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had no effect on the approaching visitor. As the master came near, the serpent rushed at him and injected his poisonous fangs in one of his toes. The blood which came out of the injured toe of the master tasted differently. It tasted like milk which confounded the reptile. Mahavira had all compassion for the poor creature. In fact, he had, by this time, developed love and compassion for all lives in the universe and the blood which ran in his veins was likely to be of a differently character than that of ordinary mortals who are suffering from different types of passions such as anger, hatred, fear and violence.
Persons of the spiritual height achieved by Mahavira are always in a sort of communion with the whole universe. He, therefore, admonished the serpent, reminded him of his previous birth and asked him to be aware of his present plight. Chandkaushik realized his position, repented and adopted a non-violent and peaceful attitude which enabled the people to take revenge and kill him. He transmigrated to a higher level of life.
This story cannot be dismissed as a pure mythology. A woman full of anger found her child dead when she breast fed the child while she was still angry. It is biological truth that the character of our blood changes for the worst with the nervous impact of high emotions and tensions. If so, it could change for the better in case. of a Yogi who has established such a communion with the universe that he could see life even in the things like earth, water and air without any help of a laboratory experiments. Such a Yogi could also communicate with all sentient things of the universe.
The story of Mahavira's encounter with Chandkaushik, even if it is taken as purely a mythological one, carries most of the lessons of the Jain doctrines such as the doctrine of Karma, transmigration, nonviolence, fearlessness and the possibility of self's communion with the whole universe.
(Vide Pg 17-18 of "Wisdom, Bliss and Common Sense" by Darshani Deane Quest Books Publications)
7. Goshalak's association with Mahavira for six long six years, and subsequent encounter between the two when he unsuccessfully threw his 'Agnileshya' at Mahavira with a view to kill him, are the events which cannot be missed in any narration of the significant events of Mahavira's life.
Goshalak was the leader of what is known as the sect of "Ajivikas" who believed that every event in life is predetermined that there is no scope for self determination as also for good or bad Karma and that the life goes on from one birth to the other up to its previously determined course. Goshalaka happened to meet Mahavira at Nalanda when he was
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