Sramana Tradation

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

Page 66

Sramanic Critique of Brāhmaṇism
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The Buddhists as well the Jainas rejected the dogma of the superiority of the Brāhmanas, sought to elevate the relative position of the Kşattriyas, gave due importance to the mercantile class as their patrons and threw open the monastic order to the persons of the lowest classes in contrast to the regulations of the Brāhmaṇical law givers. The Svetambaras held the belief that the embryo of Mahāvīra was transferred from the womb of the Biāhmaṇi Devānandā to that of the Ksattriyasi Trišalā since it was alleged “That a Brahmana or another woman of low family was not worthy to give birth to a Tīrthankara ". As the Kalpasūtra states, the king of the gods, on learning of the descent of Mahāvīra into the womb of Devānandā, reflected, "It never hashappened, nor does it happen, nor will it happen, that Arhats, Cakravartin, Baladevas, or Vāsudevas, in the past, present or future should be born in low families, mean families, degraded families, poor families, indigent families, beggar's families, or Brāhmanical families. For indeed Arhats, Cakravartins, Baladevas, and Vasudevas, in the past, present and future are born in high families, noble families, royal families, noblemen's families, in families belonging to the race of Ikşvākus, or of Hari, or in other such families of pure descent on both sides."1 By its side we may place the Buddhist tradition which makes Buddha a scion of the Sakyas who claimed descent from the Ikşvākus. In the Ambatthasutta of the Dighanikaya we are told that the Brāhmaṇa Ambattha who was a disciple of the Brahmana teacher Pokkharasati, went to the Buddha and accused the Śākyas of being rude to the Brāhmaṇas. The Buddha in answer praises the Śākyas and to humble the pride of Ambattha, describes the Kanhāyana gotta to which he belonged as having been founded by a slave of the king Ikşvāku. He goes on to declare that the status of the Kşattriya was higher than that of a Bra: hmana because while the Brāhmanas accept the offspring of an intermarriage between the Brāhmaṇas and the Kşattriyas, the latter do not. - This is a somewhat strange statement which finds no parallel in Brā· hmanical literature. Buddha then quotes a gātha supposed to have been enunciated by the Brahma Sanankumāra to the effect -
“khattiyo settho jane tasmim ye gottapațisărino /
vijjácaranasampanno so settho deva mānuse till ” 1. Jacobi, Jaina Sūtra, Vol. I, p. 225.