Jain Journal 1997 04

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

Page 16

HOERNLE: THE HISTORY OF GOSALA MANKHALIPUTTA
it down. Instantly he recovered from his disease to the intense delight of all men and devas (p. 1272a).
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The account that goes on to relate how the two disciples of Mahavira, Savvāṇubhūi and Sunakkhatta, who had been slain by Gosāla, were re-born as devas, and so forth (p.1274a). Similarly it is related of the false disciple Gosala, that he was re-born as a deva in the Achchuya world, where he is to remain for a period of twenty-two Sāgarovama. Afterwards he is to be born again in the Bharaha country of Jambūdīva, in the town of Sayaduvāra, in the province of Punda, at the foot of the Vinjha Mountains, in the family of king Sumai, as the son of his wife Bhadda; and on account of a miraculous rain of lotuses on the day of his birth, he is to bear the name of Mahāpaüma (p. 1275b). When he will be past eight years of age, he will be made king, and two powerful devas, Punnabhadda and Manibhadda, will act as his generals, and he himself, on that account, will be called Devasena (p. 1276a). He will get into his possession a beautiful white elephant, and take his rides upon it in and out of the town, and on that account he will receive the name of Vimalavähaṇa (the white-vehicled-one) (p. 1277a). He will then enter into disputes with the Niggantha Samaņas, and will ill-treat them in many ways. Then the people of the town, disapproving of the conduct of the king, will try to dissuade him from continuing it.
The king, however, will not listen to them (p. 1279a). Now there will be near the town of Sayaduvara a sacred grove called Subhumibhāga, and in it Sumangala, a descendant of the Arhat Vimala, an ascetic endowed with the miraculous power of destruction and the threefold knowledge, will be going through a course of asceticism (p. 1279b). Then one day, when the king will be taking the air in his chariot, he will observe Sumangala engaged in his ascetic practices, and, being enraged, will push him with the front of his car, upon which Sumangala will rise up, continuing his asceticism with uplifted arms (p. 1280a). The king then will push him once again, upon which the ascetic will apply his miraculous (avadhi) power, and recognizing the past existence of the king, will tell him that he was not the king Vimalavāhaṇa Devasena Mahāpaüma, but that three births ago he was the wicked Gosala Mankhaliputta, and that though he was at that time spared by Mahavira and his disciples, he himself would not spare him this time, but by means of his ascetic power destroy him together with his horse, carriage and driver (p. 1281a). The king, hearing this, will angrily push him a third time, upon which Sumangala, carrying out his threat, will miraculously destroy the king with his