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Research and Conclusion
87
the Saka era started in 78 A.D. Hence, the date of Mahā vīra's Nirvāņa comes out to be, 605-78=527 B.C.
The Gupta Era
Dr. Vasudeva Upadhyaya, M.A., Ph. D. discussing about the Gupta era, writes in his famous historical work on Gupta period, 2 “On the basis of the account given by some Jain writers of centuries prior to Alberuni, it is found that there is an interval of 241 years between the Saka and Gupta eras. One of these writers, Jinasena, who flourished in the 8th century A.D., states that 605 years and 5 months after Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa, the Saka king flourished and 231 years after the Šaka, Gupta's reign began, during which was born the Kalakirājā. Another Jain auther Gunabhadra writes in his work Uttara purāņal (889 A.D.), that 1000 years after Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa, the Kalakirāja was born. The statements of Jinasena and Gunabhadra are seconded by a third writer, Nemicandra.
“Nemicandra writes in his work Trilokasāras, "Sakarājā was born 605 years and five months after Mahāvīra’s Nirvana
1. An Advanced History of India, p. 120; Gupta Sāmråjya kā Itihasa,
Part I, pp. 182-183. 2. Ibid, part 1, p. 382. 3. Guptānām ca satadvayam...... !
Ektrimśacca varśāņi kālavidbhirudāhytam...... !! Dvicatvārimsadevātah Kalkirājasya rājatā......! Tato (a) jitamjayo rājā syadindrapura-saristhitaḥ...... !! Varśāņi şațsatiā tyaktvā pancāgram māsapancakam...... ! Muktim gate Mahāvire sakarājā tato(a)bhavan. ..... !!
-- Jinasena Harivamsa Purana, Adhyâya LX, VSS. 547-49. 4. Indian Antiquary, Vol. XV, 143, 5. Pana chasayi assam panamāsa judam gamiya virani vuido
Sagarājā to Kalkicadukakatiya mahiya Sasamāsa. Trilokasāra, p. 32.
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