Sramana Tradation

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

Page 39

26
Sramaņa Tradition
has been described by Āpastamba in his Dharmasūtras ( 1.2.5, 4-6) as an avara or modern authority. By implication Uddalaka Āruņi the famous father of Svetaketu could not be much older. Yajñavalkya, again, appears as a junior contemporary of Uddalaka from the lists of teachers in the Byhadāran yaka. Pāṇini appears not have recogniz ed Yājñavalkya among the older sages. * Kāśikā quotes, “Yājñavalkyā. dayaḥ acirakālā ity åkhyâneșu vārtā”. Of the two rulers, Ajātaśatru of Kasi and Janaka of Videha, who were contemporaries, while identification is not possible, it may cleary be said that they represent a set up earlier than that contemporary with Buddha when Kāsī was under Kosala and the Vajji Gaņa ruled Videha. However, it may be plausibly suggested that the great Janaka should have belonged to the dynasty which ended with Karāla Janaka and led to republican government.5 Ajātasatru could have belonged to the famous Brahmadatta dynasty.
It seems thus that some of the famous sages of the Upanişads were not far removed from the Sūtrakāras like Pāṇini, Āpastamba
d Asvalayana, and some of the famous kings like Janaka and Ajātaśatru were nearer the age of Bimbisara than of Parikșit.
3. Cf. Barua, Op. Cit., p. 125. 4. Pāṇini, IV 3.105., 125... 4. Panini, IV 3.105 and Mahabhasya on it.'puränaprokteșu brāhmanakalpes
ity atra ya jñavalk yadibhyaḥ pratişedho vaktavyah' (Vol. III, p. 719). 5. Cf. Yogendra Misra, History of Vaisali, pp. 97-98.