(nemi) of black jewels (ariṣṭa). Kṛiṣṇa and his brother Baḷadeva lived at this time, and were cousins of Neminātha’s. This Tīrthaṅkara was ten bow-shots in height, and his sign was the conch shell. Unlike most of the other Tīrthaṅkara, he attained mokṣa from Girnār in Kāṭhiāwāḍ.
The twenty-third and twenty-fourth Tirthankara are respectively Pārśvanātha and Mahāvīra.
Mahāvīra’s unruly disciple Gośāla.The peculiar temptations with which an ascetic’s life are beset are illustrated for us in the life of Gośāla, an early antinomian. He seems to have been the head of a body of unclothed anchorites, a section of the Ājīvika monks, and joined forces with Mahāvīra whilst the latter was still practising austerities before the period of his enlightenment. Gośāla, Dr. Hoernle suggests in his exhaustive article on the Ājīvikas,[1] may either have been moved by a desire to learn the tricks of Mahāvīra’s trade, or else the strong stern personality of the great ascetic may have had an irresistible attraction for the weaker sensual nature. At any rate, for six years they lived together, but a permanent association was impossible between a man like Mahāvīra and one of Gośāla’s tricky, unreliable disposition.
There seems no doubt that they separated owing to some act of unchastity on Gośāla’s part, and this had the natural effect of opening Mahāvīra’s eyes to the special temptation besetting wandering mendicants. An added element of bitterness would be caused by the disciple venturing to preach before the master felt himself qualified to do so, for whilst Mahāvīra waited twelve years before teaching his Way, Gośāla preached after only six.
It was probably owing to Gośāla’s conduct that Mahāvīra
- ↑ E. R, E., vol. i.
