40 SOCIAL SCIENTIST Vasudeva Suri: The main reason for upholding such a distinction between the validity of inference in our practical life of ordinary experience and in ascertaining transcending truths beyond experience lies in this, that an inductive generalisation is made by observing a large measure of cases of agreement in presence together with agreement in absence and no case of agreement in presence can be observed in the transcendent sphere for even if such spheres existed they could not be perceiyed by the senses. Thus since in the supposed suprasensuous transcendent world no case of heth agreeing with the presence of its sadys can be observed, no inductive generalisation or law of con-comittance can be made relating to this sphere. Hence the Lokayatas maintained that there were two types of inference: (1) Utpanna pratiti and (2) Utpadya pratiti. The former meant inference about something the knowledge of which already existed, and the latter meant inference about something the knowledge of which did not exist.31 The inference of god, the next world, happiness in heaven, the result of Yagnas (sacrifices) were inferences of the second type. Lokayatas would not deny the inference of fire from the observation of smoke. The later works of idealist systems have caricatured and distorted the real intent of Lokayata. Thus the works of Saiva Siddhanta portray a Lokayata as a comical hedonist who indulges himself in licentious and unfettered enjoyment of all forbidden carnal pleasures. In the Sivagnana Didhdhiar, text of Saiva Siddhanta, the following picture of a Lokayata is sketched: He wore fresh odorous garlands on his chest. He spoke thus: air, earth, water, fire are the elements which combine to produce smell, taste, shape and tactile sense. The combination of these again are everlasting. Obey the king and amass wealth and enjoy yourself here on earth.32 This is nothing but pure slander. The study of materialism from South Indian sources can be a fruitful field of research, provided highly competent scholars turn their attention to the subject. Joseph Needham88 mentions that the thoughts of the early Siddhas of Tamil Nadu bore the imprint of materialism. Reading the texts of the poems of Siddhas in their present form, I found that a very large number of them are interpolations of Saiva Siddhanthis. A few poems dealing with the anthropomorphic origin of the world, the description of the properties of the five elements, the identification of soul with the body and the desire to prolong life in this world by Tantric practices deserve the attention of scholars. A few medical treatises coming down to us from the ninth century and supposed to have been written by Siddhas deal with proto-physiology and proto-science from a materialistic point of view. All these works abound in a good deal of idealistic chaff. If these are sorted out and studied critically, fresh light would be thrown on the study of Indian materialism.