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JAIN : JAMALI
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account of his activities during this long period is available. The analysis of subsequent events confirms that he must have struggled hard to gain a high position among the Mahāvīra's ascetics and even aspired to obtain the coveted rank of a Kevalin.
So far as the observation of rigid rules of ascetic life is concerned he followed a course of extreme self-discipline. From the very start he practised a rigorous form of austerity and used to fast until the fourth or sixth or eighth meal and onward, i.e. for one day or two days or three days and even more. Some times he gave up all food for a fortnight or even a month. Thus he wandered mortifying himself with peculiar penances and constraints. The excellence of his self-restraint and purity of conduct was made known to Gautama by Mahāvira after Jamāli's death. Gautama asked the Lord,1 "Sir, did the houseless monk Jamali take flavourless, tasteless, left-over, coarse, rough and inferior food ? Did he live on such meals? Was he a man who had subdued his passions, lived peacefully and led a solitary as well as holy life?" "Yes, Gautama”, was the reply. 7. Severance of Jamali from Mahavira
One day during the 12th year? i.e. 489-488 B. V. of Mahāvīra's life as Kevalin, Jamāli approached the Lord and having praised him thus said, "I intend, Sir, being permitted by you to wander over various villages and towns together with five hundred monks." On hearing this request, Lord Mahāvīra remained perfectly silent. The request was repeated for the second and even third time but it failed to bring out any tangible result. The commentator Abhaya Deva Sūri* assumes that Mahāvīra's silence on the request was due to his indifference to the proposal as it contained in itself the seeds of future disruption.
Then Jamāli, probably taking this silence as a form of approval,
1. “FITO ! , THIER, PATHIETt, ziarent, ateit, ARTER, Jaziert, atatat,
निरसजीवी, जाव तुच्छजीवी, उवसंतजीवी, पसंतजीवी, विचित्तजीवी ?"
"gar 1941!" 2. śramaņa Bhagavān Mahavira, p. 119. 3. तह णं से समणे भगवं महावीरे जमालिस्स अणगारस्स एयमटुं णो आदाइ णोपरिजाणाइ तुसिणीए संचिट्ठइ । 4. nattesaatorulacaitika sia 3922atargiat: Haditat p. 893. 5. Malayagiri in his commentary on Avaśyaka (p. 402) says that Jamäli took
permission of Mahavira. Santyācārya's commentary on Steg (p. 153B) gives a similar account.
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