Jain Journal 1997 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 11

JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXI, No. 4 April 1997 conclusion that not only plants, but in fact all living beings were capable of reanimation. This generalisation of the theory of reanimation, apparently, not finding favour with Mahāvīra, Gosāla thenceforward separated from him, and by following the course of asceticism, previously explained to him by Mahavira, himself succeeded after six months in acquiring magic powers (p. 1222). He then professed himself a Jina, and became the head of a sect, called the Ajiviyas. Their chief seat was the town of Savatthi, where a woman. Hālāhalā of the potter caste, a lay disciple of theirs, gave them lodging in her shop. While Gosala was staying there in the twenty-fourth year of his ascetic life, he was visited by a company of ascetics who were known as the six Disacharās (p. 1201). With them he discussed their respective theories. His own theory, taken from the so-called eight Mahänimittas, a portion of the Puvvas, embraced the following principles obtainment, and non-obtainment, pleasure and pain, life and death (p. 1202). The fact of this visit was reported to Mahavira, who just at that time had also come to Sävatthi, by his eldest disciple Indabhui (p. 1203). On this Mahavira took occasion to relate the above-mentioned circumstances of Gosala's life, and to deny his claim to Jina-hood. The news of this denial soon spread to the town, and caused great annoyance to Gosala (p. 1224a). Some time afterwards Ananda, another of Mahavira's disciples, on one of his begging tours, happened to pass Hālāhalā's potter shop. Gosala called him in and told him a story of some merchants, who in distress for water, persisted, against the advice of one of them, in opening a huge ant-hill, and were all, with the exception of the dissentient one, destroyed by the magic fire of a fierce serpent that had been concealed in it (p. 1231). He added that he should go and tell Mahavira that he would meet with a similar fate, if he ventured to encounter him, while Ananda himself would be spared (p. 1232). The latter greatly terrified, at once went to Mahavira, who was staying outside the town in the Kotthaga cheïya, and telling him all that Gosala had said, asked him whether the latter really possessed magic powers of destruction (p. 1234a). Mahāvīra admitted Gosāla's power, but added that it could have no effect on an Arhat, because the magic powers of the latter were still greater. He further told Aṇanda, to forbid all his followers to hold any intercourse with the heretical Gosāla (p. 1236a). While Ananda was still communicating this interdiction to the other Niggantha ascetics, Gosala with his Ajiviyas came out to Kotthaga, and addressing Mahāvīra, said to him: "You have called me your pupil; but that pupil of yours, Gosāla Mankhaliputta, is long since dead and reborn in the world of the devas, while I, who am really Udai Kundiyayaniya, have only, in the seventh (and last) of my series of changes of body by means of reanimation, entered the body of Gosala, which body I am still retaining (p. 1237)." He then proceeded to explain
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