvaka in Mahabharata Empty Charvaka in Mahabharata

Post by Guest Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:49 pm

In this post, i refer to the well known episode of the killing of
Charvaka, which occurs in the Santiparva of the Mahabharata. After the
great Kuruksetra war, when the Pandava brothers were returning
truimphantly, thousands of brahmins gathered at the city gate to bestow their
blessing on Yudhisthira. Among them was Charvaka. He moved forward and
without the consent of the rest of the brahmins, he addressed the king
thus:This assembly of the Brahmins is cursing you for you have killed
your kins. What have you gained by destroying your own people and
murdering your elders? You should die.
This outburst of Charvaka, abrupt
as it was, stunned the assembled brahmins. Yudhisthira felt mortally
wounded and wanted to die. But then the other brahmins regained their
senses and told the king that this Charvaka was only a demon in
disguise. And then they burnt him, the dissenting Charvaka to ashes.

But why was the need felt for the redactors of the Mahabharata to kill off Charvaka? The answer is that the Charvaka philosophers had become too outspoken in their criticism of hinduism. For a long time, their criticism of orthodox hinduism was tolerated, but it seems that they crossed all norms of decency when they started using words like these:


The three authors of the Vedas were buffoons, knaves, and demons.All the well-known formulae of the pandits, jarphari, turphari, etc.and all the obscene rites for the queen commanded in Aswamedha,these were invented by buffoons, and so all the various kinds of presents to the priests,while the eating of flesh was similarly commanded by night-prowling demons.
And so, Charvakas started getting hounded by the orthodoxy to the extent that none of their authentic written works survives. The reason we know about their philosophical positions today is through the writings of their philosophical opponents.
To sum up: Charvakas should probably have refrained from going out of their way to hurt the sentiments of practicing hindus by using words like 'buffoons, knaves, and demons' for the writers of the Vedas.

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Charvaka in Mahabharata Empty Re: Charvaka in Mahabharata

Post by Guest Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:18 am

I see.

Thanks.

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Charvaka in Mahabharata Empty Re: Charvaka in Mahabharata

Post by Mosquito Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:23 pm

Rashmun wrote:In this post, i refer to the well known episode of the killing of
Charvaka, which occurs in the Santiparva of the Mahabharata. After the
great Kuruksetra war, when the Pandava brothers were returning
truimphantly, thousands of brahmins gathered at the city gate to bestow their
blessing on Yudhisthira. Among them was Charvaka. He moved forward and
without the consent of the rest of the brahmins, he addressed the king
thus:This assembly of the Brahmins is cursing you for you have killed
your kins. What have you gained by destroying your own people and
murdering your elders? You should die.
This outburst of Charvaka, abrupt
as it was, stunned the assembled brahmins. Yudhisthira felt mortally
wounded and wanted to die. But then the other brahmins regained their
senses and told the king that this Charvaka was only a demon in
disguise. And then they burnt him, the dissenting Charvaka to ashes.

But why was the need felt for the redactors of the Mahabharata to kill off Charvaka? The answer is that the Charvaka philosophers had become too outspoken in their criticism of hinduism. For a long time, their criticism of orthodox hinduism was tolerated, but it seems that they crossed all norms of decency when they started using words like these:


The three authors of the Vedas were buffoons, knaves, and demons.All the well-known formulae of the pandits, jarphari, turphari, etc.and all the obscene rites for the queen commanded in Aswamedha,these were invented by buffoons, and so all the various kinds of presents to the priests,while the eating of flesh was similarly commanded by night-prowling demons.
And so, Charvakas started getting hounded by the orthodoxy to the extent that none of their authentic written works survives. The reason we know about their philosophical positions today is through the writings of their philosophical opponents.
To sum up: Charvakas should probably have refrained from going out of their way to hurt the sentiments of practicing hindus by using words like 'buffoons, knaves, and demons' for the writers of the Vedas.

What is that you are suggesting here? Are you against first amendment?
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Charvaka in Mahabharata Empty Re: Charvaka in Mahabharata

Post by Hellsangel Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:57 pm

PseudoIntellectual wrote:

What is that you are suggesting here? Are you against first amendment?
Satya Upadhyaji is trying to say what a horrible, horrible screen name Charvaka is.
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Charvaka in Mahabharata Empty Re: Charvaka in Mahabharata

Post by The Absolute Zero Fri Aug 12, 2011 2:11 pm

Rashmun wrote: In this post,....
..

Your research does not convince me yet and seems incomplete. I need more information to understand in detail.

Please post information on Charvaka in Ramayana, Charvaka in Bhagavata, Charvaka in AitarEyOpanisad, charvaka in BrihadaraNyakOpanisad and charvaka in Kathopanisad. And finally, it would be a bonus if you can do CharVaka in the Shivpuran and cHarvaKa in the remaining seventeen (17) puranas (sans Shiv puran). Do not forget to draw an excel worksheet table and a few 2D/3D graphs to compare negatives first among them and if possible positives or similarities later.

Please note that the above sentence is case sensitive; meaning that charvaka in upanisads is not the same as Charvaka in Bhagavata.

Can I expect some progress by Monday since you have all weekend to do this research? If you need assistance with libraries etc please let me know. I am a member of the Library of Congress in Washington DC and can get you online access.

Thank you very much and eagerly waiting.

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Charvaka in Mahabharata Empty Re: Charvaka in Mahabharata

Post by Guest Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:33 pm

Then loud shouts of 'This is a blessed day' arose, filling the
entire welkin, O Bharata. Sweet to the ear, that sacred sound was
highly gratifying to the friends and well-wishers (of the Pandavas). The
king heard that sound uttered by those learned Brahmanas and that was
as loud and clear as the sound of a flock of swans. He listened also to
the speeches, fraught with melodious words and grave import, of those
persons well conversant with the Vedas. Then, O king, the peal of
drums and the delightful blare of conchs, indicative of triumph, arose.
A little while after when the Brahmanas had become silent, a Rakshasa of the
p. 82

name of Charvaka, who had disguised himself as a Brahmana, addressed
the king. He was a friend of Duryodhana and stood therein the garb of a
religious mendicant.
With a rosary, with a tuft of hair on his head, and
with the triple staff in his hand, he stood proudly and fearlessly in
the midst of all those Brahmanas that had come there for pronouncing
benedictions (upon the king), numbering by thousands, O king, and all of
whom were devoted to penances and vows. That wicked wight, desirous of
evil unto the high-souled Pandavas and without having consulted those
Brahmanas, said these words unto the king.'


"Charvaka said, 'All these Brahmanas, making me their spokesman, are
saying, 'Fie on thee! Thou art a wicked king. Thou art a slayer of
kinsmen. What shalt thou gain, O son of Kunti, by having thus
exterminated thy race? Having slain also thy superiors and preceptor, it
is proper for thee to cast away thy life.' Hearing these words of that
wicked Rakshasa the Brahmanas there became deeply agitated.
Stung
by that speech, they made a loud uproar. And all of them, with king
Yudhishthira. O monarch, became speechless from anxiety and shame.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'I bow down to you and beseech you humbly, be
gratified with me. It doth not behove you to cry fie on me. I shall soon
lay down my life.' 1



"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then all those Brahmanas, O king, loudly
said, 'These are not our words. Prosperity to thee, O monarch!' Those
high-souled persons, conversant with the Vedas, with understanding
rendered clear by penances, then penetrated the disguise of the speaker
by means of their spiritual sight.' And they said, 'This is the Rakshasa
Charvaka, the friend of Duryodhana. Having put on the garb of a
religious mendicant, he seeks the good of his friend Duryodhana. We have
not, O thou of righteous soul, said anything of the kind. Let this
anxiety of thine be dispelled. Let prosperity attend upon thee with thy
brothers.'



"Vaisampayana continued, 'These Brahmanas then, insensate with rage, uttered the sound Hun.
Cleansed of all sins, they censured the sinful Rakshasa and slew him
there (with that very sound). Consumed by the energy of those utterers
of Brahma, Charvaka fell down dead, like a tree with all its
sprouts blasted by the thunder of Indra.
Duly worshipped, the Brahmanas
went away, having gladdened the king with their benedictions. The royal
son of Pandu also, with all his friends, felt great happiness.


http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12a038.htm

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