India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c11.s3.32

c11.s3.32

Pāṇini's *Nāstika mati* represents the views of those who were opposed to the school of *Purusha* and they included amongst them rather earlier philosophers of various denominations, such as the believers in *Svabhāva* (Non-causationists), *Yadṛichchhā* (Fortuitous Originists, *Ahetuvādin*), *Bhūtas* (Materialists) of which Ajita Keśakambalin was the famous exponent (cf. Śāntiparva, 172.13-18), and *Niyati* (Determinist). Of these *Nāstika* schools Pāṇini has noted the name of Maskarī (Makkhali Gosāla) and his *Dishṭa-mati* or the view of *Niyati-vāda*, which as we have discussed above was based on the repudiation of action (*kiriyā*) and human edeavour (*viriya*). Patañjali states the pivotal points of their doctrine in explicit words (*Bhāshya*, VI.1.154; III.96).¹ The *Mahābhārata* deals at length with the philosophic approach of such thinkers, citing five main points of their belief, *viz.* equanimity or indifference towards creatures (*sarva-sāmya*), immobility or absence of endeavour (*anāyāsa*), straightforward utterance (*satya-vākya*), complete disregard of action leading to cynical peace (*nirveda*) and indifference to seeking knowledge (*avivitsā*, Śāntiparva, 171.2). There Maṅkhali is presented as the sage Maṅki who cheated of his two bulls by a cruel fate dismisses all effort as stupid (*Śuddhaṁ hi daivamevedamato naivāsti pauru-shaṁ*, Śāntiparva, 171.12). The followers of this school were the Daishṭikas or Determinists.