________________
LIFE
tically painted before our eyes that nothing will appear to be either exaggerated or untrue.
If one wants to know who the Nirgranthas (Unfettered Ones) were, the answer comes straight from the Buddhist texts that they were the followers of a Tīrthankara, named Nigantha Nätaputta. One Sutta faithfully presents the fundamental doctrine of the Nirgranthas with a criticism from the Buddhist point of view. One Sutta attributes to Nigantha Nătaputta certain religious discipline which was in a way the cult of the earlier Nirgranthas, the followers of Pārsva. One Sutta yields a faithful description of the uposatha as practised by the Nirgranthas. One Sutta correctly hints at the fact that the lay supporters of the Nirgranthas were called Sāvakas or Srāvakas instead of Upāsakas “ One Sutta accurately names the place where the demise of Nigantha Nātaputta took place, and how immediately after his demise, his followers, the Nirgranthas, became divided into two camps 6 There
1 Cūladukkhakkhandha Sutta, MN, I, pp 91 foll 2 Sāmaññaphala Sutta, Digha-N, I, PP 47 foll 3 Nigaạthūposatho, Anguttara-N, I, pp 205 foll. 4 Upālı Sutta, MN, I, pp 371 foll * Sāmagāma Sutta, M.N., II, pp 243 foll.
