Some Aspects of Indian Culture

Author(s): A S Gopani, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Some Aspects of Indian Culture
sequence or as an inevitable result after passing through a predetermined cycle of births and deaths. These grades of animal life are pre-arranged. As emancipation is the highest good one can achieve or is a condition par excellence, Gośālaka is an exponent, directly, of the theory of automatic evolution, resembling somewhat DARWIN's. He believed that the world was an evermoving cycle without a beginning or an end.
V.-Theory of Transformation. His theory of transformation is no less illogical than it is interesting. At first sight it would appear very ludicrous. However, let us try to interpret it as it is an authentic feature of his philosophy evidenced in the Bhagavatisūtru, 15. By Parivarta what he means to say is that one can assume after death the same body which one previously inhabited. It is most significant that Gośālaka makes reference to this theory for the first time only wben Mahāvira reveals before the public the truth that Gogā. laka was formerly his pupil and could not thus be a jina as he claimed to be. He was discomfited by Mahavira in a wordy fight and totally exposed before the public. This exposure was a matter of no small concern for Gogalaka who had almost succeeded in attracting the public to him by means fair and foul. The exposure dealt a death. blow to the prestige of Gośālaka to reestablish which he would go to any possible lengtb. Exactly at this time he remembered and sought shelter in Mahāvia's theory that after death living organisms of the vegetable kingdom take birth in the various limbs of the principal body. We have seen before in this article how Gośālaka did not approve of this theory and what he did to disprove it, though it came out true finally. He intentionally amplified this principle and applied it to himself on a false analogy to save his prestige. I think he did not believe in this theory as sincerely as he did in his theories of Niyativāda, world and emancipation, cycle of births and deaths. He must bave been inwardly enamoured of Mahavira's omniscience when he saw Mahāvıra's prophecy, regarding the fate of the seven flowers of the sesamum plant, turning out entirely true. However this phenomenon made him a great rival of Mahavira instead of making him all the more devoted to him, as Gosalaka had a good brain but a bad heart. He was temperamentally crooked, full of malice and pomp. So a misuse of talents was in every way possible in his case. His theory of transformation (Parivartavāda) was the result of his exposure by Mahavira. When Mahavira's prediction came out true, he became jealous and therefore severed his connection with Mahavira. He was afraid that Mahavira would throw him in the background by his divine knowledge, and his ambition of becoming a leader would never be realized. His unmasking by Mahavira who had an admirable hold on public mind could only be refuted, he must have thought, by his theory of transformation. Necessity is the mother of invention. He invented that theory out of sheer necessity. He took inspiration from Mahāvira's theory and enlarged it to disprove his exposure by Mahavira. Considering psychologically the make-up and development of Gośālaka's mind, I firmly hold that Gogalaka must have sincerely believed in the school of destiny throughout his life (excluding the time of repentance before his death ) before and