Indian Antiquary Vol 47

SR No.: 032539
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 386
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 362

12
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Rajara
laid from its very start great emphasis on the moral side of which there is dreadfully too little in the Brahmanical religion and philosophy. We might compare above, and think of the rôle which duty plays in the Bhag. Other passages of the Mahabharata might be brought forward to support the view that the Kishnaism has been--from the very beginning an ethical religion of the Kshatriyas; e. K., Mahabharata. VI, 3044, 3045 (Calc. edition.)
Râjarshiņam udaråņâm âhavesh vanivartinâm
Sarvadharmapradhânânám tvam gatir Madhusådana || "Thou, O Madhusudana, art the resort of the noble royal-sages who never turn back
from fight and with whom all behests (of duty) preponderate." In Kishựa's religion God is named "Bhagavat" "the noble one," a word used in India since very ancient times to denote the godly and holy beings. Along with this word there came to be used in oourse of time other epithets : [p. 25 ] Narayana, Purushottama, as well as the patronymic and the personal name of the founder of the religion. As the oldest names of the sect occur (first in the 12th book of the Mahabharata) Bhagavata and Såtvata; the latter is derived from the clan of Krishna. Later than both these names is the name Pancharâtra, which occasionally signifies a particular subdivision of the sect. but which is generally used as equivalent to Bhagavata. With this (latter) name only I shall designate in the sequel the followers of the Krishna-religion, because I regard this as the original name.
If we were now to enquire about the time when Krisbria lived and established his religion, we shall have to place him according to Chha Up. III. 17-6, a couple of centuries before Buddha; and if there is any historical nucleus in Krishna's participating in the war of the Pandavas with the Kauravas, (and his participation I believe to be real) he will have necessarily to be still carried back to a higher antiquity. The existence of the sect founded by Kțishna is indeed, confirmed for the first time by literary evidence of the 4th century B.C. : it is from Parini IV. 3.98, whero is laid down the formation of the word “Vasudevaka " in the sense of "& worshipper of Vasudeva.” The alternative explanation given in the Mahabhashya, athaud naişd doc., a evidently appears as the correct one. 25 In the passage from Pâņini, (p. 28 ] Vasudeva is not the epithet of the Kshatriya Krishna, but of the highest being. As against this it cannot be urged that in the passage under consideration “Arjunaka " in the sense of " & worshipper of Arjuna" stands by the side of “Vasudevaks." For inasmuch as Papini hae mentioned both of these forms in close connection with each other, he must not have thought of Arjuna as the friend and companion in arms of the human Krishna; on the other hand, Panini must have conceived of Arjuna in that individuality in which he stands forth in
* Kielhorn reads in his edition tatra-bhavatal, whioh is cortainly wrong.
25 of. Weber, Ind. Stu.. XIII, 348 8. Wober soos in the statement of the Malabhdehya rogard ing the worship of Vadova (something ) loss than Telang, whom he controverts and who correctly oxplain. Vasudova in the passage quoted as "& name of the Supreme Being. Against the view of Telang that the Mahabhdehya proves the worship of Krishna M the highest being, Weber urges, p. 363, that numerous other passages of the Mahabhdahya rolor to Krishna Vasudeva as a hero and half God. In these pisgen, however, Patanjali has simply utilised the material from the opio stories. If the renuwned oom montator quotes legendary stories known to him in which Krishpa in montioned to somi.divine horo, to illustrato grammation instances, it does not militato against the fact that Patanjali in other places refers to the worship of Vasudeva as the highest God, worship that bad spread wido amongst the people in his time. uj. also on this point R. G. Bhandarkar, Indian Antiquary, III, 16.