History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c17.s2.25

c17.s2.25

Utpala’s position may be made clear by a further quotation from Kālakācārya, occurring in the former’s long commentary to the crucial verse of Varāhamihira: “The planets Sūrya, etc., in order are to be known as the presiding influences (nāha) of consecrations into the systems (maggesu) of Fire (Jalaṇa), Hara, Sugata, Keśava, Śruti, Brahman, and the Naked.” ¹ To this Utpala adds: “The Keśava-devotee means the Bhāgavata.” ² After the Sun and Moon Kālaka plainly intended the five planets to be read in their traditional Indian order; Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. Thus Mercury, said by Varāhamihira to dominate the Ājīvika, would occur fourth on the list, and, according to Kālakācārya’s second classification would become the presiding planet of the devotee of Keśava, or Viṣṇu. When commenting on Varāhamihira Utpala must have had before him the two lists of Kālakācārya, whom he seems to have respected highly. Kālaka declared that the ascetic born under Mercury was a devotee of Viṣṇu and an ekadaṇḍin; Varāhamihira stated that he was an Ājīvika; both were great astrologers and worthy of Utpala’s confidence; therefore the term Ājīvika implied the devotee of Nārāyaṇa.