History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c22.s1.24

c22.s1.24

An even more important passage on the arguments of the *niyativādins* is contained in the same text. A chapter in the second part of the *Sūtrakṛtāṅga* deals with four schools of false teaching, the *Lokāyata* or materialist, the atomist, the theist, and the determinist. The chief argument of the last is paraphrased by Śīlāṅka at the outset in terms similar to those of the earlier passage. "Of those who put forth equal effort only one has material success, through the force of Fate. Hence only Fate is the cause.”¹ He then quotes one of the verses paraphrased above.²