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History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c21.s3: Quotations by the Commentators

History and Doctrines of the Ājīvikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c21.s3

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Quotations by the Commentators

c21.s3.1

Whatever the language of early Ājīvikism, it is probable that, like the Jainas and the Buddhists, the Ājīvikas in later times adopted Sanskrit for their religious writings. Several Sanskrit verses, quoted by Jaina commentators with reference to Ājīvikism or niyativāda seem to be borrowed from such Ājīvika literature. One such verse, indeed, seems to have been specially popular with the commentators as a brief statement of the fundamental doctrine of niyativāda, for it is quoted by no less than three of them, Śīlāṅka, Jñānavimala, and Abhayadeva:

c21.s3.2

“Whatever thing, fortunate or unfortunate, is to be obtained for men will come of necessity by recourse to the power of destiny. Though beings make great effort, that which is not to be will not be, nor does that which is to be perish.” 1

c21.s3.3

In his commentary to the *Praśnavyākaraṇa Sūtra* Jñānavimala quotes further verses :—

c21.s3.4

“Some babble that the universe is produced by Fate, saying ‘Destiny is everywhere the stronger’, (as in) such (verses) as :— “ ‘For what reason does a man obtain that thing which he must obtain? Inevitable Fate! Therefore I do not grieve or despair. That (destiny) which is ours is not that of others. “ ‘Fate suddenly, bringing what is desired even from another continent, even from the midst of ocean, even from the end of (the world in any) direction, makes (it appear) before one’s face. “ ‘According to one’s destiny so is one’s intellect successful, so is one’s resolution, so are one’s companions.’ ” 2

c21.s3.5

The *niyativādins*, to whom these verses are referred by the commentator, are stated by Guṇaratna to be followers of Pūraṇa,³ the prophet of the Southern Ājīvikas; it may therefore be assumed that the verses refer to the Ājīvikas, whose doctrines they well express. Jñānavimala furnishes his commentary with many authentic quotations from orthodox Hindu sources, thus strengthening the probability that he borrowed also from actual Ājīvika works.

c21.s3.6

³ V. supra, pp. 81-82.

c21.s3.7

A further verse is given by Abhayadeva in his commentary to the Uvāsaga Dasāo, following that quoted above. The verse is cited with reference to the story of Kuṇḍakoliya and the Ājīvika deva ¹:—

c21.s3.8

¹ *Yad bhāvyam bhavati na bhāvino ’sti nāśaḥ.* Śīlāṅka to *Sū. kr*, i, 1, 2, 2, and ii, 1, 29; Jñānavimala to *Praśnavyākaraṇa*, 7; Abhayadeva to *Uv. Das.* vi, 165.

c21.s3.9

² Kecin “*niyati-bhāvitam jagad*” iti jalpanti, “*bhavitavyat’ aiva sarvatra balīyas*” *iti, yathā*: “*Prāptavyam artham labhate manuṣyaḥ. Kim kāraṇam? Daivam alaṅghaniyam.* *Tasmān na śocāmi na vismayāmi. Yad asmadīyam na hi tat pareṣām.* *Dvīpād anyasmād api, madhyād api jalanidher, diśo’ py antāt,* *Anīya jhaṭ iti ghaṭayati vidhir abhimatam abhimukhībhūtam.* *Yathā-yathā ca daivam, tathā-tathā ca buddhiḥ, tathā-tathā ca saṅkalpaḥ, tathā-tathā ca tādṛśaḥ,* *tathā-tathā ca saṅgatiḥ.*”

c21.s3.10

¹ V. supra, p. 133.

c21.s3.11

“That which is not to be comes not, that which is to be comes without effort; but it perishes, even in the palm of the hand, of one for whom it is not destined.” ²

c21.s3.12

² Na hī bhavati yan na bhāvyam, bhavati ca bhāvyam vinā 'pi yatnena. Karatala-gatam api naśyati yasya tu bhavitavyatā nāsti. Abhayadeva to Uv. Das. vi, 165.

c21.s3.13

Guṇaratna, the commentator to Haribhadra’s Ṣaddarśana-samuccaya, quotes further verses which he attributes to the niyatavādins:—

c21.s3.14

“Since all things come about in determined form, they are produced by Destiny, conformably to its nature.
“An object, the time of its existence, its origin, and its duration ³ come about in determined order. Who is able to resist it (i.e. Destiny)?” ⁴

c21.s3.15

³ This seems to be the purport of the Sanskrit, which defies literal translation.

c21.s3.16

⁴ Niyaten' aiva rūpeṇa sarve bhāvā bhavanti yat Tato niyati-jā hy ete tat-svarūp’-ānuvedhataḥ. Yad yad' aiva yato yāvat tat tad' aiva tatas tathā Niyatam jāyate nyāyāt. Ka enām bādhitum kṣamaḥ? Guṇaratna to Ṣad-darśana-samuccaya, p. 12.

c21.s3.17

Finally, Malliṣeṇa quotes a remarkable verse in his Syādvāda-mañjarī:—

c21.s3.18

“And thus say those who follow the Ājīvika school:—
“‘The knowers, the founders of the faith, having gone to the highest state, return again to existence, when the faith suffers injury.’” ⁵

c21.s3.19

⁵ Tathā c' āha “Jñānino, Gatv’, āga Syādvāda

c21.s3.20

This quotation states an important point of later Ājīvika doctrine, which is confirmed by other sources. ⁶

c21.s3.21

⁶ V. infra, p. 260.

c21.s3.22

These verses indicate that, besides their early literature in Prākrit, and the Tamil scripture Oṉpatu-katir, the Ājīvikas possessed a later literature in Sanskrit, containing much philosophical poetry. It might be suggested that these verses were composed by the commentators themselves, to illustrate the views they were discussing. Yet here are eight verses, quoted by different commentators in different centuries, and all attributed to Ājīvikas or *niyativādins*. It is more probable that some at least are genuine, than that all are spurious.

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