History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c24.s6.10

c24.s6.10

The earliest of our Tamil sources, *Maṇimēkalai*, mentions Maṛkali only as the author of the Ājīvika scriptures. *Civañāṉa-cittiyār* refers to him as omniscient,² and the commentator Tattuvappirakācar describes him as the *arukaṉ* or *arhant*. The latter text does not mention him by name, but it is evident that only Maṛkali can be meant. In these two sources his status is still that of a Jaina *tīrthaṅkara*.