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on wooden planks, and on kusa grass. He who submits to touch of the two gods furthers the work of venomous snakes but he who does not do so generates in himself a fire which burns his body and he dies and attains liberation.
Ayambula, an Ajīvika, came to visit Gosala at the time and felt ashamed finding Gosala in a delirium. He was about to go away but Ajivika elders called him back, explained the new doctrines and asked him to put his question to Gosala after throwing away the mango in his hand. Ayambula did so and asked about the halla insect. Gosala replied "This which you see is not a mango but only the skin of à mango. You ask about the halla insect, it is like the root of the bamboo; play the lute, man, play the lute." Then Gosala feeling the end approaching called his disciples and requested them to observe his funeral with all honours and proclaim that he was the last Tirthankara. But afterwards he felt that he was not an omniscient but a false, teacher and a humbug but that Mahavira was the true Jina. Then he called his disciples and asked them to treat him with dishonour after he was dead and proclaim his misdeeds and the Jinahood of Mahavira. Then he died. The Ajivika theras closed the door and pretended to carry out Gosala's last instructions, and then they opened the doors and gave him a funeral according to his original wishes."
The account may be exaggerated but seems to be fundamentally well-based. It is also corroborated by Buddhist texts. The Buddhists had no cause for special resentment against the Ajivikas, yet even the Buddhists do not refer to Gosala with respect. Dr. Hoernle mentions in his article on the Ajivikas in the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics that in the mouth of the Buddhists 'Ajivika' was a term of reproach, meant to stigmatise Gosala and his followers as professionals. Gosala's humble origin and humble connections may have been partly renponsible for the contempt with which he was looked upon by the other religious leaders.
