Sramana Tradation

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 20

Sramanism As a Weltanschauung
action is imaged as sticking to the sinner on account of his ignorance, an imagery reminiscent of later times. Further, a Devapatha or Brahmapatha is mentioned as leading to Brahman. Those who follow it are said not to return to the human whirlpool. ('imam månavam avartam nāvartante nāvartante') The human whirpool’ to which one may return can only refer to the doctrine of Rebirth which is here connected with sin and ignorance. Most of the elements of Sramanism can be seen here except that the conception of after-life and saving know ledge continue to be in line with the older Vedic tradition.
This very theme of afterlife and return (Punarávartana) is taken up in the so-called 'royal wisdom' (Ksatriya vidyā) which Pravā haņa Jaivali, the ruler of Pañcala (or rather, the chief of the Pañcāla samiti), claims to expound to Uddalaka and Svetaketu. After death one may follow one of the two paths, Devayāna or Pitryāna, the former leading to Brahmaloka, and the latter to Pitsloka. According to Sankara the former destiny does not mean emancipation. After the sojourn in the other world one returns to this world and is reborn, high or low, according to the qualities of one's deeds. If one has wisdom or lives in the forests practising austerities with faith one goes by the Devayana, if one practises sacrifices and liberality living in the world one follows the Pitsyāna. With good deeds (ramantyācaranáh) one gets a birth in one of the three upper Varnas. Bad deeds (kapāyācaranah ) lead one to an animal birth or birth in a cándála family. Apart from these two modes of after-life and rebirth for good men, there is a third mode of being born and dying without any moral quality, which is illustrated by the existence of insects and such lowly beings.
The idea of the cycle of existence and its relation to the moral quality of conduct is clearly expounded here. The interpretation of the idea, however, is in terms of sacrifice. Human birth and death are parts of a cosmic sacrifice. After-life may mean the companionship of the gods or the Pitrs. While sraddha and tapas, ista and a pūrta are significant, the knowledge of this sacrificial symbolism is of the highest importence. It seems that here we have the instance of the idea of rebirth taken from a non-Brāhmanic or Ksatriya tradition adapted to