THE CHIEF ANTI-BRAHMANICAL religions, which were popular among the Tamils, were the Nigranta and the Bauddha. These two religions considered the rites and ceremonies of the Vedas to be useless labour, and the exclusive privilege arrogated by the Brahmins to be empty pretentions. The Nigranta system was older than Buddhisam and the Nigrants called the Buddhists Pashandas, or heretics. The Nigrantas worshipped Argha whom they considered to be the Supreme Intelligence which governs the Univers. His image was generally in the form of a naked man, seated or standing under an Asoka tree, with a triple umbrella above him.1 They had two principal vows, not to speak an untruth and kill any living creature. They trained their minds to avoid envy, greed, anger and evil speech. Their community was divided into two sections: the sravakas (hearers) or laymen and the religious men; and of the latter there were five classes, who were called pancha-para-meshtin, namely Argha, holy men; siddha those who had acquired supernatural powers; Upadhyaya, religious teachers; Acharaya, priests; and sadhu, pious people. Near their temples, and in the open squares at the crossing of public roads, they erected pulpits from which their monks preached their religion. Both men and women were allowed to enter the monstery, and take vows of celibacy. Their monks and nuns carried an alms-bowl, a hoop made of twine to suspend a waterpot, and a bundle of peacock feathers with which they could sweep off insects, without injuring them, from the places where they have to sit or lie down. They repeated a short prayer of five letters, which they called the Pancha-mantra.2 Images of Buddha had not yet come into use, but the impressions of his feet engraved on stone, and the platforms built of stone representing the seat from which he preached his doctrine were objects of worship to the Buddhists.3 The pious Buddhist walked round them, with his right side towards them, and bowed his head in token or reverence. Standing in front of them, with joined hands, he praised the Buddha as follows: “How shall I praise thee! the wise, the holy and the virtuous teacher, who excelled in the strict performance of the religious vows! Thou, who conquered Mâra who subdued anger, and all evil passions: who art supreme in knowledge, and the refuge of all manikind! Have I a thousand tongues to praise thy blessed feet, on the soles of which are a thousand auspicious lines?” In the Buddhist Vihâras or monstries, Learned monks preached their sermons, seated in a place which was entirely concealed from the view ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Chilapp-athikaram, XI, 1 to 11. 2 Ibid., X. 15 to 25. 3Ibid., X, 98 to 101. |