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CH. XXXVII] Doctrine of the Pāśupata-sūtras
131 conviction with the Saivas. But while the Saivas of the Pāśupata school lay emphasis on ascetic rituals, the Naiyāyika laid stress on logical arguments. It will therefore not be out of place if we treat the general outline of the Pāśupata sect on its ascetic side, though it may not be regarded as a contribution of philosophical value.
Kauņdinya, the commentator, in the beginning of his bhāsya, offers adoration to Pāśupati who had created the whole world, beginning from the Brahman for the good of all. He says that the five subjects of discussion in the Pāśupata system are effect (kārya), cause (kāraņa), meditation (yoga), behaviour (vidhi), and dissolution of sorrow (duḥkhānta)
The teaching of the Pāśupata system is for the total annihilation of all kinds of sorrow and this teaching can only be communicated to proper disciples. When the disciple follows the ascetic practices recommended by the Lord, he attains liberation through His grace. It has been noticed before that the Saiva is called Mahākāruņika. In our exposition of the Saiva thought we have examined carefully the doctrine of grace or karunā, and have also seen how this doctrine of grace is associated with the doctrine of karma and the theory of rebirth, in accordance with the justice implied in the theory of karma. But here in the Pāśupata-sūtra we are told that liberation comes directly from the grace of Siva. The word pašu means all conscious beings, excluding the saints and the all powerful ones. Their animality or pasutra consists in the fact that they are impotent and their impotence is their bondage. This bondage, which means their complete dependence on the causal power, is beginningless. The word pašu is connected with the word pāśa, which means “cause and effect", and is technically also called kalā. All animals are thus bound by cause and effect, the sense images and their objects, and become attached to them. The word pašu is also derived from paśyati. Though the animals are all-pervasive and are of the nature of pure consciousness, they can only perceive
1 The editor of the Pāśupata-sūtras gives the following list of the succession of teachers from Nakulīša: Nakulisa, Kausika, Gārgya, Maitreya, Kauruşa, Išāna, Paragārgya, Kapilānda, Manuşyaka, Kusika, Atri, Pingala, Puşpaka, Bịhadārya, Agasti, Santāna, Rāśīkara (Kaundinya), and Vidyāguru. The seventeenth guru called Rāśikara has been identified with Kaundinya by the editor. This has been done on the supposition that Kauņdinya occurs as the gotra name in the Bfhadāraṇyaka Upanişad vi. 2 and 4.
