The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c18.43

v1.c18.43

A far more dangerous rival of Mahāvīra was Gosāla. Not only was his doctrine, although differing on many points, mainly taken from the tenets of Mahāvīra¹; but his whole mode of life also, in its insistence on nakedness and on the utter deprivation of all comforts, bore a close resemblance to that of the Jains. Between two sects so nearly related the transition must have been easy; and pious people may not always have been quite sure whether they were honouring the adherents of one sect or of the other. The Jain scriptures admit that Gosāla had a great many followers in Çrāvastī; and, if we may trust their hints as to his laxity in moral matters, it is possible that his doctrine may for some people have possessed other attractions than those of asceticism and holiness. Although Mahāvīra is said not to have had any personal meeting with Gosāla until shortly before the death of the latter, it seems clear that they carried on a bitter war against each other through their followers. Finally, in the sixteenth year of his career as a prophet, Mahāvīra visited Çrāvastī, the head-quarters of his mortal enemy. The account given by the Jains tells us that, at this meeting, Mahāvīra inflicted a final blow on his adversary, and that Gosāla died a week afterwards, having passed his last days in a state of drunkenness and mental imbecility, but showing some signs of repentance at the last. But the story is rather confused, and it seems doubtful to what extent we may trust it. However, it may be regarded as beyond dispute that Mahāvīra was considerably relieved by the death of his opponent; and, according to the Bhagavatī-sūtra, he took a rather strange revenge on the dead man by describing to his disciples all the wicked deeds he would have to perform, and all the pains he would have to suffer in future existences, thus to a certain degree anticipating Dante’s treatment of his adversaries. The death of Gosāla occurred shortly after Ajātaçatru had gained accession to the throne of Magadha by the murder of his father.