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Pt. Sukh Lal jı has given importance to two things - one is that while the Buddhist scriptures do not bear any descri. ption of the war of the Vajjis with Konika, the Jain Scriptures do. But, as we have already discussed, this is not at all important in deciding the present issue,
The other thing is that the above war was precedent to the Nirvana of Buddha and antecedent to that of Mahavira. This view is based on the general belief that the MahaParinirvana Sutta contains only those events of Buddha's life that happened in his last days. The first event referred to by this Sutta, is the meeting of Vassakara, the chief minister of the king Ajāts atru (Konika) with Buddha. The Vassakara lays forth a plan of victory over the Vajjis before Buddha. This event, therefore, is believed to have been associated with the last days of Buddha.
That most of the events described in the Maha - Par iniri - ana Sutta, are connected with the last days of Buddha's life is understandable, but that all the events contained in above Sutta are so, cannot be accepted as a fact. It is to be noted that Sariputta's conversation with Buddha is also one of the subject of the Maha - Parinirvana Sutta (77), whereas it is unanimously believed that Sariputta, had died long before Buddha's Nirvana.
The fact appears to be that Vassakara had called on Buddha, when, after Maha -Sila -Kantaka and the Ratha - Musala wars, Konika had besieged the city of Vaisali, and he and his minister had been further devising the various plans to devastate the walls of Vais ali. This belief is also substantiated by the fact that according to the Jain sources, Konika was advised to employ the insidious strategies to enable him to enter into the city of Vaisali and also according to the Buddhist Scriptures, Vassakara, the chief minister of Ajāts atru, after having talked with Buddha and having known about the invincibility of the Vajjis, decided to play the croocked trick of bribing the Vajjis, and thus creating a rupture in their unity.
In the same way, both the traditions consider the honour paid by the Vajjis to the stūpas and temples standing inside the walled city, to be the chief cause of their impregnability.
