Bhagavatas in Ancient India

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** OM NAMO NARAYANAYA**

 

This post was collected for someone else on another list, but I thought that

Sri Vaishnavas might find it useful as well

 

Vishal

________

 

 

Here are some random quotes and notes from Sanskrit and Tamil literature

giving information on Bhagavatas, Vaishnavism, Vaikhanasa followers before

850 AD that I collected. There are doubtless a lot of other information- for

instance Utpaldeva's commentary on the Spandakarikas has numerous quotations

from Pancharatra text and Vaishnava Sankarshanasutras (can post them if you

want). Shall collect other references with time. All bibliographic references

at the end.

 

A. Harshacharita of Banabhatta (~620 AD)

There are numerous references to Vaikhanasas in the Kavya literature. Chapter

7 of Harshacharita of Bana, a work of early 7th century C.E., mentions

Vaikhanasa ascetics who spent their old age in forest hermitages. Bana

distinguishes between the Bhagvatas and the Pancaratrins in his

Harshacharita. He mentions the following characteristics of Grhyamunis:

1. Cooked their own food

2. Devoted to Vedic learning

3. Very virtuous, avoided hypocrisy and untruth

4. Well learned in all schools of philosophy and tried to resolve the

differences between them

5. Paid a lot of attention to secular arts like dancing, poetry as well

6. Had a passion for Itihasa-Purana

7. Were Vidyadharas and unfailing in the performance of Yajnas

 

B. Bhavabhuti (750 AD?)

According to Bhavabhuti, these monks spent their times living under trees, in

the forest grove and hermitages. Bhavabhuti also mentions householders

adhereing to the Vaikahanasa ideal

 

C. Kalidasa (5th century CE)

In the Uttara-Ramacharita 1.25, Kalidasa describes the hermitage of Kanva

distinguished by features like Nivara rice, presence of deer, hospitality to

guests and the Vedic vaitana sacrifical fire etc. Kalidasa designates Kanva

living in his Asrama with young and old female inmates to be a Vaikhanasa

Muni (there are other texts associating Pancharatrins with Kanvas and infact

the Agamapramanya of Sri Yamunamuni says that Sri Vaishnavas are followers of

the Sukla Yajurveda Sakha, Katyayana sutra). If I remember correctly, the

Ahirbudhnya Pancharatra Samhita also says that Kanva Sakha is of the

Pancharatrins.

 

D. Buddhaswamin (500 AD)

In the Brihatkathaslokasamgraha of Buddhaswamin (500 CE), we find the

following references to Vaishnavas (Page number references are to the

translation, rest to the other book mentioned below):

Pg. 359: Verse 480 "In this way, showing the danda of Bhagavad Gita, as

Vishnu did with Arjuna, Acera forced me to do the cruel act". (Shows that

even in olden days, some people thought that Gita is a war mongering book.

The statement is actually made with reference to an unscruplous person, which

lands Wendy Doniger into some rather shady company)

Pg. 485, verse 59 mentions a follower of the Pancharatra living on the banks

of Sindhu river.

In verse 18.104, reference is made to Gita 18.48

Verse 20.362, there is a reference to the order of the Vaikhanasa ascetics

who lived on grains self grown in the jungle and on the Ganges water.

Verse 21.27 mentions Tridandins inhabiting the city of Varanasi

 

E. Manimekalai - Tamil Buddhist epic

In Canto XXVII of Manimekalai (400 CE?), the Vaishnavas are counted among the

followers of Vedas and are said to follow or study the Purana of Vishnu.

 

F. Neelakesi (700 AD?) - Tamil Jaina epic

Description of the "Veda Vada" in Neelakesi:

Neelakesi debates with 'bUthika', who presides over a Vedic college in a town

called kAkanti. Buthika states that the Vedas are eternal, authorless and

self subsistent. He then proceeds to include all the 'Astika' systems

including Samkhya, Vaiseshika, Pasupata, Mahesvara, Vaishnava, Pancaratra,

Parivrajika, Srishtivada (describing the nature of creation) and Brahmavada

together with their branches under the umbrella of Vedas. This view of

bUthika is similar to modern Hindu view that all the multifarious of

philosophies are different aspects of the one Vedic religion.

Neelakesi ridicules Buthika for being a follower of the Mimamsa doctrine

which is atheistic. This infuriates Buthika and he refuses to impart the

Vedic wisdom to Neelakesi on the grounds that she is a Sudra lady. Neelakesi

objects to this statement by quoting the following verses from the scriptures

of Buthika:

1. Vyasa, born of a dancing girl, became a great Rishi; Hence, it is tapas

that makes one a Brahmin, and not his birth.

2. Sakti, born of a Chandala woman, became a great Rishi. Hence, it is tapas

that makes one a Brahmin, and not his birth.

3. Parasara, born of SwapAki, became a great Rishi; Hence, it is tapas that

makes one a Brahmin, and not his birth.

4. Vyasa, born of a fisherwoman, became a great Rishi; Hence, it is tapas

that makes one a Brahmin, and not his birth.

These verses are found in Bhagavata Purana. Neelakesi questions the notion

that the Vedas are eternal, on the same grounds that constitute the prima

facie view in Purva Mimamsa sutras, Chapter 1. Amongst other things, she

states that the Jnanakanda of the Vedas states that everything is of the

nature of Brahman, and that the multiplicity and diversity in the world are

unreal. She avers that if the followers of the Jnanakanda of Vedas describe

the creation of the world as false, then how will they interpret statements

like "From the mouth of the Purusha arose the Brahmin"? These statements show

that the doctrine of 'Mayavada' existed even in the early days of the epic,

and so Sri Shankaracharya is not the founder of 'Mayavada'.

Neelakesi also states that some followers of Vedas worship Sri Vishnu whereas

others adore Sri Shiva as the Supreme Being Who is worshipped by all other

Devatas including Sri Vishnu. This duality creates confusion in the minds of

laity and they cannot decide who the Supreme Being is. This shows that by the

time of the Epic, Shaivism and Vaishnavism were already established as the

two prime theistic traditions in Vedic Hinduism.

Neelakesi also attacks the slaughter of animals in Vedic sacrifices. She

advocates the use of flour images of animals rather than sacrificing live

animals in sacrifices. In support of her claim, she narrates the tale of

Uparichara Vasu in the Mahabharata. Neelakesi's line of argument is

interesting, because precisely these arguments are offered by opponents of

animal slaughter in Vedic sacrifices even today.

 

G. In the Vasudevahimdi (around 500 AD) - Jaina version of Brhatkatha of

Gunadhya

The Gita is also referred to in connection with a lay follower of the

Bhagavata religion who, it is said, knew both the text and its meaning. The

Vaishnava Bhagvatas were supposed to know the text and the meaning by heart.

Prathama khanda mentions the Bhagavatas who have smeared their body with the

sacred ash, who rode a bull and were devoted to Shiva. The Bhagavata before

his initiation in the order had to leave his family and other relations.

These are the 'Shivabhagavatas', to be distinguished from the Vaishnava

Bhagavatas.

 

H. In the Agama Aadambara (a play) of Jayanta Bhatta of Kashmir, the main

character is a Vaishnava. The climax of the story is reached in the

Chakradharaswamin temple at Srinagar- an actual temple which was subsequently

demolished during Islamic invasions. The hero of the play displays the

duality that characterizes Hinduism - a dual allegiance to the Veda on one

hand and an Agama on the other. The Agamas are Shaiva, Vaishnava, Yoga and

Pancharatra. The Buddhist and Jaina agamas are rejected, as also the

heterodox varieities of Shaivagamas like the Kapalikas. The 5 acceptable

doctrines are called 'Kritantapanchaka' in Agni Purana 219.31 and

Vishnudharmottara Purana 2.22.134-4. The entire play of Jayanta Bhatta must

be read- a very good insight into the nature of our Dharma and our dilemnas.

 

References:

 

1. Pt. Jagannatha Pathaka; Harsa-Charita of Banabhatta; Chowkhamba

Vidyabhawan; Vidyabhavan Sanskrit Granthamala No. 36; Varanasi; 1964

 

2. Vasudeva S. Agrawala; The Deeds of Harsha; Prithivi Prakashan; Varanasi;

1969

 

3. Poddar, Ram Prakash and Sinha, Neelima (Ed. and Transl.); Budhasvamin's

Brhatkatha Slokasangraha; Tara Printing Works; Varanasi; 1986

 

4. A. Chakravarti; Neelakesi, the Original Text and the Commentary of Samaya

Divakara Vamana Muni; Kumakonam; 1936

 

5. Agrawala, Vasudeva S.; Agrawala, P. K.; Brhatkathaslokasamgraha, A Study;

Prithivi Prakashan; Varanasi; 1974

 

6. Jamkhedkar, A. P. ; Vasudevahimdi: A Cultural Study; Agam Kala Prakashan;

Delhi; 1984