History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c10.s2.57

c10.s2.57

Further evidence that the first passage of Makkhali’s teaching in the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta* emanates from a source different from that of the second is supplied by the *Praśnavyākaraṇa Sūtra*.¹ Here we find a description of the doctrines of the *nāstikavādins*, which shows remarkable parallels to the teachings ascribed in the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta* to Ajita and Makkhali; for example such phrases as “there is no mother nor father, neither is there human action”.² Throughout this passage, besides the regular Ardha-māgadhī masculine ending in *-e*, occurs the Pāli *-o*. This fact suggests that this passage, and the first part of Makkhali’s teaching in the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta*, look back to a common source in Pāli or in some dialect with masculine endings in *-o*, while the second part of the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta* passage is taken from a Māgadhī source. On this hypothesis, however, the three anomalous Māgadhisms (i.e. the compound nouns ending in *-kāre*) in the first part of the Makkhali passage are difficult to explain, especially as the corresponding word in the *Praśnavyākaraṇa* has the *-o* ending. We can only suggest that they occur as the result of contamination from the second part of the passage, where the nominative singular masculine in *-e* is to be found throughout.