________________
THE JAINA GAZETTE
Vol. XXIV ) MADRAS:
WHOLE. No. 125 DECEMBER 1928. 1 No. 282. LORD MAHAVIRA.
BY
U. S. Tank
(Continued from page 182) IVE have already referred to Gosala.* He met Mahavira in
W the second year of the latter's preparatory period at Nalanda near Rajgriha, and having become his disciple t towards the end of the same year, lived with him for six years and then after a quarrel deserted him. Dr. Jacobi perceives the traces of the influence which Gosala exerted over Mahavira during the period of companionship in the system which the latter gave to the world. With regard to the rules of conduct,' says he 'the collective evidence obtainable is such as to amount nearly to prove that Mahavira borrowed the more rigid rules from Gosala.' He then began to wander about alone and after two years at last settled down in Sravasti, where he founded a new order of ascetics called Ajivakas. This order of ascetics, during the life-time of its founder, and for some centuries after him, was
*For the life and teachings of Gosala see Dr. Hoernle's edition of Uvagaga dasas. For his stricture on Mahavira see Dr. Jacobi's S. B. E. Vol. 45, p. 409-414, and for his influence on Mahavira see introduction to S. B. E. Vol. 45. pp. XXIX-XXXII.
The Lord did not give Gosala, diksha, initiation into the life of an ascetic. He followed the Lord of his own accord, after having plucked out his hair. He was not a real disciple. The Svetambara scriptures call him a psoudo-disciple. See Muni Atmaramji's Tatvanirnayaprasad p. 560.
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
