Some Aspects of Indian Culture

Author(s): A S Gopani, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Some Aspects of Indian Culture
recognize anything such as a tendency to rise, a desire to act, strength or soul-force. He openly declares that there is nothing like "activity" and most emphatically pro. pounds that soul does nothing. Everything is predestined and controlled from without."10
It is in the very constitution of a thing animate or inanimate-to move as it moves. Predestination is the watchword of this philosophy. According to Niyativada or fatalism, submission to all that happens is quite inevitable. And also in the seventh chapter of the same sutra there has taken place a talk to the same effect between Mahāvira and Saddālaputta.
It is noteworthy that the followers of the Ajivika Sect were generally known by the father's name such as Mankhaliputta, Saddălaputta etc. Against a legend, quoted by Buddhaghosa in his commentary on Dighan kaya, describing how Gośālaka received the name Makkhali from his master, who spoke tāta, ma khaliņ' when Gośālaka, whilst bringing oil from the bazar for his master, fell down on the mud, I have only one point to urge that Gošalaka was called Mankhaliputta and not simply Makkhali in Jain literature as is found in Buddhistic literature. The story, if at all it has the force of verity, ought to apply to Gośālaka's father. That is why I, for my part, do not accept it as true. It is also interesting to note that the Ājivika sect, like all other rival sects, had distinguished Upasakas as Saddālaputta, Paņduputta and Upaka and Upāsika as Hālāhalā. Saddālaputta was later on converted to Mahavira's creed. 11
In the second Srutaskandha of Satrakặtānga we find a statement elucidating this creed, to the effect that Kriyavada (school of activity) and Akriyavāda (school of inactivity) are both one and the same from the standpoint of Niyativāda (school of fatalism or destiny) because Niyati, the nature of a thing, is responsible for activity or inactivity. He is lacking in discriminating power or he does not know the real nature of a thing who says it is only due to his past deeds that he becomes unhappy, grieved or afflicted. On the contrary, he is a seer, a wise man, who says or believes that the Unhappiness, pain or agony which he is suffering from is not at all a result of his past actions; and the same holds good in the case of others. It is Destiny that controls, regulates and rules the affairs of the universe. There is no law over it: it is the law of the laws. What is to happen, does happen, and what is not to happen, never happens. This is the sum and substance, the be-all and end-all of our present life as taught by Niyativāda. 1At the time of narrating various types of irreligious liars, the Sütrakara in Praśnavyākaranasūtra sarcastically refers to idlers who are fond of dainty dishes and lovers of happy.go lucky life and whose philosophy of life consists of such beliefs as the following ; "In this material world whatever deed, noble or ignoble, whatever happiness or unhappiness is seen or experienced is by nature, or accident or divinity.18 It is not due to our efforts or exertions but is governed by the intrinsic nature of thing". 14
Again, in Sūtrakstāngasūtra, there is a graphic picture of this type of Nivativada. 18 It is stated therein that there is a strong school of philosophy which advocates that the mundane or extra-mundane pain or pleasure experienced by people is not the effect of their past actions but is determined by Destiny.