Jain Journal 1991 04

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

Page 46

APRIL, 1991
189
is important to note here that the tenth section of Taittiriya Aranyaka is known as Nārāyanopanisad.49 This Nārāyaṇa Rşi of Vedic tradition may be compared with the Nārāyaṇa Rşi of the Rşibhā șita and the Sūtrak rtānga.
We could not trace however any Nārāyaṇa Rşi in the Buddhist literature.
Asita Devala– The information available in Jaipa, Buddhist and Vedic texts indicate that Asita Devala was a great ascetic and thinker of his time. His preachings and his conversation with other thinkers are discussed in these texts. While Sūtrak rtānga condemns him for his taking cold water, seeds and sprouts, he is placed in the list of those Rşis who had got perfection, and even the Rsibhāşita eulogises him as Arhat Rşi.
His teachings, as given in Rşibhāșita, are concerned with the abandonment of all desires, passions and attachment. A man who wants to be liberated should conquer anger and illusion. In nutshell, he preaches us to detach from passions, anger and deceit. To make his preachings understandable he uses similies. He says that ordinary fire can be extinguished but the fire of attachment is difficult to be extinguished.24
He is mentioned in the Buddhist tradition also. There is a whole chapter entitled Assalayana Sutta in Majjhima Nikāya, which illustrates his teachipgs. In this suita he copfutes the supremacy of the Brāhmanas and tries to sbatter their vanity.5 Asita Devala is also mentioned in Indriya Jātaka where he is named as Kāla Devala. According to this Jātaka, Devala had a younger brother named as Närada who was also a famous saint. Asita Devala is presented here to have preached to Nárada the lesson of detachment from worldly bondage 28
Asita Devala is well known to Vedic tradition. The Mahābhārata refers to him as a great ascetic who was a great expert in performing penance. Passions did not perturb him. He was free from anger and
23 Vedic Kos, p. 244 24 Rsibhasita, Chapter 3 25 Majjhima Nikaya, 2/5/3 (Mahabodhi Sabha, Saranath, Varanasi, 1964) 26 Pali Proper Names, Vol. I, p. 210