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difference of opinion on the question of Niyativad. According to Bhagwati-sutra 24 years after Mahavir accepted monkhood Mankhaliputta Goshal declared himself to be a Jin or Teerthankar. Details on this episode are available in Bhagvati-sutra. But in my opinion this description is one sided and exaggerated. The only conclusion we may draw from these narratives is that Mankhaliputta Goshal established his own school independent of Mahavir, and it had a wide influence over the society, This sect founded by him later became famous as Ajivak sect.
In the Buddhist Tripitak 129 literature also Makkhali Goshal has been recognised as one of the six Teerthankars contemporary of Buddha. Besides this, in Thergatha130 also there is a mention of Makkhali Goshal. However, in the Atthakatha he has been said to have been born in the state of Magadha. Although other details in Jain and Buddhist description are not similar, both the traditions equivocally convey that Mankhaliputta Goshal was the founder of Niyativad and a prominent Acharya of his age. Pali Tripitak and Jain canonical literature contain detailed comments about his philosophical thoughts. Both accept him as follower of Niyativad.
Niyativad is that school of thought which emphasizes on an preordained system of the world as against the human endeavour. I would not like to go into a detailed discussion on this matter but would certainly like to express that the details available about Mankhali Goshal in Jain and Buddhist traditions are biased and critical. They present the personality and philosophical beliefs of Mankhali Goshal in a distorted manner. Probably Rishibhashit is the only work that presents Mankhaliputta as a revered Arhat Rishi and his preachings as valid.
It is true that ideas of Niyativad can also be found in the preachings of Mankhali Goshal available in Rishibhashit; but here the Niyativad of Mankhaliputta is a means to win over creator's ego in a person and give him a detached view point. He explicitly states that the ascetic who wavers, who is influenced, who is disturbed, who is hurt by seeing the transformation of things (matter), can not become protector of self due to the reactions so evoked.
168 इसिभासियाई सुत्ताई
| SR No. | 006236 |
| Book Title | Rushibhashit Sutra |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma |
| Publisher | Prakrit Bharti Academy |
| Publication Year | 2016 |
| Total Pages | 512 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari & agam_anykaalin |
| File Size | 33 MB |