Jain Journal 2004 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 20

JAIN SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF PRE-CĀRVĀKA
MATERIALIST IDEAS IN INDIA
Ramkrishna Bhattacharya
Jain canonical texts and their commentaries often shed welcome light on the philosophical systems prevalent in ancient and medieval India. For example, we come to know from the Sūtrakrtāngasutra (SKS) that there were at least two materialist approaches in India before the seventh century CE.' This view is corroborated by some Buddhist and Brahminical sources as well. In what follows I propose to deal with some such evidence and then try to locate the points of difference between the two materialist theories mentioned by Jacobi.
The SKS begins with an attack on the opponents of Jainism: ee gamthe viukkamma, ege samaņamāhaņā/ ayāṇamtā viussittā, sattā kāmehi māņavāll [1.1.1.7] Some men, Sramaņas and Brāhmaṇas, who ignore and deny these true words (said in 1.1.2-5), adhere (to their own tenets), and are given to pleasures.?
Sīlāňka (ninth century) in his commentary glosses on the word samaņa as the Buddhists, etc. (sākyādayo) and the māhaņā as those who follow the doctrines of BỊhaspati (bärhaspatya-matānusārinasca brāhmaṇāh).' He also mentions the followers of Sārkhya, Nyāya, and Mīmāmsā and finally the Cārvākas and Lokāyatikas who do not believe in the soul that goes to the other world, but think that the soul is nothing more than the five elements. The Cārvākas, he says, do not believe in virtue and vice (punyapāpe).
The next couple of verses in the SKS mention several other philosophical schools :
saṁti pamca mahābbhūyā ihamegesimāhiyā/ pudhvī āu teu vā, vāu āgāsapamcamāll ee pańca mahabbhūyā tebbho egotti āhiyā/ aha tesiṁ viņāseņaṁ, viņāso hoi dehiņoll
[1.1.7-8] Some profess (the exclusive belief in) the five gross elements : earth, water, fire, air and space.