Study of Jainism

Author(s): T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 92

Tirthankara Vardhamana Mahavira
could be acceptable and true Mahavira · said, "Gautama, Mankhaliputta Gošala is not the Jina, but Jina pralapa (Professing to be Jina but anti Jina). Gosala heard of this and was infuriated. He had not conquered the passions and emotions. He was angry with Mahavira and did his utmost to hit him hard somehow. But he could not succeed. At last he repented and destroyed himself with extreme tortures and sufferings 4 2
Bhagavän Mahavira now reached the city of Vaisali, the capital of Videhu. And there was raging a furious and famous war called "Mahasilakanţaka Yuddha". It was a furious war between king Kuņiku Ajätasatru and king Cetaka of Vaisali On both sides were huge armies. On the side of Ceiaka there were the 18 kings of Kasi and Košala, the nine Mallas and the nine Licchavis with their huge armies. The fierce battle went on for ten days. Cētaka was defeated. Cetaka had to enter the fray not for the sake of any. gain or aggrandisement nor for any ambitious designs. He had to fight the famous battles for the sake of giving protection to the two brothers, Halla and Vihalla kumara. We mention this incident because it has historical reference. The description of Mahäsila. kantaka Yuddha is to be found in the Jaina and the Buddhist literature as well. The Bhagavati sūíra gives the description of the battles Rasa musala Sangrama with reference to Mahavira's mention of it to Gautama, and his prophecy. 43 Mahäsilakantaka yuddha was staged in the historical perspective in the development of the teachings of Buddha and Mahavira. In this itinerary Bhigavån Mahavira went to Hastinapura. At that time Indrabhuti Gautama was in Srävasti along with his disciples. There, in Srāvasti, in the Tinduka Udyana (Garden named Tinduka), S ramana Kesi was camping with his disciples. Indrabhūti Gautuma and Kesikumara discussed about the four fold vows of Parsva and the five-fold vows preached by Mahavira. 44 Regarding the conceptual discussions of the distinction between the four-fold and the five-fold vows we have already referred to it earlier. On this topic, Jarl Charpentier, in his Introduction to the Uttaradhya yana sūtra says, “I feel convinced that there is preserved in this lecture a kernal of real old tradition concerning the differences in the opinion between the two ancient divisions of the Church, the followers of Parsva, who seem to have kept a somewhat less severe rule of asceticism and those of Mahavira" 46