Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: B J Institute

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INTRODUCTION
views of Manu, or quote plenty with special interest in the name of Manu. This suggests that the ancient law-givers show high regards for Manu - an ancient law-giver whose views are considered more authentic by almost all ancient law-givers. This all provides us some historical evidences for the available matrical work called Manusmrti (= MS), Manu's name and his views in ancient India have great charm for the law-givers. This all presupposes an existence of an old Manava Dharma-Satra which occupied as much high position even in those days, as the metrical Manusmrti originated from the former, occupies in our days. Manu's name ranks first even among the other authors of the latter smộti texts (cf. Bühler - 3. Intr. p.xx ).
On the basis of the study of relevant sections of the Vasistha Dharma-Satra (= VDS) and MS, Alsdorf came to the conclusion that the former knew a certain treatise attributed to Manu (cf. Alsdorf-1. pp. 22-29). Some scholars including Alsdorf are also of the view that the MS and the greater part of the epic poem Mahabharata ( = MBH) depict a contemporary development in ideas (from ca. 2nd cent. B.C. till some centuries after the Christ), and the latter derived argumentation and other matters from the former (cf. Oldenberg : Literature des alten Indiens, p. 187. Alsdorf-1. p. 30). The later Hindu texts, e.g. puro anas, etc. hardly add something important for an enquiry into the ahimsa problems.
We can add also to this list of sources some materials from the early Jata ka stories antedating Buddhism and Jainism, and some early canonical texts of the latter two. Moreover, we have to rely on some recent researches appeared on the basis of the discovered materials of the Indus Valley Civilisation.