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the Lord said that just as the Prince himself who had a thorough knowledge about a chariot would answer any question about it offhand, and without reflection, so does the Truth-finder, adding, "Because, Prince, I have plumbed that particular constituent of the Doctrine and because my answer therefore comes to me offhand".
This was enough, and, the account says, the Prince became a disciple of Buddha,
Source: Majjhima Nikaya, Abhaya Rajkumara
Suttānta, 2.1.8. Comment
The same episode has been narrated in Avadānal. Therein the gâtă on his earlier life states that he separated from Mahavira and became a follower of Buddha. Worthy of note is the wording of the prayer he offered to his new spiritual mentor: Kittayitva jinavaram kittito ho mi savvada
4. Discussion on Karma
In the course of a lecture delivered to his monks at a place called Devadaha, Buddha reported the Nigantha view on karma in the following words: 'Some śra manas and brāhmanas are of the view that whatever pleasure or pain, non-pleasure or non-pain one experiences is due to sin committed in the previous birth. When he is able to terminate his past kar ma through a rigorous penance and check their fresh influx, he is unfettered of karma bondage. With kar ma bondage unfettered, his suffering ends; with suffering ended, his pain is gone; with pain gone, all his troubles come to an end". Continued he,
!'When I ask them, if I existed in the past, if I committed such and such sinful deed, if the suffering has end or is yet to end, etc., the Niganthas look blank. They have no answer except repeating the familiar, viz., that there Nigantha Nataputta is all-knowing, all-seeing, having infinite jnāna and darśana are ever by his side.
Then he spoke about the Nigantha view of Vedaniya Kar ma, but here too, he said, they gave a wrong answer.
