History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c14.s5.27

c14.s5.27

¹ P u p p h a k a m t i lohitaṃ, idaṃ vuttaṃ hoti; iminā kira jīvikaṃ nissāya rājāparādhikānaṃ hattha-pāde chinditvā te ānetvā sālāyaṃ nipajjāpetvā vaṇa-mukhehi paggharantam lohitaṃ addharatta-samaye tattha gantvā kaṇuka-thupaṃ katvā thapitan ti. I prefer Fausböll's variant reading to that in the text, kuṇḍakadhūmam nāma datvā, which does not make good sense. It is possible that the word te in the commentary refers to the criminals themselves, in which case it seems that the Ājīvika stanched their wounds with rice-powder, but in this case a magical ceremony is also suggested.