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| Lord Mahavira and Goshala
staying at ths same place for the last so many days, but I was so unfortunate that I could not realise your virtues upto this time. To day, I have been able to understand a portion of your divine virtues from your actions, and now have been so much influenced by them that I want to become your humble disciple and servant with all my heart. Will your Lord-ship be so kind as to make me your disciple ? I will leave no stone unturned to please you by my services in every way." Lord Mahavira heard the request of Goshala silently, but he did not say a word in reply. He had known already by means of his spiritual insight that the intention of Goshala was based on selfishness. Still Goshala began to regard himself as a disciple of the Lord.
He left his profession from that day and applied himself to the service of the Lord. He lived upon the alms that he begged from the houses of laymen. Thus the second month also passed and as usual Lord Mahavira broke his fast at the place of Ananda following the rules of faultless food and its acceptence. In the same way, at the end of the third month, he accepted food and water from another good layman named Sudarshana. The gods likewise rained the five kinds of precious stones over their houses too.
Now the fourth month ran its course and the full Moon day of Kartika came nearer. Goshala, who had accepted the Lord as his Guru (preceptor), was still in doubt about his ability and wisdom. He said to himself, “They say that Lord Mahavira is a great philosopher, and a great seer, but I have not yet got any chance to put his ability and wisdom to test. Today is the annual day when there will be rejoicings and festivities in every house. I cannot get a better
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