________________
616
Source: Questions of Minander, Hindi transla
tion by Bhiksu Jagadisa Kasyapa, pp. 4-6.
Comment
Comment
?
Since Milinda lived at least six hundred years after the death of Buddha'. These six leaders could not have been present at that posterior date, According to Bhikşu Jagadisa Kaśyapa, perhaps their respective seats were named after the masters, like the seat of Sankaracàrya. But there is no solid ground for this surmise.
43. Niganthas in Lankā
This account about King Pāņdukābhaya of Lanka has a single line which may be of interest; "The king got erected apartments for the Nigantha astrologers to the east of the cremation ground".
Source: Mahāvansa, Book X, Sloka 77-79,
91-102. 91-102.
Comment
If we are to believe this account, then the Niganthas had gone out of the country. Pāņdukābhaya was the king of Lankā at least 100 years before Asoka. Thus according to this account, before the emissaries of Asoka could reach Lahkā, the Niganthas were there. On this, we have nothing from the Jaina Sources, nor it is certain Niganthas were monks or householders. The Mahāvamsa Commentary has described these Nigantha astrologers as "nagar vārdhaki".
44. Pestilence in Vaiśālī
Once a pestilence had spread in Vaisālī caused by a thousand sons of a Yakşiņi who hailed from the Himalayan region. People died like insects. They propitiate the devils, all stratagem was tried, but to no effect. Then the
1. Questions of Milinda, Hindi by Bhikşu Jagadīša...
Kasyapa, p. 4; 2. K to above, p. 6.
to aboris :
