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SECTION III In the course of our study of the doctrine of karma we have concluded by pointing out that there was in India as in other countries a large number of free thinkers, përsons who thought over the world problem in their own way and who had absolutely no interest theoretically or even practically in moral lile, personal or social. These people were scattered in different parts of the country and followed different lines of thinking and moved throughout different parts of the country. They went with different names and had different systems of thought with the common background of a way of thinking free from the ideas of the morality. These people were more or less of the nature of determinist philosophers who had no faith in the freedom of individual will. These people were either fatalists or free thinkers who did not believe in the initiative of free will. Some of these people explained that Kāla or the time spirit is the principle of differentiation of creation. They held that the joy or sorrow which befalls a man is not the outcome of any karma done by him in the past but is the direct effect of the function of time and spirit in world affairs. They were upholders of the doctrine of Kāla and critics of the doctrine of karma or dharmādharma, universally maintained in the country. In a similar manner there were other thinkers who also repudiated the conception of a moral retributive force to account for the inequalities in creation. They on the other hand upheld the doctrine of swabhāva or nature which is responsible for all the differences in creation or in human life. They were known as svabhāvavādins. The doctrine of syabhāva as an ultimate principle of interpretation is not denied even by the orthodox people.I Madhusūdhana Saraswati says in philosophical discussion that we have always to stand upon the principle of causality and logical relevancy but in the last resort when causality is incapable of explaining we have to fall back upon the concept of syabhāva.
1. Compare Madh 131 dan Saraswati's statement pointed out by Dr. G. N. : Kuvirāja in his book "Aspects of Indian Thought."
