Cave Dedication by the Mauryan Kings
Summary
The article examines the cave dedications of the Mauryan kings, specifically Asoka and Dasaratha, to the Ajivika sect, and argues that these dedications can also be understood within the Jain historical tradition due to the close historical and doctrinal relationship between the Ajivikas and the Jainas. The authors note that the Jaina and Buddhist monks initially lived in natural caves but later had artificial caves carved for them for meditation and protection. Asoka dedicated three caves at Barabar, named Sudama, Visva Sopara, and Karna Chaupar, to the Ajivikas in the twelfth and nineteenth years of his consecration around 258 B.C. and 251 B.C., respectively. The Sudama cave, though lacking an inscription, is attributed to the Asokan period based on its similarity to the others. Dasaratha, another Mauryan king, dedicated three caves at Nagarjuni, named Vahiyika, Gopika, and Vadathika, in the year of his consecration, which Cunningham dated to around 214 B.C. The inscriptions in these caves, written in Asokan Brahmi, use phrasing reminiscent of Asoka’s 7th Pillar Edict. The central controversy addressed is how these caves could be claimed for the Jaina saints. The authors assert that during the Mauryan period, the Ajivikas were not entirely separate from the Jainas and that the Ajivika sect eventually merged into the Jaina fold. This hypothesis is supported by scholars such as Hoernle, Smith Rice, and C. J. Shah. The article cites various sources to demonstrate this conflation: Silanka states that Ajivikas and Digambaras were the same; Mankhaliputra Gosala, who separated from Mahavira, formed the Ajivika cult, which later merged with Jainism. Halayudha’s Abhidhana Ratnamala mentions Digambaras as Ajivikas. Pali literature, such as the Majjhima Nikaya, groups heretical teachers as Ajivikas, while the Divyavadana calls them Nirgranthas. Chinese and Japanese Buddhist literature, the Manimekhalai, and the Jaina scholar Balbhadra Jain further support the view that the Ajivika sect merged into the Jaina Samgha long before the Mauryan period, thereby placing the cave dedications within the Jaina historical tradition.
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Conclusion
The Mauryan kings, notably Asoka and Dasaratha, dedicated artificial caves to the Ajivika sect, a practice deeply rooted in their role as protectors of contemporary religious movements. Dating these dedications between 258 and 214 B.C., the inscriptions reveal a clear intent to provide safe, permanent abodes for ascetic communities. The significance of these acts extends beyond simple patronage, as the Ajivika cult had largely merged with the Jaina fold during the Mauryan era. Consequently, the cave dedications can be rightfully integrated into the broader Jaina historical tradition. This integration underscores the profound religious syncretism of the period, highlighting how Mauryan royal patronage facilitated the consolidation and preservation of ascetic practices within the evolving spiritual landscape of ancient India.