________________
117
Name of the scholars
(Date of Buddha's) Nirvăna in B.C.
E. J. Thomas and a Japanese Scholar (175)
386 Rhys Davids (176)
412 Max Muller (177) and Jarl 477 Charpentier (178) Gen. ... Cunnigham (179) and Diwan Bahadur
478 Swami Kanna Pilley (180) 480 Oldenberg (181)
481 Ferguson (182) Dr. Buhler (183) In between 483 & 471 Dr. Wheeler, Gelger (184), Dr. Fleet(185)
483 Tukaram-Krisna laddu (186), Pt. Rhaul Sankrityayana (187),
Dr. Jacobi (188) Dr. H.C. Ray Chaudhri (189),
Dr. Smith's later view (190) 487 Prof. Kern (191)
488 Dr. Smith's Earlier Views (192),
Dharmananda Kausambi (193) 543 Pt. Bhagawan Lal Inderji (194)
638
It can easily be inferred, from the above list that out of the twenty two opinions quoted, nineteen hold that Buddha's Nirvana took place later than 527 B.C. If 527 B.C. is accepted to be the correct date of Mahāvíra's Nirvana Buddha can be considered as a Junior contemporary of Mahavira in opinion of the above 19 scholars.
Though in course of time, new changes have entered in the opinion regarding the date of Buddha's Nirvana, not a single view has been propounded so as to reconcile the events of Buddha's life connected with Mahavira, Gosalaka, Bimbis ara (Srenika), Ajātasatru (Konika), etc. This suggests that there has remained some fundamental mistake in our way of approach to the problem. It is nothing but the adoption of the chronology of Ceylonese · chronicles as the basis.
