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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.s1: II Ājīvika Samaṇas

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.s1

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Contents

II Ājīvika Samaṇas

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The order of the *Ājīvikas* is of older standing than that of Gosāla himself, who is considered as the third leader of the sect 105 It is evident from the *Bhagavatī*106 that the history of the *Ājīvikas* commenced one hundred and seventeen years before Gosāla. It is stated that Gosāla lived twenty two years in the body of Enejjaga, twenty one in that of Mallārāma, twenty in that of Maṇḍiya, nineteen in that of Roha, eighteen in that of Bhāraddāja, and seventeen in that of Ajjuna Goyamaputta.

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⁹⁷ Ava Ti p 87

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⁹⁸ 2, 29a

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⁹⁹ The Digha I, p 166 also mentions such ascetics (*f un ukula*)

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¹⁰¹ p 12

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¹⁰² O a 35, p 172

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¹⁰³ Also Haribhadra *Saddarsanasamuccaya* p 81 V S 1971 Bombay, mentioned in the Hindu religion as well, see *R hgn of the Hindu*, Vol I p 231 f by II II Wilson, London 1862

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¹⁰⁴ Kan lu (or Kunna) *Aarakana* Anba'n Pu sara (also mentioned in the *Therigatha* (116), *M thal ha* I 114 )) Kanhidivym (also in the *kenhade ayana Jataka* IV pp, 83 87, *Mal lhi*, I 114 45 Devagutta and Ni va are mentioned as Brahmanical mendicants (O 3b p 172) Then Sular Sasil 13 (or Masihari) Nagga Phaggu, Vidhi Rayanya Rayuma and Bila were the *khattiya* mendicants (ibid)

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¹⁰⁵ *Majhima* I, pp 524, 238 For a treatment of the subject see Dr Barua The *Ajivikas*, also Pre-Buddhist Indian Philos *fl*, p 297 318 by the the same author, also Law, Historical Gleanings pp 374 15

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Gosāla was well-versed in the eightfold *Mahānimittas* which he learned from the six *Disācara* ascetics. It seems that other *Ājīvika Samanas* also were adepts in this science, and so we are told that Ajja Kālaya, a great Jain saint, learned this science from them.¹⁰⁷

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¹⁰⁷ Pancakalpa cūrṇi, after S B. M , p 260

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Another characteristic of the *Ājīvika Sramanas* was that they practised severe penance. The *Ṭhāṇāṅga*¹⁰⁸ mentions four kinds of austerities practised by them such as severe austerities, fierce austerities, abstention from ghee and other delicacies and indifference to pleasant and unpleasant food. The *Ovāiya*¹⁰⁹ describes the following classes of the *Ājīvikas* those who begged food at every second house, third house, fourth house, sixth house, seventh house, those who accepted lotus-stalk only those who begged in every house, those who did not beg if there was a flash of lightning, and those who practised penance by entering big earthen vessels (*uttiyāsamana*). The *Ājīvika Sramanas* lived alone, used cold water, lived on seeds, accepted things prepared for them, had intercourse with women,¹¹⁰ and wandered about naked (*nāgnyadhānam*)¹¹¹

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¹⁰⁸ 4 309, cf Naṅguttha Jātaka (I, No. 144), p 493.

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¹⁰⁹ Sū 41, p 196

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¹¹⁰ Ibid II 6 7f

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¹¹¹ Bhag Ti 1 2 p 87. Makkhalī Gosāla is enumerated as one of the six teachers of renown others being Pūraṇa Kassapa, Ajita Kesakambli, Pakudhakaccāyana, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta and Nāṭaputta, see Digha I, p 48ff

The Lay Followers of the Ājīviyas

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The names of the twelve adherents of the *Ājīvika* faith are given as follows :—

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Tāla, Tālapalamba, Uvviha, Samviha, Udaya, Nāmudava, Nammudaya, Anuvālaya, Saṅkhavālaya and Kāyaraya They considered Arhat Gosāla as their God, were devoted to their parents, abstained from five kinds of fruits viz, *umbara, vada, bora, satara* and *pilaṅkhu*, gave up eating roots, bulbous roots, onions and maintained themselves by trade which did not involve killing and by means of uncastrated bulls They did not indulge in the fifteen occupations mentioned above ¹¹² The potter Saddālaputta¹¹³ and his wife Hālāhalā are mentioned as other lay followers of the *Ājīvikas* Sāvitthī and Polāsapura seem to be the centres of activities of the *Ājīvikas* where an *Ājīviya*-hall is mentioned.¹¹⁴

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¹¹² See supra, p 106

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¹¹³ Uvā 7.

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¹¹⁴ Ibid.

Doctrines

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From the story of Saddālaputta we learn that according to the doctrine of Gosāla Mankhaliputta, there is no such thing as exertion or labour or power of vigour or human strength, but that all things are caused by destiny which is unalterably fixed ¹¹⁵ The Sūyagaḍanga refers to the doctrine of niyaivāda, according to which pleasure and pain are not caused by the souls themselves, nor by others, but the individual souls experience them, it is the lot assigned to them by destiny ¹¹⁶

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¹¹⁵ Ibid 6, p 44 cf the Dīgha, I p 53 where it is stated that according to Gosāla there is no cause for the depravity of beings, they become pure without any cause Nothing depends on human effort for there is no such thing as power or energy or human exertion or human strength Every thing that thinks or every thing that lives is destitute of power or energy Then varying conditions are due to fate then environment and then own nature

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¹¹⁶ 2. 2-3

Gosāla and His Association with Mahāvīra

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The Bhagavatī gives the following details of the life of Gosāla —

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Gosāla Mankhaliputta was born in the settlement Saravana in the cow-shed of a Brahmira Gosāla's father was called mankhali because he was a mankha or mendicant who went about begging alms by showing a picture which he carried in his hand Once he came to Saravana and took refuge during the rainy season in the cow-shed where his wife bore him a son Since the child was born in a cow-shed (gosālā) he was called by the name of Gosala Gosāla grew up and having learnt the profession of a mankha, went about begging Once he arrived in Rājagaha and put up in a weaver's shed (tantusālā) in Nālandā About that time Mahāvīra also was putting up there In the course of his stay there, Gosāla observed extraordinary respect being paid to Mahāvīra and requested him to make him his disciple Once they were travelling together from Siddhatthagāma to Kummagāma, on their way they passed a large sesame plant On seeing it Gosāla asked Mahāvīra whether the plant would perish or not The latter replied that the plant would perish, and the seeds would form in vessels Later on, however, this prophecy of Mahāvīra came to be true In the meantime, Mahāvīra and Gosāla passed on to Kummagāma where they met the ascetic Vesiyāyana who was sitting with up-raised arms and upturned face in the glare of the sun while his body was swarming with lice Gosāla teased him, whereupon Vesiyāyana attempted to strike Gosāla with his magic power, known as tejolesa, but Mahāvīra interposed his own magic and saved Gosāla Then Mahāvīra explained Gosāla the course to obtain the magic power Shortly afterwards Mahāvīra and Gosāla returned to Siddhatthagāma and passed the same sesame plant.

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At this time there arose a difference of opinion with regard to the plant and Gosāla separated from Mahāvīra Gosāla followed the course of asceticism, and after six months acquired the magic powers He then professed himself as a Jina, and became the head of a sect called the Ājīvikas. Their chief centre was Sāvatthi where lived the woman Halahālā, potter by caste, a lay disciple of the Jīvas Once Gosāla was staying in her shop in the twenty fourth year of his ascetic life when the Dīvāras came to visit him At this time Mahāvīra also was staying in Sāvatthī, and he related the above account of Gosāla’s life and denied his claim to Jinahood. When Gosāla heard this he was greatly annoyed. He called Ānanda, a disciple of Mahāvīra and told him that, if his teacher ever came in his way, he would destroy him by his magic power. Ānanda went to Mahāvīra and told him what Gosāla had said. Mahāvīra admitted Gosāla’s power, but added that it could have no effect on an Arhat, because the magic powers of the latter were still greater. He further told Ānanda to forbid his followers to hold any intercourse with the heretical Gosāla. In the meantime Gosāla with his followers went to Mahāvīra and said that his pupil, Gosāla Mankhaliputta, is long since dead, while he was really Udāyī Kuṇḍiyāyaniya. He then proceeded to explain in detail his theories and enumerated his own seven births. In reply Mahāvīra told him that he acted like a thief imagining that he could not be recognised.

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Gosāla now getting angry, began to abuse Mahāvīra and destroyed his two disciples by means of his magic power. Now Gosāla shot forth his magic power of destruction against Mahāvīra, and declared that he would die of bilious fever within six months. But Mahāvīra replied that he would yet live sixteen years longer, while on the contrary, Gosāla’s magic power would recoil on him and that he would perish of bilious fever within seven days. The rumour of this dispute spread through the town and there was much discussion among the people as to whose threat would prove true. Now Mahāvīra told his ascetics that they might go to Gosāla and worry him with questions and discussions. Gosāla returned to Hālāhalā’s shop, where in the delirium of fever, he gave himself up to drinking, singing, dancing, soliciting Hālāhalā and sprinkling himself with cool muddy water. On this Mahāvīra took occasion to explain his followers that the magic power discharged by Gosāla was powerful enough to cause the destruction of the people of the sixteen traditional janapadas. At this time a layman of the Ājīvika sect, happened to go to visit Mankhaliputta, but observing him in his delirious state he felt ashamed and wanted to retire quietly, but the theras about Mankhaliputta called him to stay. Later on feeling certain of his death Mankhaliputta instructed his theras to bury him after his death with every mark of honour and to proclaim publicly that with him the last Tīrthankara had passed away.

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But, as the Jain canons would make us believe, at the last moment, overwhelmed by the sense of his evil deeds, he declared that Mahāvīra alone was the true Jina and that Mankhali himself was a wicked man, and that his theras should bury him with every mark of dishonour and publicly proclaim his shame. Gosāla died and was born as a deva in the heaven. It is said that in course of time he would attain salvation¹¹⁷.

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¹¹⁷ Bhag, 15, Dr. Hoernle’s appendix to Uvāsagadasāo.

Ājīvika an Important Sect

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It seems from the Jain and Buddhist records that the sect of the Ājīvikas was an important sect and the Ājīvikas exercised considerable influence in Indian society ¹¹⁸ The contents of the Ditthuaya in the Nandi ¹¹⁹ mention the eighty eight Sūtras out of which twenty two are said to have followed the tradition of the Ājīvikas and twenty two those of the Terāsiyas, who were the disciples of Gosala according to Abhayadeva ¹²⁰ There is no wonder if Mahāvīra were influenced by Gosala's doctrines ¹²¹ Unfortunately, no authoritative statements recording the tenets of the Ājīvikas have come forth so far, for which we have to depend solely on the Jain and Buddhist records The order of the Ājīvikas is thrice mentioned in the edicts of king Asoka whose grandson Dasaratha gave them some cave dwellings at the Nāgārjunī and Barabar hills Then Varahamihira (about 550 A D ) mentions this sect as one of the seven sects of his time In the Nisītha curni (8th century) as pointed out above, the Pandarabhikkhus are identified with the disciples of Gosala Silanka (876 A D ) identifies the Ājīvikas with the Digambaras, both being the followers of ²² Gosāla, and Bhaṭṭotpala the commentator of the Bṛhajjataka identified them with the Ekadaṇḍins ¹²³

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¹¹⁸ Buddha considered Makkhali as the most dangerous of the heretical teachers (Anguttara I 33)

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¹¹⁹ Su 37

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¹²⁰ Sama Ii 22 p 383 However, according to the Kalpasutra (S p 282) the Terāsiyas were the descendants of Mahagiri

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¹²¹ Cf Jacobi S B E XIV p xv if the rigid rules form an part of the ancient s creed of Jainism and Mahavira might have borrowed them from the Acelakas or Ājīvikas granthas the followers of Gosala with whom he is said to have lived for six years Prof Jacobi has also pointed out resemblances between the doctrine of Jains and that of Gosala (1) both believe in all classes of living beings possess life (2) both have the division of animals according to their senses viz having one sense two senses etc (3) both believe in the doctrine of six lesya (ibid p XXX)

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¹²³ Kalyan Vijaya S B M p 41 f Dr Bhandarkar also notes p 239 f This sect is also mentioned in the South Indian inscriptions (Raja the Cola king of the 13th century of the Vikramaditya) But this is mistak [sic] This inscription is meant for the Digambara Jains in I not for the Ājīvika The sect of the Ājīvikas was no more in existence during this period and because the sadhus of the Ājīvikas and the Digambara both went about naked one was conveniently identified with the other (ibid).

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