Jain Journal 1985 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 20

JANUARY, 1985
Sudama cave, Visvamitra cave and Lomas Rsi cave, of which three contain Asokan inscriptions, while the nearby Nagarjuni Hill contains three similar caves, viz. Vahiyaka cave, Gopika cave and Vadathika cave, for providing shelters to the Ajivika ascetics during the rainy season.48
The prevalence of the sect in eastern India in the Christian era has hardly substantiated by any archaeological remains. It is rather difficult to speculate about the exact time and reasons for the total extinction of this faith from this part of the country. Occasional references to them are not wanting in Sanskrit literature of the later period, but these have hardly any positive bearings on the history and philosophy of the sect.
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It is really curious to note that a sect, a leading representative of the heretical orders, that emerged with equal stronghold and wide influence like those of the Buddhists and the Jainas, did not survive or continue as an independent sect for long in the region of its origin. It is, however, not an easy task to ascertain the reason/reasons behind its oblivion from the stage of Indian religion. But it is certain that by the time of the Vayupurāṇa the sect seemed to have 'struggling for survival as a sort of secret society'; and during the time of Varahamihira44 the Ajivikas survived only as one of the seven classes of religious mendicants. According to P. C. Bagchi "the Ajivika sect had, by the time of Hiuen-Tsang, merged into the community of the Nirgranthas who were then numerous in Bengal. In any case, there is no evidence to prove the separate existence of the Ajivikas in Bengal."45 The conjecture put forward by P. C. Bagchi seems to be possible as the emergence of the mystic saints and their religious communities like the Avadhutas, etc. in the mediaeval period bear ample resemblence in respect of activities and ritualistic performances with the naked Nirgrantha and the Ajivika ascetics.
43 Ibid., pp.361-65; Basham, op. cit., pp. 150-160. Brhat-jataka, xv.1.
44
45 History of Bengal (Dacca University), p.411, fn.3.