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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA [Ch. VIÍI himself as Jina and practising austerities, having been surrounded by his followers.
As already pointed out in connection with the topic 'Gośāla Mankbaliputra as teacher' in the sixth section of the seventh chapter, this matter of disclosure of his birth in a low family and the revelation of his past life, made by Lord Mahāvīra enraged him very much and finally led to a spiritual duel between him and the Master at the Kosthala Caitya, resulting in the death of Saryānubhūti and Sunakṣatra, two disciples of the Master, caused by the fiery energy released by the Āzīvika leader on them, while defending their teacher's honour, and his own spiritual defeat, as his fiery energy became ineffective in the case of the Master who was endowed with more spiritual power than he possessed. Then Gośāla Mankhaliputra cursed Lord Mahāvīra that he would die as Chadmastha at the end of six months, having the attack of bilious fever due to the effect of fiery energy released by him. At this curse the Master retorted to the Ājīvika leader that he himself would die as Chadmastha at the end of seven nights.
After the departure of Gośāla from the Kosthaka Caitya with spiritual defeat Lord Mahāvīra gave the account of the power of his fiery energy by which he could reduce sixteen great states, viz, Anga, Vanga and others to ashes and that of the last stage of his life and death, etc.'
His visit to Mendbikagrāma?
Having left the Kosthaka Caitya, Lord Mahāvīra appeared at Mendhikagrāma, together with his retinue of followers. It is here in the Sālakosthaka Caitya the Master suffered from the bilious fever, accompanied by the passing of blood stool. He allayed the fear of his disciples, Simha and others against the street-talk of the four castes that this disease was the effect of the fiery energy released by the Ajīvika leader, Gośāla on his body, and told them that he would live for another sixteen and a half years as Jina unharmed. He got cured of this serious
1 Bh8, 15, 1, 553.
16, 15, 1, 557.
:
1b, 15, 1, 553-561,
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