Lord Mahavira and His Times

SR No.: 011080
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 427
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

Page 175

Lord Mahavira's Religious Contemporaries and Sects
presumed that he might have lived in the sixth century B.C. as is evident from references to him as a contemporary of king Ajātaśatru of Magadha. He was the head of a religious order and the founder of a school (tittha-karo). He was followed by a large body of disciples and honoured throughout the country. It seems from his name that he was born in a Brāhmaṇa family. The name Pūraṇa (Pūrṇa) indicates that he was believed to have been fully enlightened and perfect in wisdom. NO-ACTION THEORY (AKRIYĀVĀDA)
Pūraṇa Kassapa is known to be the exponent of the 'noaction' theory (Akriyāvāda). It is said that Ajātaśatru once visited Purana Kassapa, who expounded his views thus: "To him who acts or causes another to act, mutilates or causes another to mutilate, punishes, or causes another to punish, causes grief or torment, trembles or causes another to tremble, kills other creatures, takes what is not given, breaks into houses, commits dacoity or robbery or tells lies, to him, thus acting, there is no guilt.... no increase of guilt would ensure.... In giving alms, in offering sacrifices, in self mastery, in control of senses, and in speaking truth, there is neither merit nor increase of merit." 331 This is called an exposition of the 'no-action' theory (Akriyavada). According to it, man is an irresponsible agent, because his action brings neither any merit nor any demerit. In other words, this doctrine was amoral because one might do whatever one wanted to do without becoming sinful or virtuous.
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The Sutrakṛitanga furnishes a parallel passage where the doctrine is expressly called Akriyavada. Śilanka calls it Akārakavada and implicitly identifies it with the Sänkhya view. The identity between the view of Puraṇa Kassapa and this Akūrakavada is probable, not certain.
THE DOCTRINE OF THE PASSIVITY OF THE SOUL
Most probably, Kassapa was, as B.M. BARUA states, an advocate of the theory that the Soul was passive (nishkripa). that no action could affect it, and that it was beyond good and
1. RBI. pp. 69-70.
2. Sutra, I. 1. 1. 13. 3. Burir. p. 279.