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ĀJIVIKA SECT-NEW INIERPRETATION *
I-Life History of Goialaka.
Gogalaka was the son of Mankhali by Bhadra. He was so named because he was born in a cowshed (gośala) of Gobahula-a Brahmin who lived in a saravana, a suburb (sanniveia). He was trained in his father's profession, namely, that of living by showing picture-board, as was usual in those days with the members of the beggar community known as Mankha in Buddhistic and Jaina literatures. He is also referred to therein as Mankhaliputra, Buddhaghosa, who flourished probably in the first half of the fifth century A.D., quotes in his commentary on Dighanikaya, an anecdote which is responsible for his name Mankhali.1 Personally I attach no more importance to this on account of the reasons mentioned elsewhere in this article than what should be attached to a simple anecdote.
No further details about the life-history of Gojalaka before Mahavira enrolled him as his pupil are available.
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II.-His Association with Mahavira.
Gojalaka met Mahavira for the first time in Nalanda at Rajagrha when the latter, after he had become a monk, was spending his second rainy season there in a weaver's house. After a month's fast, in those days, Mahavira went to beg alms to a rich man named Vijaya who respected him much. This incident came to be known to Gogalaka and tempted him to become his pupil. His association with Mahavira begins from here. I think he did not do this out of love for Mahavira's creed. It was more or less a commercial bargain. In those days there was a well-organized sect of Ajivikas who were beggarlike and maintained themselves by employing some specific means. They observed rules of penances quite peculiar to their sect. In this sect there were sub-branches also, founded on minor variations regarding discipline-moral and worldly. In Majjhimanikaya we find references to Nanda Vaccha and Kisa Samkicca, along with Golaka, as followers of Ajiyika Sect. Dr. B. M. Barua, following the late Dr. Jacobi, is of the opinion that these are the names of the Acaryas of the Ajivika. Sect who flourised before Gogalaka. I do not subscribe to this view on the plain ground that the word (ime) used there in text refers to persons living and not dead, and again on the basis that the Jaina satras, such as Upasakadalanga, Frainavyakaraṇa, Published in the Bharatiya Vidya, Vol. II, Part II; May, 1941,
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