________________
Corroboration of the Conclusion
The date of the minor Rock Edicts I & II Hence, by going 255 years back from 247 B.C. we, reach the date of Buddha's Nirvāṇa. 247+255-502 B.C.
4. Burmese Tradition
The most sound evidence among the traditional evidences is that of Burmese tradition. There prevails an era called "Eetzana era" in Burma.1 Eetzana is the Burmese term for Añjana, who was the Sakya king of Devaha which is the Burmese for Devadaha Country and who was also the maternal grandfather of Buddha.2 The chief events of Buddha's life have been chronicled in the Eetzana era and the tithis, (the lunar days), the week-days as well as the constellations with which the moon was in combination on these days, have also been recorded with reference to the different years of that era, which would seem to have been current at that ancient time.
(1) Birth of Buddha on Friday the full-moon day of the month Katson which is Burmese for the Indian lunar month Vaišākka, combined with the constellation Withaka, which is Burmese for the 16th lunar mansion Visakha in the 68th year of the Eetzana era.
133
247 B.C.
(2) Renunciation (Departure from the household life and initiation into ascetic life); On Monday the fullmoon day in the month of July i.e. Aṣadha (the Indian lunar month), combined with the constellation Ostharathana,
1. Life of Gautama by Bigandet, Vok FF, p. 13.
2. Ibid., p. 13.
3. Ibid., vol. II pp. 71-72,
4. Ibid., vol. I, pp. 62-63; vol. II, p. 72.
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