Thirukkural, Yavanas

[Yashwant Malaiya]

1.  S. Palaniappan wrote:

>It has to do with the concept indicated by the Tamil word
>"Uz" dealt with in the verses 371-380 by vaLLuvar. Dr. R.
>Vijayalakshmi has shown that it is not the equivalent of
>karma as found in Jainism or Buddhism. Rather, it is equivalent
>to niyati (destiny or fate) as expounded by Ajivikas.

Kural takes multiple points of view. It praises ascetics in
one place, householders in another. This is similar to paralaukika
and laukika dharmas mentioned  by Haribhadra Suri or Somadeva.
That is quite consistant with anekanta.

I am not aware of Ajivikas worshipping divinity walking on lotus,
or with dharma-chakra at the feet of the deity. To consider that
the Ajivikas were fatalistic would be an over-simplification.

Manimekhalai presents the Ajivika teachings in brief. It suggests
that they too believed in the principle of karma.

Is there any other reason to think that Kural can be the
work of an Ajivika?

2.  Madhav Deshpande wrote:

>        na vadet yaavaniim bhaa.saam praa.nai.h ka.n.thagatair api /
>        gajair aapii.dyamaano 'pi na gacchej jainamandiram //
>is found in the Bhavi.syapuraa.na, Pratisargaparvan, Adhyaaya 28, verse

Is there a relationship between what is being said in the two
lines?

It remind me something that is completely unrelated to this
verse. One Jain sect, that once existed near Konkan region
was named Yaapaniiya in Sanskrit (jaavNiiya in Prakrit). I
have wondered about the origin of the term.

Incidentally some Buddhist donors mentioned in caves in maharashtra
were Yavan. Vaishnavism must also have been popular among
Indian Yavanas. Heliodorus, envoy of Antialcidas of Taxila,
erected a Vaishnava column near Vidisha. If I remeber correctly
the first representation of Lords Vasudeva and Balabhadra was
on the coins issued by Antialcidas.

There is a Gujarati Hindu community which is sometimes said to be
a descendant of the Yavanas. However that appears to be wrong,
they originated from the mountain regions near Punjab/Afghanistan
border.

Yashwant