History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c12.s7.12

c12.s7.12

The title Maskarin seems to have been that by which Gosāla was most widely known among his followers, for the Tamil texts have no apparent knowledge of his personal name, which seems to have been neglected or forgotten. It seems that, as with the names of the founders of Buddhism and Jainism, growing reverence for the Ājīvika leader led to the gradual disuse of his personal name in favour of the title. Apparently he was also known by other titles of a more exalted type. Both the *Bhagavatī Sūtra* and the *Sāmañña-phala Sutta* mention him as claiming the title of *tīrthaṅkara*.⁵ The former text adds that he called himself *jina*, *arhant*, and *kevalin*.⁶ In the Tamil we find *Maṟkali* referred to as *Āptan*,⁷ a rather unusual title which may have had a specifically Ājīvika connotation.