Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c12.s9.3

c12.s9.3

Besides the Vānaprasthas, the Vasiṣṭha Dharmasūtra (loc. cit.) mentions another order of ascetics called Parivrājaka. In the Buddhist texts they are depicted as wandering teachers who had specialised in ethics, philosophy, nature-lore and mysticism. Their only difference with other forest-dwellers probably consisted in their travelling from place to place and in enlightening the people on various matters concerning religion and philosophy. In the early Buddhist texts there are frequent references to them and to special houses called *paribbājaka-ārāma* provided for them near the towns. The villagers and town-folk also provided them with meeting places called *kotuhalasālās* (Digha, III, pp. 36, ff., Divyāvadāna, p. 143).