Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 38 of 42 · Miscellaneous GK
Questionmedium
This question was previously asked in

Defence

The founder of the Charvaka (Lokayata) school of materialist philosophy is traditionally believed to be:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option C — Brihaspati

Detailed Solution

The Charvaka (Lokayata) school of materialist philosophy is traditionally believed to have been founded by the sage Brihaspati.

About the Charvaka (Lokayata) philosophy:

  • "Lokayata" means "that which is prevalent among the people" or "worldly" (concerned with this world).
  • "Charvaka" may come from "charu-vak" (sweet words), or from the name of a disciple of Brihaspati.
  • It is a materialist and sceptical philosophy.

Its main ideas:

  • Only perception (pratyaksha) is a valid source of knowledge; inference and the authority of scriptures are not reliable.
  • The world is made only of four elements: earth, water, fire and air (they did not accept a fifth element, space).
  • Consciousness arises from the combination of these elements in the body, just as an intoxicating quality arises from mixing certain ingredients.
  • There is no soul separate from the body, no God, no rebirth, no heaven or hell, and no karma.
  • Death is the end of everything.

Therefore, the aim of life is to enjoy pleasure and avoid pain in this life.

A famous saying attributed to them is: "As long as you live, live happily; borrow money and drink ghee; once the body is reduced to ashes, how can it return?"

They criticised the Vedas, sacrifices and the priests, saying that rituals were invented by priests for their own livelihood.

Sources:

  • No original texts of the Charvakas have survived (the "Brihaspati Sutra" is lost).
  • We know about them mainly from the writings of their opponents, such as Madhavacharya's "Sarvadarshanasangraha" (14th century), and Buddhist and Jain texts.

Heterodox (nastika) schools:

  • Charvaka, Buddhism and Jainism are called "nastika" (heterodox) schools, because they do not accept the authority of the Vedas.
  • The six orthodox (astika) schools are Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

Early materialists:

Ajita Kesakambalin, a contemporary of the Buddha, taught similar materialist ideas.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Kapila, Kanada and Jaimini founded orthodox schools.

Quick tip

Remember: Charvaka (Lokayata) = Brihaspati (materialism; only perception valid; no soul or rebirth); known from opponents (Sarvadarshanasangraha); nastika schools = Charvaka, Buddhism, Jainism.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Miscellaneous GK Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.The National Flag of India was originally designed by:
  2. Q2.The 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' was installed under the India Gate in:
  3. Q3.In which year was the Sundarbans National Park designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
  4. Q4.'Surya Kiran' is a joint military exercise held between India and:
  5. Q5.Air transport (the first commercial air mail flight) was launched in India in:

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

Miscellaneous GK — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Miscellaneous GK, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic collects general knowledge questions that do not fit neatly into a single category, such as national symbols, famous nicknames of places, important events, entertainment, and facts that cut across history, geography and culture. Because these questions come from many areas, the best preparation is broad revision and regular practice. Read each explanation carefully, since it often includes a related fact that is tested in a different form. Keep a notebook of facts you get wrong and revise it before the exam. Practise the miscellaneous GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All Miscellaneous GK questionsBrowse all topics ›