History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c11.s5.1

c11.s5.1

In the *Bhagavatī Sūtra* the story of Gosāla’s association with Mahāvīra is put into the mouth of Mahāvīra himself, as a continuation of his exposure of his rival, and it is narrated with much circumstantial detail.² In the third year of his asceticism Mahāvīra had taken up temporary quarters in a corner of a weaving-shed (*tantuvāya-śālā*) at Nālandā, near Rāyagiha. Thither came Gosāla Maṅkhaliputta, and, finding no other accommodation, took shelter in the same shed. On completing a month’s fast, Mahāvīra went to Rāyagiha (Skt. Rājagṛha) to beg his food. There he and his patron Vijaya were greeted by a miraculous rain of flowers, and by other auspicious omens, amid the acclamations of the citizens. Hearing of these great events Gosāla waited outside Vijaya’s house until Mahāvīra emerged, circumambulated him three times, and begged to become his pupil in asceticism. Mahāvīra gave him no answer, but returned to the weaving shed, where he performed a further month’s fast, after which the same phenomena were repeated, with a different patron. The miracles occurred again, after a third fast. At the conclusion of a fourth month’s penance Mahāvīra visited a brāhmaṇa named Bahula, at Kollāga, a village near Nālandā.