Book Title: Rushibhashit Sutra
Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
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The preachings of Mankhaliputta convey that activity of the world continue in their own regulated order. Even against the wishes of a person, adverse circumstances do prevail. He alone can save himself and others from the four life-consequences (Chaturgati) of this world, who remains uneffected, undisturbed, and unhurt in adverse circumstances, considering them to be nothing but mere transformations of matter. This preaching clarifies that the central theme of his Niyativad is for leading detached life. Same idea is propagated in Bhagvadgita. There also, the preaching of Niyativad is directed toward ending the reward oriented thinking of human beings.
In Mahabharat|31 we find preachings of Manki Rishi under the title Manki Gita, I believe that this Manki Rishi of Mahabharat is non else but Mankhaliputta of Rishibhashit. This is because Manki Gita clearly propagates Niyativad. It says that whatever happens is not due to human effort but due to divine will. Luck is every thing. Insisting doggedly on human effort when one fails, the divine will could be traced as the cause of failure.
On this basis it can be infered that Mankhaliputta of Rishibhashit, Mankhali-goshal mentioned in Jain canons like Bhagvati-sutra, Makkhali-goshal of Pali Tripitak literature, and Manki Rishi of Mahabharat are one person. In fact with the establishment of sectarian organisation in Jain and Buddhist traditions, efforts were made to distort the life history and preachings of Mankhaliputta-goshal. Literature and inscriptions also prove that Mankhaliputta was a prominent sage of Shraman tradition in his age. His Ajivak sect continued to exist even one thousand years after his death. Mankhaliputta of Rishibhashit was the learned Acharya Mankhaligoshal of the Ajivak tradition. The 15th chapter of Bhagvatisutra also mentions other Acharyas of this tradition.
12. JANNAVAKKA (YAJNAVALKYA) The twelfth chapter of Rishibhashit is related to Jannavakka (Yajnavalkya). Besides Rishibhashit!32 no other work of Jains
Rishibhashit : A Study
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