Some Aspects of Indian Culture

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

Page 52

Heretics of Jainism
in treating the other elderly monks also as the real Sadhus. This retort of the king brought back these Nihnavas, called Avyaktas, to their senses and they were regularly taken back in the Gaccha after extortion of apology. 6
Ārya Ašvamitra was Heretic No. 4. He was the pupil of Ācārya Mahāgiri. When he was once absorbed in the studies of Aụupravāda Purva, he found therein a statement to the effect that all that Narakas of the present convention shall parish as also will all the deities. He enlarged the principle underlying the statement, applied to all livings beings and went on openly preaching that there is no need for good or for evil in view of the fact that there was to occur the entire destruction of all beings soon after they were born. He styled this novel theory of his as Ksaņikakşayavāda, the faults and inconsistencies of which were exposed by his Guru on the ground of Rjusutra Naya,? but he could not be brought round. As a punish. meut he was driven out of the Gaccha.
He then went to Rājagrha with his followers where he was held up and bitten by the watchmen who took him to be a burglar. He pleaded that he was a śramaņa whereupon the watchman paid him in the same coin saying that the śramana is dead and gone there and then and now no more. He was thus forced to give up his theory.
Arya Gangácārya was Heretic No. 5. He was once crossing the river in the hot sun. Bald-headed as he was, he felt the heat on his head and coolness on his feet due to cold river water. This practical experience of his own inspired him to enunciate a theory of Dvaik riyas which postulated two experiences at one and the same point of time. But this theory of his went against the teachings of the Agamas. His teacher, one Dhanagiri, tried much to dissuade him, advancing an argument that there was always a thin line of demarcation between the two experiences - upayogas. He was obstinate and did not give up the position which he had taken. When one Manināga threatened him with death he gave up his new attitude and joined back the original school, now with firmness and faith.
Rohagupta is Heretic No. 6. He once defeated a mendicant in debate through his theory of Trairāģikas which he specially invented to serve his purpose at that time. It meant the existence of three categories of Jiva, such as, Jįva, Ajiva, and Nojiva. The teacher warned him against preaching the theory as it was in contravention of the established principles of Jainism. But Rohagupta was so much enamoured of his newly conceived theory that he declined to obey the teacher. The teacher, who was very unhappy at this, tried for six long months to convince him in long drawn debates. Ultimately they both agreed to go to Kutrikāpapa (Universal Store) to ascertain whether anything like a Nojiva was available there. It was of course not and hence Rohagupta was silenced by the teacher. Silenced or not, Rohagupta was not a man to give up his theory. He was eventually disclaimed and therefore, he thereafter founded a new school of his own which later came to be known as Vaigesika8 that believed, unlike Jainism, in six entities, namely, Dravy, Guņaa, Karma, Sāmānya, Visesa and Samavāya.