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Greater Magadha HDO2-19-bronkhorst_CS2.indd i 23-1-2007 11:25:25 Handbook of Oriental Studies Handbook of Oriental Studies Section Two India Edited by J. Bronkhorst VOLUME 19 HDO2-19-bronkhorst_CS2.indd ii 23-1-2007 11:25:25 Greater Magadha Studies in the Culture of Early India by Johannes Bronkhorst LEIDEN • BOSTON 2007 HDO2-19-bronkhorst_CS2.indd iii 23-1-2007 11:25:25 On the cover: The Damekh stupa at Samath, India. Photo by Stephan W. van Holsteijn, 1999. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in Publication data Bronkhorst, Johannes, 1946- Greater Magadha : studies in the culture of early India / by Johannes Bronkhorst. p. cm. — (Handbook of oriental studies, Section two, India ; v. 19 = Handbuch der Orientalistik) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15719-4 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 90-04-15719-0 (alk. paper) 1. Magadha (Kingdom)—Civilization. I. Title. DS426.B76 2007 934’.04—dc22 2006051901 ISSN: 0169–9377 ISBN: 978 90 04 15719 4 Copyright 2007 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints BRILL, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands HDO2-19-bronkhorst_CS2.indd iv 23-1-2007 11:25:25 table of contents v For Joy bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd v 23-1-2007 11:40:49 vi table of contents bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd vi 23-1-2007 11:40:49 table of contents vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments . xi Abbreviations . xiii Introduction: The separate culture of Greater Magadha . 1 PART I. CULTURAL FEATURES OF GREATER MAGADHA Introduction. 13 Chapter I.1. The fundamental spiritual ideology . 15 Early Jainism. 15 Knowledge of the self . 28 The BhagavadgÊt§ . 35 $jÊvikism . 38 Buddhism . 52 Conclusions . 52 Chapter I.2. Other features . 55 Funerary practices . 55 Medicine . 56 Kapila . 61 Cyclic time . 69 Chapter I.3. Conclusions to Part I . 72 PART II. BRAHMANISM VIS-À-VIS REBIRTH AND KARMIC RETRIBUTION Introduction. 75 IIA. REBIRTH AND KARMIC RETRIBUTION HESITANTLY ACCEPTED . 77 Chapter IIA.1. A Dharma Såtra . 79 Vedic asceticism . 79 The $pastamba Dharma Såtra . 85 Confirmation in Greek sources . 92 Chapter IIA.2. A portion from the Mah§bh§rata . 94 The chronological position of the Mah§bh§rata . 94 The R§jadharmaparvan . 97 bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd vii 23-1-2007 11:40:49 viii table of contents Chapter IIA.3. The early Upanißads . 112 The first occurrences of the new doctrine . 112 Rebirth and karmic retribution in relation to Vedic thought . 120 The self in the early Upanißads . 126 Vedic antecedents . 130 IIB. REBIRTH AND KARMIC RETRIBUTION IGNORED OR REJECTED . 137 Chapter IIB.1. Rebirth and karmic retribution ignored . 139 Chapter IIB.2. Rebirth and karmic retribution rejected . 142 Criticism of rebirth and karmic retribution in anonymous literature . 142 The C§rv§kas . 150 IIC. URBAN BRAHMINS . 161 PART III. CHRONOLOGY Chapter III.0. Introduction . 175 Chapter III.1. Linguistic considerations . 179 Chapter III.2. The Vedic texts known to the early Sanskrit grammarians . 183 P§Öini and the Veda: introduction . 183 P§Öini and the Veda (1) . 192 P§Öini and the Veda (2) . 199 The Œgveda at the time of P§Öini . 204 Patañjali and the Veda . 205 Conclusions . 206 Chapter III.3. The Vedic texts known to the early Buddhists 207 Chapter III.4. Some indications in late-Vedic literature . 219 The Y§jñavalkya-K§Ö·a . 219 A reference to the early grammarians in the Upanißads? . 240 Conclusion . 247 Chapter III.5. Urban versus rural culture . 248 The second urbanization . 249 Magical thought in the Veda . 255 Chapter III.6. Conclusions to Part III . 258 bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd viii 23-1-2007 11:40:49 table of contents ix PART IV. CONCLUSION DISCWORLD MEETS ROUNDWORLD . 265 PART V. APPENDICES Appendix I: The antiquity of the Ved§nta philosophy . 279 Were the Pårva- and UttaramÊm§Òs§ originally one system? . 280 Pårva-MÊm§Òs§såtra, Uttara-MÊm§Òs§såtra and the teacher quotations . 295 Conclusions . 307 Appendix II: A C§rv§ka in the Mah§bh§rata . 309 Appendix III: Vedic texts known to P§Öini . 329 Appendix IV: The form of the Œgveda known to P§Öini . 335 Appendix V: Vedic texts known to Patañjali . 348 Appendix VI: Brahmins in the Buddhist canon . 353 Appendix VII: Brahmanism in Gandh§ra and surrounding areas . 357 Appendix VIII: C§rv§kas and the “§barabh§ßya . 363 References . 367 Index . 401 bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd ix 23-2-2007 8:52:08 x table of contents bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd x 23-1-2007 11:40:50 acknowlegementscontents xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A review of the original German version of my forthcoming book Buddhist Teaching in India convinced me that the present book had to be written. The author of the review regrets that the work he reviews says nothing about the ideas that constitute the background of early Buddhism, a lacuna which he obligingly fills. The three pages which he reserves for this purpose express views that are widely held, but which I consider largely mistaken. This book is meant to fill the lacuna my way. I express my indebtedness to the author of the review for this no doubt unintended encouragement. Where possible or convenient, I have used material that I have already published elsewhere. This earlier material has been thor- oughly reworked, revised, abbreviated, rewritten or translated where necessary, and adapted to its new environment. The following pub- lications in particular have been used: – “The orthoepic diaskeuasis of the Œgveda and the date of P§Öini.” IIJ 23, 1981, pp. 83-95. (ch. III.2) – “The variationist P§Öini and Vedic.” IIJ 24, 1982, pp. 273-282. (ch. III.2) – Review of Die vedischen Zitate im Vy§karaÖa-Mah§bh§ßya (Wilhelm Rau), Kratylos 32, 1987, pp. 52-57. (ch. III.2) – “L’indianisme et les préjugés occidentaux.” Études de Lettres (Faculté des lettres, Université de Lausanne), avril-juin 1989, pp. 119-136. (ch. III.0) – “P§Öini and the Veda reconsidered.” P§Öinian Studies. Professor S.D. Joshi Felicitation Volume. Edited by Madhav M. Deshpande and Saroja Bhate. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Center for South and South- east Asian Studies, University of Michigan. Number 37. 1991. Pp. 75-121. (ch. III.2) – The Two Traditions of Meditation in Ancient India. Second edition. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 1993. (ch. I.1) – “Upanißads and grammar: On the meaning of anuvy§khy§na.” Langue, style et structure dans le monde indien: Centenaire de Louis Renou. Actes du Colloque international (Paris, 25-27 janvier 1996). Édités par Nalini Balbir et Georges-Jean Pinault. Paris: Honoré Champion. 1996. Pp. 187-198. (ch. III.4) bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd xi 23-1-2007 11:40:50 xii acknowledgments – The Two Sources of Indian Asceticism. Second edition. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 1998. (ch. IIA.1) – “Is there an inner conflict of tradition?” Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia: Evidence, Interpretation and Ideology. Proceedings of the Michi- gan-Lausanne International Seminar on Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 25-27 October 1996. Edited by Johannes Bronkhorst & Madhav M. Deshpande. Cambridge: Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Harvard University. 1999. (Harvard Oriental Series, Opera Minora Vol. 3.) Distributed by South Asia Books, Columbia, Missouri. Pp. 33-57. (ch. I.2) – “$jÊvika doctrine reconsidered.” Essays in Jaina Philosophy and Religion. Ed. Piotr Balcerowicz. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 2003. (Lala Sundarlal Jain Research Series, 20.) Pp. 153-178. (ch. I.1) – “Ved§nta as MÊm§Òs§.” MÊm§Òs§ and Ved§nta. Ed. J. Bronkhorst. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 2006. Pp. 1-91. (Appendix I) – “ Jainism, window on early India.” Proceedings of the 8th Jaina Studies Workshop: Jainism and Society. Ed. Peter Flügel. Forthcom- ing. (Introduction) A number of colleagues and friends have commented on earlier versions of this book. I have presented parts of its contents in courses given in Lausanne and Leiden. Earlier versions of chapters have been presented as papers at various occasions, allowing me to profit from critical questions and remarks from the audience. It is not possible to enumerate all those who have helped me through their comments and criticism. I mention here in particular Greg Bailey, Madeleine Biardeau, James L. Fitzgerald, Arlo Griffiths, Jan E. M. Houben, Gananath Obeyesekere, Ferenc Ruzsa, François Voegeli. I have learned a lot from all the critical comments I have received. I have not accepted them all. I hope my critics will forgive me. I thank the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lausanne which gave me sabbatical leave for the semester during which I conceived of this book. A stay at the Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities in Bogliasco, Italy, was ideal for the finishing touches. I thank all persons and institutions that have contributed in one way or another. I thank most of all my wife for her indefatigable encouragement. I dedicate this book to her. bronkhorst_HO2-19_CS2-1.indd xii 23-1-2007 11:40:50 abbreviations xiii ABBREVIATIONS AAWG Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Phil.-Hist. Kl. AAWL Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz, Geistes- und Sozialwis- senschaftliche Klasse Abhidh-k-bh(P) Vasubandhu, Abhidharmakoáa Bh§ßya, ed.