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## Seventh Study Summary
The time of Lord Mahavira was filled with various religious beliefs, diverse sects, and numerous rituals. In North India, there were many teachers of non-Vedic ideologies who traveled around spreading their doctrines. Many of them claimed to be Arhat, Jina, Kevali, or Sarvagna. The Suttanipata Sabhiyasutta mentions 63 such sects. The second Anga of the Jain scriptures, the Sutra Kritanga Agama, describes four categories of contemporary thinkers of Lord Mahavira: Kiyaavadi, Akriyaavadi, Vinayaavadi, and Agnanaavadi. It is said that they discussed their Samvasarana-siddhant or doctrine in different ways. The Sutra Kritanga Vritti mentions 363 religious beliefs. These various thinkers were mostly divided into these four doctrines.
Buddhist literature mainly mentions six Shraman sects, whose leaders or heads are mentioned as follows:
Their doctrinal beliefs are described as Akriyaavaad, Niyativaad, Ucchedavaad, Anyonyavaad, Chaturyamasanvaravaad, and Vikshepavaad. Buddhist literature uses the term 'Niganthanatputta' for Lord Mahavira.
Mankhaliputra Goshalak is described in detail in both Jain and Buddhist literature as a Niyativadi. The fifth Anga, Vyākhyāprajñapti Sutra, describes Goshalak in detail in the 15th century.
Goshalak had some knowledge of Ashtaang Nimitta. He could give correct answers to people about profit, loss, happiness, sorrow, life, and death. Therefore, whoever came to him, he would tell them such things. People wanted miracles.
Thus, he had thousands of followers who were impressed by him. Sakdalaputra, a potter from Polaspur, was one of Goshalak's prominent followers.
Sakdalaputra was a wealthy and prosperous householder. He had one crore gold coins in his treasury as secure wealth, one crore gold coins invested in business, and one crore gold coins invested in his home's splendor and equipment. He had a herd of ten thousand cows.
1. "Chattari samosaranani mani, paavadu ya jaim puḍho vayanti. Kiriyam akiriyam viniyam ti taiyam annaanamaahansu chautthameva."
Sutra Kritanga 1.12.1