History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c15.s1.30

c15.s1.30

The *Vāyu Purāṇa*, in a cryptic passage, refers to the Ājīvikas as using wine and meat, among other things, in their religious ceremonies.⁴ This indicates that they were not averse to eating animal food, at least on religious occasions. Yet *Nīlakēci* states that the silence of Maṛkali is due to his solicitude for the lives of animalcules. " If he did not remain silent, by his speech he would destroy. He is of such a nature that he checks himself, otherwise he would be enmeshed in illusion."⁵ The commentator Vāmana Muni explains as: " . . . by speaking he would destroy several living beings as with a sword . . . and, becoming sinful, he would be reborn in *saṃsāra*, be deluded with passions, and perish indeed."⁶ *Nīlakēci*, in common with the two other chief Tamil sources, appears to attempt a logical and unbiassed outline of Ājīvika teaching before refuting it, and therefore seems to carry more weight than the two northern sources, which suggest that the Ājīvikas were addicted to meat-eating. We therefore conclude that the Ājīvikas, like the Buddhists and Jainas, were believers in *ahiṃsā*, and usually vegetarians. It is not impossible that, as the *Vāyu Purāṇa* indicates, some of their number practised magical rites which involved the shedding of blood. But it is unlikely that the Ājīvikas were unaffected by the doctrines of *ahiṃsā* which prevailed among other non-Brāhmaṇical sects. It is probable that in the period of the formation of these sects no community practised vegetarianism as strictly as in later times; both the Buddha¹ and Mahāvīra² are said to have eaten meat at least once in the course of their careers as religious leaders.