Jeeva as per Charvaakas - 2

Hari OM

We can start analysis of the other types of charvaakas who claim that “indriyaas or sense organs are the Self” and “pranaas are the Self” – the logic for this will be very similar to one another (if sense organs are proved to be not-Self, then pranas also can be proved as not-Self). As we have already discussed about body being not the Self – it is very much easy to prove the sense organs and prana are not the Self.

Not getting into details over here as to why the Self is not the body etc. but shortly want to mention as to why the Self is not the sense organs (either individual or their mixture).

Self is not individual sense organs because sense organs are mere instruments which are insentient whereas self is sentient. When an object is made up of parts which are insentient, that object is also insentient alone. Body has various parts of legs, hands etc. which are insentient – therefore the body itself is insentient.

Since sense organs are individually insentient, therefore their mixture too has to be insentient only. Such insentient entity cannot be the Conscious Self (it cannot be argued that Self is not conscious but insentient because in that case we should never have the feeling that “I-exist” which is always there).

For the above reason, the sense organs are not the Self neither are the pranas or antah karanas the Self as all these are insentient whereas the Self or “I” is conscious as it is experienced at all times.

A sentient entity controls an insentient entity. Therefore all insentient entities are controlled by the sentient Self – in between an insentient entity might be controlling another insentient entity which has been mentioned in the first sloka of drik drishya viveka. Hence there is no fault as such in whatever Bharathi Teertha has mentioned in the first sloka.

With this the charvaka system which include dehatma vaada, indriyaatma vaada as well as pranaatmavaada has been refuted.

Hari OM