________________
390
are you? With what object have you remained ia this place. ?" Śramaņa Bhagavāna Mabāvira had a vow of silence, and Gośāla imitating him, remained silent. But when there was no reply although they were repeatedly questioned, they, thinking both of them to be enemy-spies, brought them to the slope of a well, and having bound them with a leather-strap they hanged Gośăla into the well and began to drown him and then they did the same with Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira. While they were drowning and taking both of them out of water, two sisters of Astrologer Utpala, named Soma and Jayanti, who had taken diksă in the Order of Monks of Tirthankara Bhagavān Śri Pārsva Nätha, and who having found the strict discipline of a Jaina sadhu to be too severe for them, had assumed the apparel of a wandering mendicant, on hearing of the incident, came to the spot under the suspiction that perhaps the ascetic may be the last Tirthankara and when they saw Śramanı Bhagavān Malāvīra hanged into the well by the leather-strap they, said, "O wicked creatures ! You really deserve complete annihilation i that you have been causing trouble to the son of Siddhārtha, and one who is worshipped even hy gods." On hearing these words, the watchmen of the village becoming terrified, set free Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīrä and very respecully asked his pardon. The two si tervi astrologer Utpala, having reverentially bowed dowa low near the feet of the Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahavira, weat a way to there respective dwellings.
FOURTH RAINY SEASON
Śramana Bhagavãn Mahāvīra lived there for a few days more, and then he went to Prista Campa Nagari the ornament of all neighbownig towns-along with Gośāli where he stayed for four months of the Fourth Cāturinā:a (the fourth rainy season). Remaining there in constant meditation with Virāsana and Lan gadāsana (meditative postures) he did a continuous fasting of four months. At the end of four months' fasting. Śramaņa Bbagavăn Mabāvīra had his break-fast outside the village, and he went to Kritāngala Sunniveśa.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org