History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c12.s2.15

c12.s2.15

The circumstantial details of this story give it a measure of credibility. After extracting the supernatural element we have the record of a violent quarrel which took place between Gosāla and Mahāvīra, shortly before the death of the former, in the course of which two followers of the latter lost their lives. This is Hoernle's interpretation of the story.² Barua, on the other hand, suggests that the account of the deaths of the two disciples may be a veiled admission that they betrayed their leader and joined the faction of Gosāla.³ This is by no means impossible, but in view of the explicit statement of the text we prefer the former explanation.