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20
Rishibhashit: A Study
Nirvana. Also, his preachings compiled in Rishibhashit have no contradiction with Buddhist philosophy.
As regards the preachings of Vajjiputta compiled in Rishibhashit, they mainly clarify the Karma principle. According to him the sequence of life and death continues like that of seed and sapling. At the root of karma he postulates attachment. This theory about karma is generally accepted both in Jain and Buddhist traditions. Preachings similar to those of Vajjiputta can be found in the thirtieth chapter of Uttaradhyayan. The discussion about Karma-santati, which shows the influence of Santativad of Buddhism, provides the basis of authenticity of ideas put forth in this chapter. This chapter also indicates that Vajjiputta emphasizes more on knowledge rathar than conduct. Vajjiputtiya (Vatsiputriya) sect of Buddhists also emphasizes on the path of knowledge and purity of soul as against the stagnant rules of conduct. In my opinion he is none else but Vajjiputta Ther of Buddhists.
in the Vedic tradition there is a mention of Vatsiputra which is the Sanskrit form of Prakrit Vajjiputta. In the last clan list of Vrihadaranyaka Upanishad, Vatsiputra can be found. He was a disciple of Parasharputra according to Kanva branch and that of Mandaviputra according to Madhyamdin branch.
Although there is nothing more but his name in the Vedic tradition, but still it can be deduced that he was some sage belonging to the Upanishad period. All this naturally gives rise to the question that Vajjiputta of Rishibhashit, Buddhist Vajjiputta, and Vatsiputra of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad are three different persons or just one. As no philosophy or thought of Vatsiputra are available in the Vedic tradition, it is difficult to establish his sameness with Vajjiputta of Rishibhashit. Whereas due to similarity of thoughts the proximity of Vajjiputta of Rishibhashit and Vajjiputta of Buddhists is established. The existence of a sect of Vajiputtiyas in Buddhism also proves that he must have originally belonged to the Buddhist tradition.
The question that who was Vatsiputra of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad still remains to be answered. As no other Buddhist monk has been mentioned in the Upanishads, it is difficult to say that Vatsiputra of Brihadaranyaka and Vajjiputta of Buddhist tradition were same. Had he been a common Ther of Buddhist tradition it would have been possible that he had been accepted in Buddhist tradition like Narad and others. But in Buddhist tradition his place is as the leader of a sect and not an ordinary monk, However, one cannot deny the possibility that earlier he
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