Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s9.t2.1

c23.s9.t2.1

Mahalingam suggested that, in addition to the Buddhist and Jaina monks, Ājīvika ascetics were also present in the caves.⁴ While the Ājīvika sect was known in the Tamil country from ancient times as attested by literary evidence and inscriptions, there is no evidence that it ever had a large following. Mahalingam's view that "considerable sections of the population seem to have been attracted to this faith which had taken a deep root in the country and had attained good progress apparently with large patronage"⁵ is overstated and has not been generally accepted. The decipherment of the Tamil-Brāhmī cave inscriptions has not produced any evidence of Ājīvika association with the Tamil caves.⁶