When did the word śramaña first appear in ancient texts?
The word śramaña appears in section 2.7 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka, a layer within the Yajurveda dated to around 1000 BCE.
Questions about Śramaṇa
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who were the six pre-Buddhist śramaña schools identified by Buddhist texts?
Buddhist texts identify six pre-Buddhist śramaña schools led by Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Ajita Kesakambali, Pakudha Kaccayana, Sanjaya Belatthiputra, and Mahavira or Buddha as leaders of śramaña orders.
What was the fate of the Ajivika school during the reign of Emperor Ashoka?
Around 18,000 followers were executed when Emperor Ashoka issued an order following his conversion to Buddhism after the Ajivika school reached peak popularity during the reign of Mauryan emperor Bindusara in the late 1st millennium BCE.
How does Jain philosophy define karma compared to Buddhist philosophy?
Jain philosophy posits independent existence of soul and matter with karma conceived as material particles sticking to souls while Buddha denied any self or soul existing within beings calling this concept Anatta part of Three Marks of existence.
When did the Chāndogya Upaniśad contain earliest evidence for using word Ahimsa meaning nonviolence against all creatures?
The Chāndogya Upaniśad dated around 7th century BCE contains earliest evidence for using word Ahimsa meaning nonviolence against all creatures.