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ELURA: JAIXA CAVES.
CHAPTER VI.
THE JAINA CAVES AT ELURÂ.
It may help to illustrate the chronology of Jaina history and its connection with Buddhism to remember that Nahá vîra, the last Tirthankara, was contemporary with Buddha." The following table brings together the dates belonging to both sects :
RC.
167
Gautama Buddha, born at Kapila vastu . . . . . About 560 Srenika Bimbisira, king of Magadha 4 . . . . . 510-512 Vardhamana, Mahavira, or Jñataputra, born at Chitrakot in Dihar, 510 Gautama became Duddha at Buddhagaya . . . .
525 Vardhamana became a Digambara ascetie . . .
509 Varthamâna became an Arhat or Jina . . . .
196 Ajátasatru, called Künika or Koniki by the Jains . . . . 188-461 Gautama Buddha's Virzina . . . . . .
180 Vardhamana Mahavira's Virran at Pava . . Ldavibhaira, Udayâsra, Vilayin, or Udasin, son of Ajátasatru. 161-137 Nandivardhana, a new dynasty . . . . . Alexander the Great's invasion of India . . . . . in 327 Chandragupta founded the Jaurya dynasty . . .
318–295 Bindusara or Värisära, the Amitrokhates of the Greeksi . .
293-267 Asuka or Priyadarsi, son of Bindusara . . . . .
267-26 Samprati, grandson of Asoka . . . . . . about 22-17 Dasaratha, grandson of Asoka, Sangata, Salisuka, Sómasarman, ani!
Satadhanvan . . . . . . . . . . 217-185 Dridha ratha, the last of the Mauryas . . .
183-IN Pushyamitra, the first of the Sunga dynasty
1N2-152 Dalamitra, Bhånumitra, and Nabováhana .
1:50-1+ Gardabhilla in Ujjain . . . .
71-61
.
107
1 For some notes on Jainism see Care Towplpe, pr. 185 tt. * See S. Harily, Mun. Bull., p. 271; Ind. ant, vol. ix, p. 258.
* This is based on an extract from Merutunga's Vichárusreni in Ind. Int., vol. ii. p. 362, on lemachandra statement (Parisisht parru, viii, 311) that Chandragupta became king 155 years after Maláviru's nirw. .. the dates given in The Caer Temples, pp. 21-26.
· The Ceylon chronicles assign to Bimbisåra the long reign of fifty-two years, and state that he wil murdered by his son Ajátasatru, while both the Taue and latya Purând: nyree in giving twenty-ight year his rule, and after him the Intaycı inserts the names of kanvayann (with nine years) and Bhumimitia il Bhuiputra (with fourteen years), which till up the interval. Bimbizana's name is given a Vilnisára in tin Vishnu P., as Vidhisara in the Bhrigurat. Larsen, Iwl. Alterth. (21. el.) wl. i, p. 59, anu anh. 1. XXXVII For Sreņika or Srenya, conf. Asial. P, vol. xx, . 16; Burnouf, Introd. Hist. Balik. Iwl., 11. 128, 147
The Jaina chronicler gives only 108 years to the Maurya dynasty, and places Mannvira's Virrúno 15. peat hefore Chandragupta's accession, thus giving 31: B.C. (the Seleucidan era) for the latter tvent. This ro's about six years from our usual reckoning; but Merutunga and other writers add sixty for the reign of Palaka: if w.. regard this as a mistake for six, the dates relating to Malavira here will be thrown back six year-hi destil to 173 1.c., just 155 years before Chandragupta (318 B.c.), and all six to the lus cars of the Maury dynast. to which the Purants, lowever, assign 137
* lccorling to the Tayu Purina and the Jaina and Laululha accounts, hic fole:l l'italiputra, anel rului. according to the Purdnas, thirty-three yeurs; but both pulace Dlarlaka, llarskuka or Vansaka het wel Ajita-anti and him, with a reign of twenty-four or twenty-five years. The Bullhists a sign to ljåtasatrli, thirty-tw. var. to 'dayilhalra, sixteen; to Munda, cight: anil to Nagulasukn, twenty-four in succussion. --Burnouf, Intl. l'llixt. Bull. Iml., p. 319 : Jlahan . c. iv. ; Lassen. Iwl. Alterth., vol. ii, Pr. ... 1207.
Athenaeus, xiv, 67: Strabo, Gr. II., i, 9. These were probably kings of lyin and not uf M