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ISri Adi Śaṅkarācārya-श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्यII
Sōpānaṁ 43 : Teaching the Chārvāka

One day, a Chārvāka by name Bārhaspatya, came before Acharya & said :
"O Acharya Śaṅkarā! I have been obersving you for several days.
Your religion of Advaita,

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will cause a lot of harm to the people.
As you are very kind-hearted & generous, people will listen to your words.
Renouncing all the comforts of the world & taking up the Sanyāsa for the sake of “Moksha” that you talk about, is the height of foolishness.

Sanyāsa is the way of

life meant for the bling, lame & the mentally retarded, to live in this world.
The only treasure that we have is this Body.
We must nourish it so that we can enjoy all the comforts & at the same time help others in need.

रणम कृत्वा घ्रतम पिबेत।
‘Even by borrowing money we must

eat well & live happily’, is Our Philosophy.
There is nothing called rebirth or Heaven & Hell.
Happiness is Heaven, Sorrow is Hell. What is Perceived alone is the Truth.”
Acharya replied with a smile :“Your words are pleasing & nice (Chāru).
That is why you are called ‘Chārvāka'

- ‘Man with sweet words’.
The materialistic philosophy that you expound is Not something new to be Propagated,or to be Realised.
You are expressing the sensory Knowledge which is Natural & Factual to everyone,
That’s all.
Is a Philosophy needed for this?
Now coming back to your

theory, Is it Possible for you to keep the Body comfortable always?
Birth,
Growth,
Change,
Disease,
Old age,
Death - can any of these be Prevented?
Are you blind to the suffering of those who regards the Body alone as Real?
Moreover, the child or the aged cannot indulge in

sensory pleasures. Even the pleasures that are available during Youth vary from person to person ; & even for those who enjoy, the enjoyment will not remain Permanently.
Even worse, Indulgence leads to disease.
Now coming to Wealth - It becomes a cause of
Pride,
Attachment,

Anxiety,
Envy,
Hatred & other Innumerable Calamities.
The same is the case with Beauty & Knowledge.
“Now you are Healthy. Suppose tomorrow you fall terminally ill,
Will you be Bold enough to wax eloquent like this?
There is certainly an abode of peace beyond this Body.

Of course we are not denying the physical bodily life. Enjoying physical comforts without causing misery to others,
& without harming one’s Own Spiritual Life, will bring in pleasantness to the Mind.

But even here there are Limitations.

Enjoying the comforts of the Body within

the boundary of Dharma, is what the Vedas call Pravṛtti Dharma or the Gṛhastha Dharma.
But one must Not transgress the Limits.

Ultimate fulfilment is Not possible for one who thinks “I am the Body”.
The Knowledge of The Self alone can give boundless Joy.

“In a man of discrimination, Dispassion is bound to follow.
Even when the hands or legs or some other organs are removed,
The Consciousness ‘I’ is felt Undiminished.
What is it Really?
Search attentively Within.

You say ‘My’ Body.
You said sensory perception alone is the Truth.

Is the Consciousness of ‘I’ felt by the Senses?
No.
It is the ever experienced awareness of the ‘I’ that illumines all the senses.
It can never be seen by the eyes, but it is the ‘I’ that perceives everything with the eyes!
Even in Darkness the ‘I’ is experienced by the light of

its own existence.
Existence is the essence of ‘I’ & is Undeniable.

गाढध्वान्तगृहान्ततः क्षितितले दीपं निधायोज्ज्वलं
पञ्चच्छिद्रमधोमुखं हि कलशं तस्योपरि स्थापयेत्।
तद्बाह्ये परितोऽनुरन्ध्रममलां वीणां च कस्तूरिकां
सद्रत्नं व्यजनं न्यसेच्च कलशच्छिद्राध्वनिर्गच्छताम्॥

तेजोंशेन पृथक्पदार्थनिवहज्ञानं हि यज्जायते
तद्रन्ध्रैः कलशेन वा किमु मृदो भाण्डेन तैलेन वा।
किं सूत्रेण न चैतदस्ति रुचिरं प्रत्यक्षबाधादतो
दीपज्योतिरिहैकमेव शरणं देहे तथात्मा स्थितः॥

“Place a well lit lamp in a dark room & cover it with a pot having 5 holes. Light will come

out through the 5 holes as 5 beams.
Place an object in the path of each beam -
Veena(sound),
Musk(smell),
a Gem(light, form),
Hand-Fan(wind, touch),
& a Berry(taste).
Each object will be illumined separately by d Light beams.
Is the Knowledge of the object due to the objects

themselves, or caused by the Holes, or by the Pot?
Is it not solely because of the Light of the Lamp placed within?
In the same manner the Self shines within the Body.”

The Śruti Says : सर्वन कमान समस्नुते।
“If the Self is known then all desires get fulfilled”.

Then the goal of Life is attained.

The Vedas are the only authority for things that are beyond the phenomenal World.

They are Infallible as they are Divine revelations.

Sensory perception is not reliable & is bound to delude.
Just as a small child slowly learns the alphabets

& the language to live in the world,
In Spiritual matters also there are certain things one must learn from the Guru & from the Śāstras.
Śāstras only reveal what is already there but is hidden from your Vision.
Even in worldly sciences this law is applicable.

How did you know that a particular Herb can Cure a specific disease?
How does a Herb identify itself with a peculiar medicinal property?
That is its Nature & it’s Destiny.
This property of the Herb is discovered by a Healer by uncovering the Knowledge which is hidden within him.

Sciences like medicine are all revealed to a man in this manner.
Even when You have the required Herb in Your garden, you need a physician to Affirm it.

“D Vedas function in d very same way.
It unveils & reveals the eternal principles behind d ever-changing nature; that is all.

Just as the worldly sciences reveal the secret of Nature, in the Metaphysical or Spiritual realm the Vedas reveal the Supramental.
Rishis perceive the Vedamantras, & Paramatma’s like Agni, Varuna, Indra, etc. & divine realms like Swarga.

In this Transcendental realm Logic turns

Deceptive.
Those who study Spiritual subjects with the help of mere Logic will certainly be deceived.

केवलस्य तारकास्य विप्रलम्भकत्वम्।
“Logic that does not accept the authority of the Vedas will deceive you.”
Without taking refuge in the Vedas, man will never attain the summit

bonum of Life.
As a huge banyan is hidden in its Seed, the Great cause in which all Knowledge remains hidden is Īśvara.
His breath itself is Knowledge.

यस्य ज्ञानमयं तपः।
(ब्रह्मसूत्रभाष्यम्)
“As Heat is the nature of Fire, Omniscience is is very Nature”.

Īśvara is the centre which unparalleled Omniscience resides.
So be Humble & take refuge in Śrutimata who is more compassionate than a 1000 mothers put together.”
Acharya’s words had a massive impact on the Chārvāka.

Although he could not completely grasp the meaning, He began to visit Acharya daily & listen to his Words.
Gradually he became a staunch devotee.

Thus ends the Forty-third Sōpānaṁ.

I ओम् तत् सत् I
I Om Tat Sat I