History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c11.s8.1

c11.s8.1

A further event which took place at the end of the period of Gosāla’s association with Mahāvīra is also mentioned in the *Bhagavatī Sūtra*.² The incident occurred on the journey to Kuṃmāragāma, after Gosāla had uprooted the sesamum plant. As they proceeded on their way the couple met a foolish ascetic (*bāla-tavassī*) named Vesiyāyaṇa, outside the village of Kuṇḍagāma; he was seated on the ground facing the sun, with his arms raised above his head, and was engaged in a series of fasts, each of three days’ duration. His body was covered with insects, born of the heat of the sun, and out of pity for all living things he would not interfere with them. Gosāla approached him and derisively asked him, “ Sir, are you a *muni* or a host for lice ? ” (*jūyā-sejjayaraë*). Vesiyāyaṇa did not reply, and Gosāla twice repeated the same question. After the third insult Vesiyāyaṇa’s wrath was thoroughly aroused. In order to encompass Gosāla’s destruction he stepped back seven or eight paces and released against him the magical heat which he had accumulated by his asceticism. But Mahāvīra, taking pity on his companion, counteracted the attack by releasing a flow of cooling magical power (*sīyaliyam teyalessam*). When Vesiyāyaṇa saw that Gosāla was in no way injured by his attack he was pacified, and recognized Mahāvīra’s superior psychic power.