Published Paper Details:

speaking them the scholarship of Kaundinya and other four associate are occasionally met in course of deliberations of the Buddha as the tripitaka referred those five members were in touch of other contemporary eminent mendicants like Sanjaya Velatti putta, Purana Kashyapa, Maskari Goshayia, Niggantha Nathaputta, Keshakambali.(N.Datta-3) Those were known as Agrashr?vakas, foremost hearers to Buddha. They had been expert meditation practitioners and contemporary of Gautama Buddha before the awakened. Among the disciples of Buddha like Sari putra, Maudgalyana who had been the disciple of Sanjaya Velatti Putta became the Mah?shr?vaka by their merit. It suggests that his contemporary eminent teachers were non Buddhist. During the life time of Buddha there was a good back ground in mendicancy and scholarship in various the pre-Buddhist systems. Magadha was then an important resident of yati(s) mendicants of different order with scholarship.