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288
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(DECKY BÉR, 1912.
Ajivika is ased as a mark to denote the monastic orders seeking refuge with Narayana." Hero the most important word is upalakshana, which Prof. Kero has entirely lost sight of. Upalakshana means a mark indicative of something that the word itself does not actually express. Sanskrit commentators often employ the word upalakshanı, when they want a certain Word or expression in the original to denote things, not, truly speaking, signified by that word or expression. And precisely the same practice is followed here by Utpals. To understand this fully and also the real significance of the two passages, on the misinterpretation of which Prof. Kern's view is based, it is necessary to comprehend the gist of Varahamihira's stanza and Utpala's commentary thereon, quoted above. According to Varábamihira, a man turns a recluse when four or more planets are elustered together in one and the sam) zodiacal division at the time of his birth and at least one of them is powerful. And according as this powerful planet is the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus or Saturn, he becomes a vanyajána, Vșiddha(sråvaka], Sâkya, Ajivika, bhikshu, Charaka or Nirgratha. Utpala tells us that Varaha nibira has made this enumeration on the authority of Kalakacharya. The latter's verse Tdcasio diņaņdhe, etc., is thon cited, which tells us that a man becomes a Tậpasika, Kâpâliks, raktapata, Ekadaşı, yați, Charaka or Kshapanaka when the predominant planet is Surya, Chan Ira, etc. The Tåpasika, Kâpâlika, etc., of this versc are taken by Utpala to correspond to the vanydsdna, Viddha-érâvaka, etc., of Varahamihira. How far this procedure of Utpala is justifiable I leave it to scholars to determine. But certain it is that he would have us take Vriddha-srayaka and Ajivika to mean K&palika and Ekadandi. Now, there is another verse of Kalakacharya, which also informs us wbat kind of recluse a man becomes under precisely these astrological conditions. The list of ascetic denominations mentioned in this rerse agrees with that previously given except in two points. These exceptions are llarabhakta or Mahesvar-dárita and Kesavabhakta or Nardyan dirita, and, as this second verse of Kalakacharya saye, a man becomes one of these according as the powerful planet is Chandra or Budha. But it has been just stated above that in the same astrological conditions he becomes Vriddha gravaka (Kâpâlika) or Ajtvika (Ekadaņdi). Hence arises the necessity, says Utpala, of understanding Vșiddha-bravaka and Ajirika of the original stanza as marks (upalakshana) denoting Mahesvar-Asrita and Når dyan-ágrita. Thus, according to Utpala, Ajtvika does not signify Narayan-dorita, - Kosava-bhakta, or Bhagavata, as Prof. Kern supposes, but simply indicates it; and it is equally incontrovertible that Kalakacharya also nover held such a view. The theory propounded by Prof. Kern and upheld by Bühler that the Ajfvikas are Vaishnavas bas, therefore, no grounds at all to stand apon.
It will not be out of place, I think, if a short account of these Ajirikas 18 given with a view to point out who they were. My work here will be principally that of bringing some of the scattered rays to a focus. The founders of this monastic order were Nanda-Vachchha, Kisa-Sakichchba, And Makkhali Gosála, of whom the last is by far the most famous, as he is one of the six wellknown teachers mentioned in Buddhist scriptures. Baddhag bosha tells us that an Âjivika is nagga-pabbajito, Ajfvikas are also described as achela", i.e., unclothed. And, in confirmation of this, there are at least two stories forthcoming from the Vinaya-pitaka. According to the first, which is in the Maharagga,' while the Buddha and the Bhikshus were once staying in the Anathapiņdikasrama in Jetavana at Srävasti, it began to rain all over the world. The Buddha informed the Bhikshas that that was the last nighty storm over the whole world, and consequently asked them to let themselves be rained down upon. The Bhikshus accordingly divested themselves of their robes, and exposed their bodies to rain. On that very day, Visakha, mother of Migira, was engaged in preparations for a feast to the Buddha and his Bhiksbus. When the preparations were over, she sent her maid-servant to the Buddha to intimate that dinner was ready. • Jour, R. 41. Soc. for 1998, p. 197. • Jdlaka I. 300.
X. VIII. 15, 8-6.
