Saura-purana (analytical study)
by Priyanku Chakraborty | 2019 | 92,293 words
This page relates ‘Hetuvadin alias rational approaches’ of the study on the Saura-Purana—an important Upapurana associated with the Puranic Pashupata sect of Shaivism—and offers crucial insights into the socio-religious, philosophical, and cultural history of India. The study further delves into the oral, literary, and archaeological context of Purana literature (such as the Saurapurana), highlighting its intricate connections with Vedic and Tantric traditions.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 4.2 - Hetuvādin alias rational approaches
[Full title: Buddhism and Brahmanism: different perspectives and cultural assimilation (2) Hetuvādin alias rational approaches]
Hetuvidyā means tarkaśāstra including logic, epistemology and the art and rules of debate. Those who are experts in this subject, are considered as hetivādins. Thus, it is based on rational thinking.
The rationalist attitude of Buddha has been found both in Pali and Sanskrit sources. The Majjhimanikāya’s Vimanasaka-sutta shows that he discouraged blind faith and the Kesamutti-sutta of the Aṅguttaranikāya reveals that the Buddha was not in favour of winning disciples unless they were satisfied after critically examining his teachings.[1] The Tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā bears witness to the fact that Buddha discouraged superstition and recommended critical enquiry:
This rationalistic attitudes of the hetuvādins[2] have been disgraced in the Brahmanical Epics, Purāṇas etc.[3] Manu states:
“śrutistu vedo vijñeyo dharmaśāstraṃ tu vai smṛtiḥ|
te sarvārtheṣvamīmāṃsye tābhyaṃ dharmo hi nirbabhau||
yo’vamanyeta te mūle hetuśāstrāśrayādvijaḥ|
sa sādhubhirbahiṣkāryo nāstiko vedanindakaḥ||”[4]
The Saura-purāṇa also states the Buddhist, Ājīvakas and Jains are expert in hetuvāda:
As per this Purāṇa hetuvāda belongs to the same class of infatuation, arrogance, anger and greed; all of these are servants of Kali.[6] Due to hetuvāda one is not able to understand the meaning of the śāstras.[7]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
In the Buddhist texts the following verse which summarise the principlal doctrine i.e. pratityasamutpādavāda of the Buddha are often found:
“ye dhammā hetu-prabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tatāgato āha|
teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇa||”
(Anukulchandra Bandyopadhyay: Buddha o Bauddhadharma, p. 22.)
i.e. of these phenomena which arise from causes, those causes have been taught by the Buddha and also their cessation too, is proclaimed as the great ascetic. So, depiction of Buddha or his followers as hetuvādin, roughly, is not hard for the Brahmanical authors, who often describe or explain the Buddhist elements in variable manner.
[3]:
Haricharan Bandyopadhyay: Bangiya Sabdakosh, vol. 2, p. 2381.
[6]:
Ibid., 40. 20.
[7]:
Ibid., 44. 44a.