The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1800 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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upatas were celibate (
urdhv
retas
, ones who ‘keep their semen up’), and ascetic (
tapasvin
). They also practised anti-social behaviour, such as snoring in public, acting as if mad, and talking nonsensically, in order to court abuse, whereby the
karma
merit of the abuser would be transferred to the abused. They went naked, with matted hair, covered in ashes, and frequented cremation grounds.
Pa
upati
(lord of cattle)
.
iva
as the lord of all creatures.
P
aliputra
.
The capital of the ancient kingdom of Magadha (near present-day Patna in N. India). After the reign of
A
oka
, who expanded the city and held the third Buddhist
Council
there (247 BCE), P
aliputra fell into decline.

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