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( 114 ) were the heads of ganas of ascetics, and as such were called ganadharas. They remained faithful to their teacher throughout their lives. Indrabhūti Gautama was the eldest disciple of Mahavira. He was very fond of his Master, and had numerous interesting dialogues with him. Mahavira was never tired of answering questions and problems of various types, scientific, ethical, metaphysical, and religious. He had broad outlook and scientific accuracy. His answers were never vague or mystifying. He had firm conviction and resolute will. His tolerance was infinite. He remained unmoved when two of his disciples were burnt to ashes before his eyes by Gosāla who was then preparing to strike Mahavira himself. But he would never surrender a single point in argument about spiritual conviction and ethical conduct. Right conduct is conduct according to right conviction. Right conviction is conviction based on spiritual realization. A man of right.conviction and right conduct has fear from none and tolerance for all. Mahavira always surrendered this body, but never his spirit. Retention of the spirit demands surrender of the body. Suffering and penance are the conditions of freedom. Mahavira was a cold realist. He had not faith in warm idealism. He had immense faith in human nature, but he always insisted on vigilance against indolence, physical, moral and spiritual. He is reported to have once exhorted his favourite disciple Indrabhūti Gautama to always retain strenuosness in the following words :. You have well-nigh crossed the great ocean. Why do you loiter on the shore ?, Make haste to pass on to the other side. · Do not be indolent, O Gautama, for a single moment.' Inward strenuousness and affirmation of spirit is sometimes associated with outward passivity and nagation of life. This is not ununderstandable. Life is an evil so long as it is rooted in desires. Nagation of life rooted in desires is not an unsocial act. It is but reinstatement of the society in harmony with the laws of the spirit. It is self-contradiction on the surface for the sake of self-realization in the depth. In this
