History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c22.s1.4

c22.s1.4

Although orthodox Hindu literature rarely mentions the Ājīvikas, we have some evidence that Hinduism was not wholly unaware of them. The doctrine of *Niyati* is mentioned in the compendium of Suśruta, among a number of other theories on the nature and origin of the universe. ⁴ The *Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad* gives a list of first causes according to the unorthodox systems, which includes most of the hypothetical entities referred to with disapproval by the Jaina commentators—time, nature, destiny, chance, the elements, and the Sāṅkhya category of Puruṣa.¹ Commenting on this passage Śaṅkara ascribes belief in Niyati to the Mīmāṃsakas, no doubt erroneously, and describes it as " karma characterized by the equal (reward) of good and evil ". He briefly dismisses the theory by stating that Destiny is variable (in its operation).²