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Early Indian literature often draws our attention to hypocrites who use gestures, words and costumes associated with holiness to acquire what the true holy man renounces. In my paper, I will focus on some stories from the Pali Jātaka corpus, which took shape at a time when advocates of diverse belief systems were seeking to communicate their ideas about the mysteries and miseries of existence as well as their formulae for emancipation from worldly entanglements through renunciation. In this dynamic and fluid religious context, the Jātaka tales identify the characteristics of those who are not genuine ascetics, and in the process, formulate the ideal of renunciation. Related to this is the question of whether the Jātakas suggest that there is a hierarchy among ascetics, with some being recognised as more worthy of reverence than others.
Naina Dayal teaches early Indian history at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. She has published on Puranic Hinduism, the Sanskrit epics and the Pali Jātakas. Her research interests include the period c. 320 BCE to 300 CE, and the history of Delhi in the 20th century.
