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202
Atimuktaka's initiation into the monastic order, but it occurs in no other earlier canonical text. The peculiar position of child monks, had they existed in the earlier age, should have brought about relevant rules and many stories. From MV's rigid idealism of ahimsa by way of practising lonely wandering, it is hard to imagine that MV himself allowed children into the monastic order, which must have began when group wandering had become a customary practice for the ascetics. And the Atimuktaka stories must have been composed when the church authorities began to accept children in their order. At present we would place our text in the fourth-fifth canonical stages.
(4) Mahavira and his rivals
543
Regarding MV's opponents, Go'sala, the leader of the Ajivikas, alone comes in the Bhagavati story in its XV (sutras 538-59), which is an exceptional 'sataka devoid of udde'sakas. As was early pointed out by many scholars, this 'sataka was originally an independent story, which must have been incorporated into the Bhagavati probably on the decision of the Third Valabhi Convention. The Vyavahara X lists 'Teyanisagga', which again occurs in the Nandi 44. And the Jainas began to talk about Go'sala and the Ajivikas in the age of canonical story texts. From this it is difficult to support an assumption that there was an archetype of this text composed in a much earlier age. This is also borne out by its well knit plot showing the relationship held between the leaders of the two schools motivated by a unique intention, which if deleted would have nothing substantial in this story. Sutra 549 refers to the Prajnapana 1.126, and sutra 553 to the Prajnapanā X VI.474. This Sataka XV thus belongs to the fifth canonical period.
544
A bare summary of the Bhagavati XV is as follows: (1) After the twentyfourth year of his ascetic life, Go'sala expounds his doctrine to six travellers, who in turn explain to him the eight nimittas which are said to have been drawn from the Purvas. On this basis, Go'sala formulates his doctrine of the six inevitables. (2) Gosala's life story before becoming a mendicant. (3) Gosala is finally accepted as MV's disciple after having been refused three times, and they practise asceticism together for six years. (4) They quarrel over the reanimation of sesame seeds, and Go'sala loses. (5) Go'sala teases bala-tapasvi Vaisyayana, who in anger emits at him hot tejo le'syā, which is neutralized by cold tejo le's ya emitted by MV to save him. (6) Gosala, by then practising tapas, is capable of emitting tejo le'sya, and claims that he has attained jinahood, which MV denounces. (7) Go'sala in anger threatens MV through MV's disciple Ananda by telling a parable. (8) MV prohibits monks from associating with Gosala. (9) Go'sala's past lives; his theory of mokşa; MV criticizes him saying his behaviour is comparable to that of a thief. (10) Gosala in anger emits tejo le'sya at MV, which comes back at him. (11) Gosala declares that MV will die within six months, against which the latter retorts that he will live
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