The name Gosala signifies a cowshed, reflecting the location where the ascetic was born in the settlement of Saravana near Shravasti. Operating within 6th or 5th century BCE India, he functioned as a primary leader of the Ājīvika movement and remains a subject of intense study due to his philosophical rivalry with the founders of Buddhism and Jainism.
Origins and Identification
Historical records regarding Gosala’s early life are primarily derived from Jain and Buddhist texts, which often present conflicting details. His father was a mankhali, a type of mendicant who earned a living displaying a picture. While some sources suggest he was born into poverty in a shed, others claim he was born into slavery and fled his master. His formal name, Maskarin, likely relates to a school of wanderers described by Pāninī as carrying a bamboo staff. These groups were known for advocating quietism and fatalism.
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Gosala traveled alongside Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, for six years after joining him three years into Mahavira's own ascetic practice. Their relationship is documented in the Bhagavati Sutra, though many accounts highlight ideological friction. A pivotal disagreement occurred regarding a plant: Gosala attempted to uproot it to invalidate Mahavira’s prophecy, but subsequent rainfall revived the vegetation, reinforcing Mahavira’s prediction. This led to a split, reportedly worsened by Gosala’s pursuit of magical powers and a differing belief in the potential for reanimation of living beings.
Scholarly and Cultural Legacy
Because Gosala’s teachings survive only through the critiques of sectarian opponents, determining his true doctrine is difficult. He is mentioned in the Sāmmaññaphala Sutta as one of the six major philosophers of the Buddha’s era. Outside of ancient texts, he appears in the 1981 novel Creation by Gore Vidal, where he interacts with the character Cyrus Spitama, and is the subject of the Magahi language novel Khanti Kikatia by Ashwini Kumar Pankaj.
Fast facts
- Born: 484 BCE
- Died: 484 BCE
- Primary Affiliation: Ājīvika
- Origin: Saravana, Uttar Pradesh
- Contemporary of: Gautama Buddha, Mahavira
- Known as: Maskarin
- Key Source: Bhagavati Sutra
Questions readers ask
Why is information about Makkhali Gosala considered biased?
Because his primary recorded teachings are found in Buddhist and Jain texts, which were written by his religious rivals.
What did the term Maskarin mean in ancient India?
It referred to a group of wandering ascetics who carried a bamboo staff and preached deterministic philosophies.
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