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"NĀTAPUTTA' IN EARLY NIRGRANTHA LITERATURE
M. A. Dhaky
The Pāli canon of the Buddhists refers to Jina Vardhamāna Mahāvira as *Niggantha Nataputta' (Ceylonese version) or 'Niggantha Nāțaputta' (Burman version). The appelation 'Nātaputta' is after Vardhamāna's clan-nomen Nāta', Jñāt;; the prefixed term 'Niggantha' (Nirgrantha) alludes to the Sramanic Church of which he was the leader. No scholar, however, seems to have investigated in depth as to the situation as it obtains in regard to this specific (clanic) appelation inside the literature of the Nirgranthas. The present paper addresses itself to exploring this particular aspect of inquiry.
The earlier texts of the Ardhamāgadhi canon do contain clear as well as copious references to 'Nātaputta' (Iñātņputra, scion of the Jñāts clan). The broad temporal bracket of the relevant passages (or verses as the case may be) inside the different texts is c. B. C. 250-A. D. 250. While this epithet virtually disappears after that period, the reminiscences of it echo in the post-Gupta, pre-medieval and medieval commentaries, laxicons, and sometimes also in the hymns, the phase with which the present paper shall not deal.
Unlike the Buddhist references which allude to Mahāvira singularly by his clan epithet, the early Nirgrantha canonical texts employ it alongside a large variety of other honorifics and epithets. Moreover, the Nirgranthas had not needed to prefix the qualificatory Niggantha' to his clan epithet 'Nātaputta' since for them he was not an outsider but the leader of their own Order, Nirgrantha Church. For them it, therefore, went without specifically so saying.
The earliest pertinent references to Nātaputta figure inside the two relatively later chapters of the Ācārānga (Book I) which of course do not seem later than the third and the second century B. C. The eighth chapter's eighth lecture (uddeśa) therein refers to 'Nātaputta' in a verse :
अयं से अवरे धम्मे नातपुत्तेन साहिते। आयवज्जं पडियारं विजहेज्जा तिधा तिधा ।
—31ETTİT, TA FPIFFET, C.C.219
Next the "Uvadhāna-sutta" ("Upadhāna-sūtra", c. 3rd-2nd cent. B. C.), which forms 'Chapter 9' (Book I) of the selfsame work, twice refers to this epithet (once as 'Nātasuta') in one and the same verse :
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'Nataputta' in Early Nirgrantha Literature
fe मधुकथासु समयम्हि नातसुते विसोगे अक्खु । एताति से उरालाति गच्छति नातपुते असरणाए ॥
In the Sutrakṛtānga (Book 1), several important references (c. 3rd-2nd cent. B. C.) containing this appelation occur : moreover, the variant 'Natiputta', and the abbreviation 'Nata', besides the usual ‘Nataputta' also figure.
उच्चावतानि गच्छंता गन्भमेस्संतऽनंतसो । नातपुते महावीरे एवमाह जिनोत्तमे ||
- आचारांग, प्रथम स्कन्ध, ९.१.५०.
जे एत चरंति आहितं नातेनं महता महेसिणा । उट्ठित ते समुट्ठिता अन्नोन्नं सारंति धम्मओ ॥
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एवं से उदाहु अनुत्तरनाणी अनुत्तरदंसी अनुत्तरनाणदंसनधरे अरहा नातपुते भगवं वेसालीए वियाहिते ॥
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— सूत्रकृतांग १.२.३.२२. (The variant ‘Natiputta' is the result of pronouncing 'Jnatr' as Jnatri' as is done in Hindi, Banglā, etc., and not as Jnatru' or 'Jñatra ( rural ) ' as rendered in Gujarati, Oriya, etc.)
Also in the "Mahavira-stava" (c. 2nd cent. B. C.) inside the selfsame agama, a question is thus asked in regard to Nätaputta's knowledge and insights: कतं च नाणं तं दंसनं से सीलं कतं नातसुतस्स आसी । नासिनं भिक्खु जथातथेनं अथासुतं ब्रूहि जथा निसंतं ॥
सुदंसन सेस जसो गिरिस्स पवुच्चती महतो पव्वतस्स । एतोवमे समणे नातत्ते जाती - जसो - दंसन-नाणसीले ||
- सूत्रकृतांग १.१.२.२७.
- सूत्रकृतांग १.२.२.२६.
— सूत्रकृतांग १.६.२
Next, in the same hymn, Nataputta's dimensions of glory are compared with those of the Sudarsana-giri ( Sumeru-parvata) :
दानान सेट्ठ अभयप्पदानं सच्चेसु या अणवज्जं वदंति । तवे या उत्तम बंभचेरं लोगुत्तमे भगवं नातपुते ॥
— सूत्रकृतांग १.६.१४
And thereafter it is said: "Just as lending protection (abhayadāna) is best of helps, an unhurting right utterance is best in the category of truth-telling, and celebacy (brahmacarya) is best among austerities, so is best Bhagavan Nataputta among the world :”
— सूत्रकृतांग १.६.२३
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M. A. Dhaky
And finally the following verse in the selfsame hymn once more refers to Nataputta: "And just as the one who possesses seven lavas (in the five ultimate heavenly worlds) are best among those beings who remain in stable state, and as the heaven Sudharma's is the finest of all assembly-halls, and among all orders the one that leads to the path of liberation is the best, so is Nataputta matchless (among the "knowers""):
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ठितीण सेट्ठा लवसत्तमा या सभा सुषम्मा व सभाण सेट्ठा । निव्वाण सेट्ठा जय सव्वधम्मा नातपुत्ता परमत्थि नाणी ॥
सूत्रकृतांग १.६.२४
Also in Book II of the Sūtraktanga, in the chapter "Ardrakiya" (c. 3rd 2nd cent. B. C.) references to Samana Nätaputta and Isino Nataputta figure:
पनं जता वणिए उदयट्ठी आतस्स हेतु पगरेति संगं । ततो मे समणे नाशपुते इच्छेव मे होती मती विपक्का ॥
सव्वेसि जीवान दयट्ठताए सावज्ज दोसं परिवज्जयंता । तस्संकिणी इसिणो नातपुत्ता उदिट्ठभत्तं परिवज्जयंति ॥
सूत्रकृतांग २.६.४०
The Dasavaikālika-sutra also refers to Nataputta Nataputta in its chapter on "Pindesana" (c. 3rd 2nd cent. B. C. ) which dwells upon monastic rules for begging food and permissible alms. The two verses cited below (without translation) is the first case in point:
एवं च दोसं दनं नातपुतेन भासितं । अणुमातं पि मेधावी मायामोसं विवज्जए ।
विडमुन्भेइमं लोणं तेल्लं सप्पि च फाणितं । न ते सन्निहिमिच्छेति नातपुत्तवचोरता ॥
सूत्रकृतांग २.६.१९
- दशवेकालिकसूत्र ६.१७
The next two verses claim that, if clothes, begging bowl, blanket, and the feet-cleaner are accepted (by a friar) for the sake of modesty and for the maintenance. of ascetic practices, it cannot be construed as possession (parigraha); because it is (in the final analysis) the 'attachment' which is possession par excellence as enjoined by Nātaputta' :
जं पिवत्यं च पातं वा कंबलं पावनं । तं पि संजम - लज्जट्ठा धारेंति परिहरे वि च ॥ न सो परिग्गहो वृत्तो नातपुतेन ताइना । मुच्छा परिग्गहो वृत्तो इति बुतं महेसिया ॥
- वशवेकालिकसूत्र ५.२.४९
- दश बैकालिकसूत्र ६. १९-२०
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'Nātanutta' in Early Nirgrantha Literature
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In the famous "sa-bhikhu" chapter of this work, Nataputta is once more referred to in connection with the six living substantialities (sad[ jīva]nikāya), the five great vows (panca-mahāvratas) and the fifty kinds of channels for control (samvara) over passions :
रोतिय नातपुत्तवचनं अत्तसमे मन्नेज्जा छप्पि काए । पंच च फासे महव्वतानि पंचासवसंवरए जे, सभिक्खू ।।
--वशवकालिकसूत्र, १०. ५.
In the Uttaradhyayana-sūtra, the reference to Nātaputta figures only once, as an ending sentence to its chapter six : This same sentence also figures in the Sutrakrtanga ([.2.3.22), cited in the foregoing. In both cases this seems a later addition, probably of c. first century B.C.-A.D.”, though it is hard to determine which text was the first to receive it.
Among the last works to notice "Nātaputta' is the Vyākhyāprajñapti, a scholiastic compilation very largely of c. 2nd-3rd cent. A.D., which uses earlier sources and occasionally incorporates phrases in the style of c. Ist cent. B.C.-A.D., particularly in its kathānuyoga passages. The work in the first place, and at two separate but otherwise identical situations, brings in Šramaņa Nātaputta as the expositor of the five existentialities (pañcāstikāyas) and statements about which of them possess form and which other are formless; this figures inside the 'Kāludāyaprcchā' passage where Nātaputta (sometimes with the qualifying word 'Sramaņa') is five times mentioned :3
एवं खलु समणे नातपुत्ते पंच अस्थिकाए पनवेति, धम्मत्यिकायं अधम्मत्थिकायं जीवत्थिकायं पोग्गलात्थिकायं आगासत्थिकायं । तत्थ नं नातपुत्ते चत्तारि अस्थिकाए अजीवकाए पन्नवेति, धम्मत्थिकायं अधम्मत्थिकायं आगासत्थिकायं पोग्गल त्थिकायं। एगं च समणे नातपुत्ते जीवत्थिकायं अरूविकायं जीवकायं पन्नवेति । तत्थ नं समणे नातपुत्ते चत्तारि अत्थिकाए अरूविकाए पनवेति-धम्मत्थिकायं अधम्मत्थिकायं आगासत्थिकायं जीवत्यिकायं । एगं च नं समणे नातपुत्ते पोग्गलत्थिकायं रूविकायं अजीवकायं पन्नवेति ।
Also, in the querries of the sramanopāsaka Maddua, Sramana Nataputta' once again figures in connection with the exposition of the five existentialities. (The date of this phrase may be the same as the last-noted.)
एवं खलु मदुया ! तव धम्मायरिए धम्मोवएसए समणे नातपुत्ते पंच अत्थिकाये पन्नवेति......"
In a long passage concerning Somila brāhmaṇa, Sramana Nātaputta once again appears in a phrase, though the passage may not be very early and in point
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________________ 124 M. A. D of fact may be belong to the 2nd or 3rd century A.D. since it incorporates a term purvanupurvio : एवं खलु समणे नातपुत्ते पुव्वानुपुचि चरमाने गामानुगामं दूइज्जमाने सुहंसुहेनं............."(इत्यादि) Contemporaneous to the last noted, and final reference to Nataputta' is to be discerned in the third appendix "Bhavana" in the second book of the Acarangasutra : तेनं कालेनं तेनं समयेनं समणे भगवं महावीरे नाते नातपुत्ते नातकुल विनिव्वत्ते विदेहे विदेहदिन्ने faccia face una ate atata face fata********* (alfar) After this, references to 'Nataputta' are virtually absent in the agamas. 6 Notes and References 1. Besides Vira and Mahavira, he is also called Buddha, Rsi, Maharsi, Muni, Mahamuni, Kasyapa (after his gotra), etc. 2. In the Dasavaikalika-sutra, the whole chapter is in the ancient Vaitaliya metre, the sentence appears as verse; but since it has no metrical consistency, it creates unconformity. The next verse numbered 23 seems an interpolation by virtue of its style, wording, and content. In point of fact this chapter of the Dasavaikalika ends with the verse 21. The whole of the chapter 6 of the Uttaradhyayana is in Anustubha metre, the end marked by the sentence under discussion appears separately in prose form with nothing after that. While the Vyakhya-prajnapati's main bulk is stylistically dateable to the 2nd-3rd cent. A.D., its Kathanuyoga passages and chapters, some of which could be of the 1st, 2nd, originally belonged to other works; these have been shunted to this work possibly in the period between the late fourth and the early sixth century A.D. There is no evidence that Mahavira has expounded the pancastikayas. These were known to, and collectively mentioned by Jina Parsva in the Rsibhasitani and possibly the detailed nature of the astikayas was first defined by the pontiffs of the sect of Parsva. 5. The term does not figure in earlier texts. 6. The Prasnavyakarana, a pretender agama of c. seventh century A.D., mentions natamuni; and Dhananjaya, the Digambara poet of the 7th-8th century A.D., includes 'Jnatnputra' in the list of the epithets of Mahavira. (I forego citing these later references, which in any case are secondary; for in the age of these later authors, the epithet 'Nataputta' for Mahavira was not in currency, and if at all appearing as rare instances, the usage derives from or harks back to the early agamic sources.) N. B. In the citations from the agamas the language has been restored to Ardhamagadhi by eliminating the Maharastri Praksta affectations. 4.