________________
589
The former was a prince at Rajagrha and the latter: a resident of Vaisali. The discussion on penance is consistent with the Jaina view of penance. The word nirjara' has been very appropriately used.
11. Loka -finite or infinite
Two brānmins came to Gautama Buddha and presented the views of Pūraņa Kāsyapa and Nigantha Nataputta on loka, asking which one was correct and which one was wrong. Buddha did not discuss the correctness or otherwise of the two views, but stated his own.
Source: Suttapitale, Anguttara Nikaya Pāta,
Navaka Nipāto, Mahāvaggo, Lokāyatika Suttam, 9.4.7
Comment
The rival viewpoints of Purāņa Kás'yapa and Nigantha Nataputta on Loka have been stated in identical terms. Then what is the point at issue ? In both the views, the loka has been called infinite. According to its English translator, E. M. Herr, loka is finite to Purana Kasyapa but infinite to Nigantha Nātaputta?. The translator has done so on the basis of an alternate reading which the translator has given in the footnote, loka is "anantam" to Purana Käsyapa but "antavantam' to Nigantha Nātaputta2. Well, this reading appears correct. For, according to Mahāvira, loka is finite, but aloka is infinite. In a further break up, Mahavira has called loka finite when viewed as an object and as space, but infinite when viewed as time and as a subjective factor4. It seems that the brahmins were concerned with loka as space which in the words of Mahavira was sa -ante, which comes near the reading in Anguttara Nikāya. The reason why Buddha evaded the question was that he had revealed this and eight other questions in Majjhima Nikāya and other texts.
1. The Book of Gradual Sayings, Vol. IV, pp. 287-88. 2. Ibid, p. 288 fn. 3. Bhagavati Suttra 11-10-421. 4. Ibid, 2-1-90. 5. Mahhjima Nikaya, Chula malukya, Sutta 63: also
Dīgha Nikāya, Potthapada Sutta, 1.9.
