Heart of Jainism

Author(s): Mrs Sinclair Stevenson
Publisher: Mrs Sinclair Stevenson

Page 84

58
MAHĀVIRA'S PREDECESSORS
(nemi) of black jewels (arista). Krişna and his brother Baladeva lived at this time, and were cousins of Neminātha's. This Tirthankara was ten bow-shots in height, and his sign was the conch shell. Unlike most of the other Tirthankara, he attained mokșa from Girnār in Käthiāwād.
The twenty-third and twenty-fourth Tirthankara are respectively Pārsvanātha and Mahāvīra.
The Followers of Mahāvīra. Mahā- The peculiar temptations with which an ascetic's life vīra's unruly
are beset are illustrated for us in the life of Gośāla, an disciple early antinomian. He seems to have been the head of Gośāla.
a body of unclothed anchorites, a section of the Ajivika monks, and joined forces with Mahāvira whilst the latter was still practising austerities before the period of his enlightenment. Gośāla, Dr. Hoernle suggests in his ex. haustive article on the Ajivikas, may either have been moved by a desire to learn the tricks of Mahävira's trade, or else the strong stern personality of the great ascetic may have had an irresistible attraction for the weaker sensual nature. At any rate, for six years they lived together, but a permanent association was impossible between a man like Mahāvīra and one of Gośāla's tricky, unreliable disposition.
There seems no doubt that they separated owing to some act of unchastity on Gośāla's part, and this had the natural effect of opening Mahāvira's eyes to the special temptation besetting wandering mendicants. An added element of bitterness would be caused by the disciple venturing to preach before the master felt himself qualified to do so, for whilst Mahāvira waited twelve years before teaching his Way, Gośāla preached after only six. It was probably owing to Gośāla's conduct that Mahāvīra
1 E. R. E., vol. i.