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THE SRAMANA TRADITION AND VAISĀLI
(600 B. C.-600 A. D.)
S. K. MISHRA
The antiquity of Sramana tradition can be traced back to the early Vedic age. In the Riga Veda itself, which is the earliest literary production we find glorification of a class of wandering ascetics observing practices opposed to celebrated Vedic norms. Dr. H. L. Jain opines that the «Vātarasanā Munis' of the Riga Vedal, and the Vrātyas, and the yati s of the Atharva Veda and later Brāhmanic literatures are no other than śramaņas. The anti-Vedic śramaņa Munis and the Vedic Risis continued to flourish side by side throughout the ages of our history. The two term "Brāhmaṇa' and 'Sramana' are themselves very significant. Brahma originally meant a prayer or sacrifice and the Brāhmaṇa was one who pactised them, while on the other a śramana was one who endeavoured to conquer the self and bring about the pacification of all violent feelings
na). A certain amount of rivalry and intolerance seems to have developed between the two schools as their ideologies and practices becamy more and more sharply marked.4 But among the masses both were equallə, honoured so much so that the terms became synonymous and interchangeable. Not only that the Sramaņas themselves began to claim that they
San
1. RV. X, 136, 2-3 .
'मुनयो वातरशनाः पिशंगा वसते मला । वातस्यानु ध्राजि यन्ति यद्देवासो अविक्षत ॥ उन्मदिना मौनयेन वातां आतस्थिमा वयम् ।
शरीरेदस्माकं यूयं मर्तासो अभिपश्यथ ॥' 2. A V. XV, 1.1. UN Bratara ga r terá ÁTTI'I
Also-Ibid XV, 1.6. 'Ya ATTSHOT**** „ Ibid XIX, 23.25. TRITFETE FATET' „ Praśnopanişada-II, 11. ____ 'व्रात्यस्त्वं प्राणैक ऋषिरत्ता विश्वस्य सत्पतिः' Bhāgavata Purāna V, 3.20 ..."धर्मान् दर्शयितुकामोवातरशनानां श्रमणानाम् उर्ध्वमिन्थनां शुक्लया तन्वावततार।' Also-Ibid-V, 6.12.
34H TATT Toralauga acuta fara oref:' | 4. Jain. H. L.: Contribution of Jainism to Indian Culture,
J. B. R. S., Vol. XLIV, Parts I & II, P. 2.
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