The correct answer is (a) Makkhali Gosala.
Makkhali Gosala was a 6th-century BCE Indian philosopher and the founder of the Ajivika sect. He was born in a village in the eastern part of India, and his teachings were based on the idea that the universe is governed by natural laws and that there is no such thing as free will. He also believed that the soul is not immortal, and that after death it is simply absorbed back into the universe.
The Ajivika sect was one of the six major schools of thought in ancient India, and it survived for several centuries after Gosala’s death. However, it eventually declined in popularity and disappeared around the 12th century CE.
The other options are incorrect because:
(b) Parsva was the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism. He was born in the 8th century BCE, and his teachings were based on the idea of non-violence and compassion.
(c) Ajita Kesakambalin was a 6th-century BCE Indian philosopher who was one of the six major teachers of the time. He was a materialist who believed that the universe is made up of four elements: earth, water, fire, and air.
(d) Sthulbhadra was a 6th-century BCE Indian philosopher who was a follower of Mahavira. He was a leading scholar of Jainism, and he wrote several important texts on the subject.