Ajivika is an anti-Brahminical philosophy, which literally translates to "following an ascetic way of life". It was first propounded by Goshala Maskariputra (in 484 B.C.) Goshala is believed to have been a friend of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism. Goshala believed that transmigration of the human soul was determined by a precise and non-personal cosmic principle called Niyati (destiny) and was completely independent of the person's actions. The emperor Ashoka's father, Bindusara, was a believer of this philosophy, that reached its peak of popularity during Asoka's lifetime, and then declined into obscurity. It last existed in India in the 14th Century.
