Encyclopedia of Hinduism

K xxviii Encyclopedia of Hinduism

563

¶ Birth of Siddhartha Gautama (563–483), the

Buddha.

c. 500 to 200

¶ Over these 300 years numerous secondary

Hindu scriptures (smriti) are composed: Shrauta

Sutras, Grihya Sutras, Dharma Sutras, Mahab-

harata, Ramayana, puranas, and others.

c. 450

¶ Panini composes his Sanskrit grammar, the

Ashtadhyayi.

c. 400

¶ Dharmashastra of Manu develops. Its verses

codify cosmogony, four ashramas, government,

domestic affairs, caste, and morality.

¶ The Ajivikas, an ascetic, atheistic sect of naked

sadhus reaches the height of its popularity.

Adversaries of the Buddha and the Jain Maha-

vira, they have a philosophy that is determinis-

tic, holding that everything is inevitable.

305

¶ Chandragupta Maurya, founder of first pan-

Indian empire. At its height under the Buddhist

emperor Ashoka (r. 273 b.c.e.–232 b.c.e.), the

Mauryan Empire includes all India except the

far south.

c. 302

¶ Kautilya (Chanakya), minister to Chandra-

gupta Maurya, writes Arthashastra, a compen-

dium of laws, procedures, and advice for ruling

a kingdom.

300 B.C.E. to 100 C.E.

¶ Tamil Sangam age begins. Sage Agastya writes

Agattiyam, first known Tamil grammar. Tolkap-

piyar writes Tolkappiyam, a summary of earlier

works on grammar, poetics, and rhetoric, indi-

cating prior high development of Tamil. Gives

rules for absorbing Sanskrit words. At this time

Tamil literature refers to worship of Vishnu,

Indra, Murugan, and Supreme Shiva.

¶ Pancharatra Vaishnavite sect is prominent. All

later Vaishnavite sects are based on the Pan-

charatra beliefs (formalized by Sandilya about

100 c.e.).

297 B.C.E.

¶ According to Jain history, Emperor Chandra-

gupta Maurya abdicates; becomes Jain monk.

273

¶ Ashoka, the greatest Mauryan emperor, grand-

son of Chandragupta, seizes power and rules

until 232. He converts to Buddhism. India’s

national emblem features the lion capital from

his pillar.

c. 200 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.

¶ Patanjali writes the Yoga Sutra.

c. 200 B.C.E. to 100 C.E.

¶ Jaimini writes the Mimamsa Sutra.

c. 75 C.E.

¶ A Hindu prince from Gujarat invades Java.

c. 80

¶ Jains divide, on points of rules for monks,

into the Shvetambara, “White-Clad,” and the

Digambara, “Sky-Clad.”

c. 100

¶ Birth of^ Kapila, founder of the Samkhya phi-

losophy, one of six classical systems of Hindu

philosophy.

¶ Birth of Sandilya, first systematic promulga-

tor of the ancient Pancharatra doctrines. His

Bhakti Sutras, devotional aphorisms on Vishnu,

inspire a Vaishnavite renaissance. By 900 c.e.

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