The Tattvapaplavasimba is a philosophical text unique of its kind it is the only text of the Carvaka Lokayata school which has survived and the only Sanskrit work in which full-fledged scepticism is propounded.
Notwithstanding that it has been hitherto almost completely ignored. The present book consists of an introduction detailed analysis edition translation with extensive notes of the first half of the text. In the introduction Jayarasi's affiliation to the Lokayata school is reassessed and his place in the historical development of Indian Philosophy evaluated. New evidence for the dating of Jayarasi is examined and a new dating is suggested.
There are several reasons why the Tattvopaplavasimha deserves our special attention: It is the only Carväka or Lokayata text which has come down to us: the only text where the Cärväka is not a mere pūrvapakşin, where he can speak for himself, where we can follow the detail of his arguments, rather than be presented with a bare skeletion of his position.
It contains one of the earliest and most devastating criticisms of philosophers like Uddyotakara, Kumārila and Dharmakīrti. Due to its extremely polemical character, highly diversified range of opponents, as well as the mode of criticism which is always accurately directed at a specific target Jayaräsi never criticises a Buddhist or Nyaya position in general, but only as formulated by a specific philosopher in a specific passage the text provides us with an unusually privileged perspective of the philosophical scene in the second half of the 8th century. Occasionally we may even catch a glimpse of doctrines we were completely unaware.
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