________________
LIFE
Mahāvīra renounced the world at the age of thirty. It would seem that he joined the Order of Pārsva of which his parents were lay supporters. In the Ācārānga, the members of this Order are simply referred to as Sramaņas or Recluses. It would further seem that the recluses of Pārśva's · Order used to wear robes Mahāvīra remained with them for more than a year, after which he turned a naked ascetic
The Bhagavatī-Sūtra says that when Mahāvīra was spending the second year of his ascetic life in a weaver's shed in Nālandā, a suburb of Rājagrha, Maskariputra Gośāla who was then wandering about in the country showing pictures to the people at large happened to arrive and put up there. One day, observing the extraordinary respect shown to Mahāvīra by Vijaya, a rich householder of Rājagrha, Gośāla approached the venerable ascetic and asked to be admitted as his disciple, but the latter declined his request. His prayer was not granted on two successive occasions, even though the Master was entreated by the rich householders Ananda and Sudarśana. In the meanwhile Mahāvīra went to the settlement of Kollāga, at some distance from Nālandā, where he was hospitably greeted by the Brahmin
Bahula
