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SOCIETY IN MAURYA INDIA
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3. The Nirgranthas or Jainas, i.e., the followers of Nigantha Naṭaputta who is commonly called Mahāvīra or Vardhamana.
4. The followers of Gautama Buddha Śākyamuni.
5. Other sects alluded to in Pillar Edict VII.
In Edict IV we have the following account of the prevailing state of society: "for a long period past, even for many hundred years, have increased the sacrificial slaughter of living creatures, the killing of animate beings, unseemly behaviour to relatives, unseemly behaviour to Brahmanas and ascetics (Śramaņas)."1 Kings used to go out on so-called Vihāra yātrās2 in which hunting and other similar amusements used to be practised. The people performed various ceremonies (mamgala) on occasions of sickness, weddings of sons,5 the weddings of daughters, the birth of children, and
3
character. The attitude of Buddhist authors is also not friendly. In reality he was. one of the leading sophists of the sixth century B. C., and, for a time, was a close associate of Mahāvīra. According to the Ajivika belief as expounded in the Samañña-phala Sutta "the attainment of any given condition, of any character, does not depend on human effort (purisa-kāre). There is no such thing as power or energy, or human strength or human vigour (purisaparakkamo). All beings...are bent this way and that by their fate (niyati)." (Dialogues, Pt. I, p. 71; Barua, The Ajivikas, 1920, p. 9.). An Ajivaparivrajaka appears as a court astrologer of Bindusara in the Divyavadana (pp. 370 ff,). A tax on "Ajivakas" is referred to in an inscription of the twelfth century A. D. (Hultzsch, SII. I. 88) showing that the sect flourished in S. India even in that late age.
1 Cf. Ajataśatru's treatment of Bimbisara, Viduḍabha's massacre of the Sakyas, Udayana's cruelty towards Pindola, and Nanda's haughty demeanour towards Chanakya.
2 Tours of pleasure, cf. Kautilya, p. 332. Mahabharata, XV. 1. 18: Viharayātrāsu punah Kururajo Yudhishṭhirah
sarvān kāmān mahātejaḥ pradadav-Ambikäsute.
3 R. Edict VIII.
4
For "Mamgala" see also Jātakas No. 87, and No. 163 (Hatthi-mamgala), and Harsha-charita, II (p. 27 of Parab's edition, 1918).
5 For Avaha and Vivaha see also Mbh., V. 141. 14; Kautilya, VII. 15.
