History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c11.s5.17

c11.s5.17

It seems probable that the crucial passage in the *Bhagavatī* must be interpreted to mean that Gosāla and Mahāvīra spent six years together after their meeting at Paṇiyabhūmī, and not that the six years were spent at that place. The weight of Jaina tradition suggests that Mahāvīra was a wanderer and that, except during the rainy seasons, he frequently changed the scene of his activities. This tradition is confirmed by Jinadāsa Gaṇi’s *cūrṇi* to the *Āvaśyaka Sūtra*, which purports to give a complete itinerary of the journeys of Mahāvīra and Gosāla during the six years in question. Although this source, which is considered below, is no earlier than the seventh century A.D.,⁶ and must be treated very cautiously, it strengthens the traditions of the *Ācārāṅga* and *Kalpa Sūtras* that the six years were mainly spent in wandering.