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OF THE HINDUS.
295
During the six years expended in this manner Mauávira visits a number of places, most of which appear to be in Behár and the adjacent provinces, as Rájagriha, Srávasti near Oude, Vaisáli, which is identified with the capital of Behár, and others.
Proceeding on his pereginations Mahávíra voluntarily exposed himself to be maltreated by the Mlechchha tribes of Vajrabhúmi, Suddhibhúmi, and Lát, or Lár, the countries apparently of the Gonds, who abtised and beat him, and shot at him with arrows, and baited him with dogs, to all which he offered no resistance, and indeed rejoiced in his sufferings; for, however necessary to personal purification, it is not the duty of a Jain ascetic to inflict tortures upon himself— his course of penance is one of self-denial, fasting and silence, and pain, however meritorious its endurance, must be inflicted by others, not himself. At the end of the ninth year MAHAVIRA relinquished his silence in answer to a question put by Gośála, but continued engaged in the practice of mortification and in an erratic life. His squire having learned from him the possession of the Tejalesya, or power of ejecting flame, and having learned from certain of the disciples of PÁRśVANÁTH, what is technically termed
the followers of such a teacher as mine is are the only persons exempt from restraint.” Further confirmation of MAHÁ VÍRA and his followers being Digambaras occurs in various places, especially in a passage where Gośála gets beaten, and almost killed by the women of a village in Magadha, because he is a naked Sramana, or mendicant,
