History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c21.s2.34

c21.s2.34

An impressive parallel to Makkhali Gosāla’s description of the cosmic process in the Sāmañña-phala Sutta is to be found in the *Bhagavatī*. Here Gosāla, after declaring his seven *pauṭṭa-parihāras* ¹ states that all those who had reached or were reaching or would reach salvation must " finish in order 8,400,000 *mahākappas*, seven divine births, seven groups, seven sentient births, seven 'abandonments of transmigration' (*pauṭṭa-parihāra*), 500,000 *kammas*, and 60,000 and 600 and the three parts of *kamma*. Then, being saved, awakened, set free, and reaching *nirvāṇa* they have made or are making or will make an end of all sorrow." ² The phrase *caūrāsītiṃ mahākappa-saya-sahassāiṃ* in this passage corresponds to the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta's cull' āsīti mahākappuno sata-sahassāni*.³ The seven " divine births " (*divve*) are perhaps represented by the *satta devā* of the Pāli, and the seven sentient births (*sanni-gabbhe* in Prākrit and *saññi-gabbhā* in Pāli) occur in both texts. The totals of *kammas* differ, but in the *Bhagavatī's* enumeration of the *kammas* and the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta's* total of chief uterine births (*yoni-pamukha*) the formulas are similar. The former has *pañca kammāni saya-sahassāiṃ, saṭṭhiṃ ca sahassāiṃ chac ca sae, tiṇni ya kammamse*, while the latter has *cuddasa kho pan' imāni yoni-pamukha-sata-sahassāni, saṭṭhiñ ca satāni, cha ca satāni, pañca ca kammuno satāni, pañca ca kammāni, tiṇi ca kammāni, kamme ca aḍḍha kamme ca*.³ The close similarity shows that both passages are garbled borrowings from a common source.