History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c12.s1.1

c12.s1.1

At that time Mahāvīra was in the neighbourhood of Sāvatthi, and the visit of the six disācaras to Gosāla was reported to him by his chief disciple Indabhūī Goyama.⁵ Mahāvīra then told his followers the story of the birth of Gosāla and of the early association of the two ascetics, which we have paraphrased above. The news of Mahāvīra’s exposure of Gosāla rapidly spread through the city, and seems to have resulted in a popular demonstration against the latter. Gosāla, who at the time was at the penance-ground (*āyāvaṇa-bhūmi*), returned to Hālāhalā’s workshop with his followers, his eyes blazing with rage.¹