History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c12.s2.5

c12.s2.5

Thereupon Gosāla's anger flared into fury, and he roundly cursed Mahāvīra.⁴ This horrified the disciple Savvāṇubhūti, who reproached Gosāla sternly for so reviling his former teacher.⁵ Gosāla promptly turned his anger upon the faithful disciple, and immediately reduced him to a heap of ashes by the magic force which he had accumulated from his asceticism. When a second disciple, Suṇakkhatta, remonstrated with him, he also suffered the same fate, although he survived long enough to pay a final homage to his master Mahāvīra.