Ajivika

[ah-jee-vi-kuh]

A·ji·vi·ka

[ah-jee-vi-kuh]
noun
a member of a former Indian sect originating in the 5th century b.c. as a heretical offshoot of Jainism: a disciple of Gosala.

Origin:
< Sanskrit ājīvika
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Ajivika is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

Ajivika

an ascetic sect that emerged in India about the same time as Buddhism and Jainism and that lasted until the 14th century; the name may mean "following the ascetic way of life." It was founded by Goshala Maskariputra (also called Gosala Makkhaliputta), a friend of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara ("Ford-maker," i.e., saviour) of Jainism. His doctrines and those of his followers are known only from Buddhist and Jain sources, which state that he was lowborn and died after a quarrel with Mahavira shortly before the Buddha died.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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