Prolegomena to Prakritica et Jainica

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 97

80
PROLEGOMENA TO PRAKRITICA et JAINICA
a liar, and going up to the shrub uprooted it but a shower of rain having fallen the shrub took root again and Mahāvīra's prophecy was fulfilled. Now they went on to Kundaggāma on the outskirts of which they met the ascetic Vessayaņa practising penances with his arms uplifted, his face turned towards the sun, and his body covered with lice. Gosāla asked the ascetic if he was an ascetic or a lice-heap. This enraged Vessayaņa who released his fiery forces (teullese) to burn Gosāla but Mahāvira out of pity for Gosāla counteracted the forces by releasing his own forces. Finding himself thwarted Vessayaņa exclaimed “That will do, Sir, that will do." Gosāla questioned Mahāvīra about the meaning of such exclamation and the latter explained what was about to happen. Then Gosāla enquired how long it took to acquire such forces and how such forces could be acquired. Mahāvīra answered that it could be acquired by dint of penances. Afterwards when they were on their way to Siddhantthaggāma they happened to pass the sesamum shrub mentioned before. Gosāla narrated to Mahāvīra his past prophecy and claimed that it had been falsified as the shrub was yet alive. Mahāvīra explained that Gosāla's uprooting it on the previous occasion had fulfilled his prophecy about its death and the coming down of the shower which revived it had caused the seeds to appear in the pods, for all plants were capable of reanimation. Gosāla disbelieved it, went up to the spot and on closely examining the shrub found the seeds. This led him to conclude that not only plants but all living beings were capable of reanimation. Then he left Mahāvīra.
Gosāla then practised the severe penances for acquiring fiery forces and succeeded after six months. Now he proclaimed himself a Jina and founded the Order of the Ājiviyas. The headquarters of the Order was in Sāvatthi in the shop of the potter woman Hālāhala. In the twenty-fourth year of Gosāla’s ascetic life he was visited by six ascetics with whom he discussed their