The History of Gosala Mankhaliputta

Summary

The article “The History of Gosala Mankhaliputta” translates portions of the Jaina Bhagavatī‑sūtra that narrate the life of Makkhali Gosala. As with the short biography, the story begins with the low‑born ascetic repeatedly approaching Mahāvīra and pleading to become his disciple. After many petitions, Mahāvīra agrees, and the two wander for years, practising severe asceticism. They journey through villages, forests and towns, often staying in fields or deserted huts. The text recounts how they lived in poverty, wore only simple garments and subsisted on alms. When they arrived at Pāṅiyabhūmi, the narrative describes a series of dramatic incidents that reveal Gosala’s character. During a drought they encountered a withered sesame plant. Gosala, believing in his own supernatural powers, watered the plant; when it revived he thought he had performed a miracle, although Mahāvīra regarded the revival as a natural occurrence. This misunderstanding convinced Gosala that he could manipulate destiny. Later, after meeting the ascetic Vesiyāyaṇa, Gosala tested his powers by killing two youths and then reviving them, reinforcing his belief in magical abilities. Tensions grew between the two ascetics. Gosala boasted that his powers would give him omniscience, while Mahāvīra insisted that enlightenment is achieved through disciplined self‑effort rather than conjuring. Their arguments culminated in a public quarrel: Gosala insulted Mahāvīra and cursed him, but Mahāvīra calmly predicted that Gosala would suffer and that his doctrine would not last. The Bhagavatī‑sūtra then details Gosala’s eventual downfall. According to the Jaina text, he died after being struck by a fever sent by Mahāvīra’s curse; his body went through horrific transformations before decomposing. The scripture elaborates on his karmic future, stating that he would be reborn in various hells and heavens across countless cycles. These lengthy descriptions emphasise the Jaina view that Gosala’s teachings were false and that his arrogance led to his demise. The story uses vivid imagery to portray his misdeeds and suffering. The article thus serves both as a historical narrative and as sectarian polemic. It demonstrates how Jaina authors shaped Gosala’s legend to warn against fatalism and to assert the superiority of Mahāvīra’s doctrine. The text reflects the broader rivalry between Ājīvikas and Jains: Buddhist and Jaina sources harshly criticised Gosala and likened his doctrine to a fisherman’s net that destroys many fishhttps://historynotesbook.wordpress.com/2021/04/04/ajivika-sect/#:~:text=The%20severe%20criticism%20of%20the,and%20conflict%20with%20the%20Ajivikas. The narrative also situates Gosala within the social context of 5th‑century BCE India, where itinerant ascetics challenged Brahmanical rituals and experimented with new philosophies. By translating the Bhagavatī‑sūtra passages, the article preserves an important historical record of the disputes that shaped early Indian heterodox movements.