Title: Heresy, heterodoxy and nonconformism in early India
Abstract: The issue of heterodoxy arises when an orthodoxy is established. Even by the Buddha’s time a large number of variant views existed. Even the Ṛksaṃhita contained hymns with contrary beliefs and opposing gods. In time the Cārvākas or materialists contested the whole fabric of beliefs represented by the Vedas. In the Buddhist case a similar deviant was found in Devadatta who is represented as opposing Gautama Buddha’s doctrines. One can also trace elements of dissent from the theologically recognised dharma in texts such as Arthaśāstra and Kāmasutra. In early mediaeval times the Jainas could be identified as the major ideological critics of Brahmanism. In today’s India, where all dissent with the official dogma is being denounced as anti-national, it is time to project history from the point of view of the so-called heretics or dissidents as well.
Publication Year: 2020
Publication Date: 2020-03-16
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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