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112:
śramana, Vol 54, No. 10-12/October-December 2003
Anga texts reveal the existence of a number of wandering communities and its members who gave up all the social contacts and entered into monkhood, wandering like homeless person, for a noble and significant cause. Sūtrakstānga refers to as many as 363 schools while Jain commentator Silänka (ninth cent A.D.) gives as many as five divisions of Sramaņa class, viz, Nirgrantha, Säkya, Tāpasa, Gairika and Ājivaka. The Aupapātika refers to a number of other monastic communities. The Buddhist texts Anguftara Nikäya Milindapanha and Sanyukta Nikāya also refer to a number of wandering sects and faiths. Writings of Magāsthenes and Aśoka's edicts also reveal many groups of such wanderers prevalent at their times.
These homeless wanderers always kept wandering except the rainy season, when they stayed at one place (Vassāvāsa) to avoid injury to living beings. Their lifestyle is described by S. Dutt as "Its members live by begging, have no settled dwelling (except during the rains, when the observance of Rainretreat is a common custom among move about from place to place, single or in parties, and are either ascetics practicing austerities or dreamers and babblers of strange gospels"6
They didn't believe in any caste, neither caste of a Bramaņa has to do anything in the society. It was said that a low caste person who became a monk or even a slave, when became a 'pabbajito śamaņa" is worthy of reverence even by the king himself. Avantiputta, the king of Madhura, says to Mahākaccana that he would extend same honourable treatment to a Sudra and a Kșatriya if both of them are Samanas because he loses his former style of Sudra and takes on the name of Samaņa. Buddhist texts give many references of Śūdras and Chandālas as becoming Samanas.? They had an equal position to that of the Brāhmaṇas, if not superior to them, in the society. Due to their spirituality and intellect they were regarded as Brāhmaṇas. According to Winternitz, "These two representatives of intellectual and spiritual life in ancient India are well recognized by the phrase, 'Samaņas and Brāhmaṇas' in Buddhist sacred text, by reference to 'Samana bambhaņa' in Asokan inscription and by Megāsthenes, distinction between Brāhmaṇi and Samani." Patanjali (2nd cent B.C.) also refers Śramaņa Brāhmaṇa. "Acārānga mentions Sramaņas and Brāhmaṇas simultaneously and not
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