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No.l]
Achrya Samantabhadra and Patliputra Achens
37
refered to this Patliputra, a new find or to other which is now known as Patna in Behar-North India.
3. For this one has to test the question from the following point of view :-(A) Why should Acharya has gone to Patliputra in North India and whether it was a seitt of learning and centre of religious activities then-in his times ? Whether at all the town was in a flourishing condition as it was a capital of the Magadha in that period ? No doubt that Pataliputra was a Aurishing city in the times of Chandragupta Maurya, as the capital of MAGADHA Empire, it lost its importance after the overthrow of the Imperial thrown of Mauran Dynasty, some times in second century B. C. (184 B. C.) when Pushyamitra and his son Agnimitra the founder of the Sunga Dynasty, occupied it, invading Magadha and tremendous destruction has been suffered by the capital-Pataliputra, and Agnimitra took his capital to Vidisha in Malva, the modern Besanagar near Bhilsa in Gwalior State. The other capital was Avanti-Ujjain being at the other end of the Magadha Empire. 8
4. Again Pataliputra was invaded by King KHARAVEL of Kaling Desh and of Hatigumfa fame and complete destruction was made in the 1st century B. C. of the city of Patliputra, due to the severe blow at the hands of King Kharavel, when he invaded Magadha and made Agninitra as his vassal. Thus evidently it will be proved that Pataliputra was under complete destruction and never regained its importance and magnificience, glory and grandeur for ever. All these events took place before the Christian Era and since then there is nothing to the credit of Pataliputra to show that it had regained the same past days, up to the times of Acharya Samantabhadra, which means a very long and most considerable gap of time of nearly five hundred years or so. (B) Whether it was a seat of learning at the time of the visit of Acharya ? Samantabhadra's time is as far as fixed or supposed as Saka Samvat 60, i.e. 138 A. D.*
3. (a) Ancient India Vol. No. IV, pages 113 and 114. by Dr. T. L. Shah.
4. Mr. Levis Rise in his "Inscription at Sravanabelgola" and preface to "Karnatak Shabdenusasan"; "Pattavali" published in Bhandarkar Oriental Report 1883-84, page 320 and "Swami Samantbhadra" page 196 a Hindi Book by Pandit lugal Kisor Mukatiyar.
