Prakrit Proper Names (Agamic Index I) v1.c5.s7.1272

v1.c5.s7.1272

Gosala (Gosala) Son of Mamkhali and his wife Bhaddā (28) He was born in Saravana settlement Mamkhali was a mamkha i e a picture-vendor or a wandering beggar earning his livelihood by showing pictures ¹ Mamkhali's son was named Gosāla because he was born in a cow-shed (gosala) He was also called Mamkhaliputta that is the son of Mamkhali ² He is regarded as the propounder of the creed of Ajīviya i e fatalism or pre determinism ³ Gosala commenced his life as a mankha like his father After some time he made acquaintance with ascetic Mahāvīra and became his disciple At that time Mahāvīra was spending his second rainy season Gosāla stayed with Mahāvīra for six years Thereafter he developed antinomian proclivities This produced ill-feeling between the two and ultimately led to a total rupture Gosala severed his association with Mahāvīra and when he had passed 18 years more (i e twenty-four years of renouncement ) he declared himself as a Jina and Titthamkara ⁴ There after he quarrelled with Mahāvīra and threw tejolesya upon the latter to kill him But it counter effected Gosala and he died after seven days On this occasion Mahāvīra announced that he would still live for 16 years more Gosāla preached his own doctrine of fatalism i e denial of freedom 1 Bha 540 p 239 2 Ibid 4 Bha 539 546 3 S mA p 130 PrajH p 120 NanM 5 Bha 553 555 556 of will 8 He had the following twelve principal lay-votaries7 (1) Tāla, (2) Tālapalamba (3) Uvavīha (4) Samvīha (5) Avavīha (6) Udaa(1) (7) Nāmudaa (8) Namudaa (9) Aṇuvālaa (10) Samkhavālaa (2) (11) Ayampula (2) and (12) Kāyaraa He had also dispute with Addaa(2) about Mahāvīra and he was defeated by the latterb See Ajīviya for the chief tenets ot the creed of Gosāla 9 See also Mahāvīra for f rther deta ls