Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Page 144

116
Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India
absence of livelihood, with the addition of the suffix ka. Similarly, Lassen (Indische Altertumskunde, II, p. 107, fn. 2) also made the etymological explanation that the word meant an ascetic who ate no living or animal food. Another explanation of the term is known from the Digha-nikaya (III, p. 9) where it is stated that the Buddha met at Vesali an ascetic named Kandara-masuka, who maintained seven life-long vows, viz. (1) As long as I live (yávajjivam) I will be naked, and will not put on a garment, (2) perpetual chastity, (3) to beg spirits and meat, and the last four are vows of a Jaina type. Kern (Der Buddhismus und Seine Geschichte in Indien, II, p. 7, fn. 2) suggests that the word Ājivika may be derived from such pharse as ājivat, 'as long as life'.
Bhagavati-sutra, 15.1, 540-41: "Citta-phalagahatthagae marin hattanenam appānam .. gämänugimcm ..." The term "Mankhi' is also used in the Mahābhūrata (Santiparva. 176, V SfT) to denote Gośäla. In the Chinese tradition, the name Maskari Gośāliputra is recorded and it is explained that Maskari is his gofra name and Gośāli is his mother's name, so he was Gośāliputra, son of Gośāli (Chinese Encyclopaedia, VI, pp. 820-21). On the other hand, Charpentier thinks that Gośāla's father Mankhali was a mendicant bearing a picture board displaying a representation of Siva (JRAS, 1913, pp. 671-72). Bāņa in his Harsacarita (Ucchāsa 5, p. 153) mentions a reference to Yamapattika. i.e. one who lives by showing a piece of cloth on which Yama and others are exhibited.
Another legend tells us that Gośāla was born in a cow-shed (go-śālā) of an aflluent Brāhmana called Gobahwa in the village named Saravana (Buddhaghoşa, SV, 1, pp. 1431f; B M. Barua, Ājivikas, pp. 9ff). Buddhaghoşa while explaining the term mak khali says-Tāta, ma khalih (My dear man, take care lest you stumble), assumes that he was a servant of a wealthy person who warns him thus SERE, I, p. 260. Panini, IV.1.154.
1° Mahābhāsya (ed. Kielhorn), 111.96. cf. also supra, ch. 1. It is to be noted in this connection that there were two grades of the Maskarins who were also known as the Eka-dandin in the later period. In the initial stage the ascetic carried an actual staff, in addition to a begging bowl and a sérip of loin-cloth (kari-bandhana), while in the higher grade, like that of Paramahamsa, the ascetic abandoned even these three posse sions, claiming absolute renunciation as his only staff of reliance. For the sign ficance of the terms-Dandin, Eka-dandin and Tri dandin, see author's writing in The Mother, vol. XII, no. 4, December, 1969.
11 Arthaśāstra, I11.20.16, R.P. Kangle's edn., pt II, p. 252.
19 Malalasekara, DPPN, I, pp. 179-80, 3851f; MN, Ariyapariyesana-sutta, vol. 1, pp. 160-75.
1. Jätaka, 1.81; Mahāvagga, trans. I.B. Horner, p. 11. 14HDA, p. 95.
16 In fact, we have no exclusive textual evidence meant for this sect. Buddhist references to Gośāla's doctrine are sometimes confused, e.g., in AN, 111, 383 his classifications are attributed to Purana and in MN, I. 513, part of his doctrines is combined with those of the Pakudha. As we see later on that Purana and Pakudha as well as Gośala had an important part in forming Ajivika doctrine. B.M. Barua (JDL, II, pp. 1-30) provides an exhaustive list of these sources