Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 18

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1912.
Amtalikita (Antalkidas) who was a Bhagavata, he was a devotee, Nârîyaņa showed himself to i.e., worshipper of Bhagavat or belonging to the him and explained the Bhagavata religion, which Bhagavata Scbool. A third inscription of about prevailed among the Såtvatas. The Supreme the beginning of the first century before Christ God according to this faith is Vasudeva; from existing at Nánaghat contains an adoration of him sprang Samkarshana or the individual soul; Sankarshana and Vasudeva. Patañjali, the from him Pradyumna or the mind; and from him author of the Mahabhashya on Panini, who wrote Aniruddba or egoisin. By certain devotional about 150 before Christ speaks of Vasudeva as the practices, men attain Vasudeva through the interworshipful one. A Buddhistic work of the thirdmediate stages of Aniruddha, etc. This Ekantika century before Christ mentions Vasudeva and religion was, it is further stated, revealed in the Baladeva as the deities worshipped by specific Hari-ylla or the Bhagavad-gitá, at the time when sects. The Mahabharata is a work containing & the armies of the Pandavas and Kurus stood face collection of pieces of varied antiquity, some to face and Ariuna's heart failed him. The pre-Christian and others post-Christian, and it is Elantika-dharma of the Såtvatas was, therefore, difficult to determine the age of any particular the system taught in the Bhagavad-gita ; and the piece: but, with the help of the dates supplied us theistic reform we have spoken of as opposed to by the inscriptions and the two books mentioned the moral reform of Buddha is that effected by above, we are in a position to determine when a that work. certain specific religion that it speaks of in a The main problem of this work was how section of the 12th book arose. That religion is to achieve freedom from passion. A man is the Ekántika-dharma or the religion of single- born to act. He acts with certain desires; these minded devotion or monotheism. It prevailed desires become strengthened in him by frequent among a tribe of the Y&lavas known by the name actions and he becomes a slave to them. Thereof S&tvatas. The origin of this religion is traced
fore Gitú teaches that actions should be done, to certain Rishis, and from them it was trans. not from the desire of attaining any fruit from mitted to others until 10 reacnea Brihaspati, who them, but because the Brahman or the uni. had for his pupil a prince of the name of
versal order requires him to do them, i, e., the Vasu-Uparichara. This last instituted a horse
action should be performed as a duty or it should sacrifice in which Bribaspati was the priest. No
be dedicated to God and performed to propitiate animals were killed on the occasion, and the
Him. oblations were prepared in accordance with the
Now to perform an act because it is a duty or precepts of the Aranyakas, which works contain
to please God is a matter of the greatest diffithe Upanishads. Hari was the god worshipped.
culty to an ordinary man who is full of desires He took away the oblation offered to him without
and passions, but he is able to conquer these by showing himself to Bțihaspati. He was, however,
the grace of God when he adores Him incessantly seen by Vasu.Uparichara. Brihaspati was angry,
by bhukti or devotion. Bhakti or devotion to when three persons explained to him that Hari
God is, therefore, the way to attain God and was to be seen only by those who adored him
serenity or freedom from passions. and were devoted to him. They themselves had
The Vasudeva religion or the Páñcharátra once gone to the White Island (Svetu-dvipa) to
system, as it was afterwards called, was based on see Hari or Narayana, performed austerities for a
the Bhagavad-gita. Mogasthenes mentions Heracles hundred years, but were told that Hari was not
as the god worshipped by the Sourasonoi, in whose to be seen by them, as they were not his devotees
country was situated Methora or Mathura and and performed only austerities. This story shows the River Jobares or Jamna flowed. The Southat a new reformed religion had sprung up,
rasenoi correspond to Saurasenas, i.e. here the which, like Buddhism, condemned animal sacri.
Såtvatas, and thus Vasudeva to Heracles; and tices and the practice of austerities, but, unlike
thus the religion of Vasudeva flourished on the it, set forth the adoration of God as the way to
evidence of Magesthenes, in the fourth century emancipation. Then Narada is mentioned as
before the Christian era. having gone to the same White Island ; and, as
* Jour. R. A. Soc. for 1900, p. 1087 ff; for 1910 p. 141 f;Jour. Bomb. As. Soc., Vol. xxlii, P. 104 t.
Arch. Sury., West India, Vol. v, p. 60.