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SECTION TWO
Narratives of the Ascetics (Samaṇa-kahanagani)
1. The Ascetic Gajasukumäla
Gajasukumāla was the eighth and the last son of Devaki, the mother of Kṛṣṇa Vasudeva. According to the Jain legend, the god Harinegamesi made Sulasă, the wife of Naga of Bhaddilapura and Devaki preganant at the same time. Both of them delivered simaltaneously, Sulasă giving birth to dead children and Deveki to live children. Later Harinegamesi transferred the seven living sons of Devaki to Sulasă. Thereupon Kṛṣṇa Vasudeva evoked Harinegamesi and by his favour Devaki gave birth to Gajasukumala, his younger brother.
Once Krsna Vasudeva along with Gajasukumäla, mounting his elephant, proceeded to pay homage to Aritțhanemi. On the way he happened to see the beautiful daughter of Brahmaṇa Somila. Thinking that she could be a suitable match for his younger brother, he brought her to his palace and kept her in the female apartment. In the meantime, Gajasukumāla, inspired by religious sermons of Ariṭṭhanemi, renounced the world and became an ascetic. When Somila. learnt that the prince had abandoned his daughter and become a recluse, he was very furious. He proceeded to the crematorium of Mahakala where Gajasukumala was practising penance. He looked around, took moist earth from the ground, prepared an earthen boundary wall on Gajasukumala's head and put burning coal into it. Having done this the Brahmana returned quitely. It is stated that the ascetic Gajasukumala bore the unbearable pain without having any ill feeling towards the oppressor. While undergoing the agony the ascetic achieved the supreme state of perfection and attained liberation.' Somila died a premature death. His body was removed by Panas (outcasts) and after the body was removed the place was purified by water.
2. The Ascetic Thavaccaputta
After listening to the sermons of Aritthanemi when Thävaccaputta, a merchant's son resolved to join the Teacher's order, his mother approached Kṛṣṇa Vasudeva, the ruler of Bärävai (Dvarakā). She requested him to lend her the royal umbrella, crown and fly-whisk so that the renunciation ceremony of her son could be solemnised. Kṛṣṇa Vasudeva told her not to worry as he himself was going to initiate the ceremony on behalf of the royalty. Then he made a royal declaration that whosoever wished to enter the monastic order, would be looked after by the royal authority. After becoming a recluse, Thavaccaputte observed the rules of conduct, and roamed about from place to place delivering his sermons.
At that time in the town of Sogandhiya there lived a mendicant named Suka with his one thousand followers. The mendicant was well-versed in the four Vedas, the Sasthitantra and the Samkhya system. He was an adherent of Samkhya philosophy and parctised five kinds of restraints (yama) and observances (niyama), considering purification as the basis of his cult. He
1. Gajasukumala's account is recorded in the Bhagavati-Aradhana with other ascetic heroes, who by undergoing severe penance, died and said to have achieved the highest goal of emancipation.
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