History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c17.s2.28

c17.s2.28

It is, however, by no means certain that Utpala’s misunderstanding was as grave as Hoernle supposed. It will be shown in the second part of this work¹ that by the time of Utpala the Southern Ājīvikas had adopted several theistic beliefs, for instance devotion to the divine Maṛkali and a theory of avatāras. On the other hand the Pāñcarātra Vaiṣṇavites held a theory of niyati, which perhaps owed something to Ājīvikism.² The heresy of Buddhism gradually drew nearer to the main stream from which it had deviated, and Jainism and Sikhism have done likewise. It would be surprising if at least some members of the small Ājīvika sect had not by the time of Utpala absorbed elements of the doctrines of the rising schools of theism.