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88
Mahāvīra and Buddha
and Kalakirājā was born, 394 years 7 months, after the Saka era'. Thus, 605 years 5 months+394 years 7 months,
= 1000 years. In this way on the basis of these three Jain writers, the time of Sakarājā as well as that of Kalakirājā are ascertained. “In this way, after ascertaining the times of Saka and Kalaki on the basis of some Jain works, Dr. Vasudeva Upadhyaya has proceeded further to find out the interval between the Saka era, and the Gupta era on the basis of Khoha inscription of king Hastina. In conclusion of the whole discussion, he writes! : "On the basis of the above discussion, it can be said that adding the number 241 to a date in Saka era, we get the corresponding date in Gupta era. Also, the statement of Alberuni is substantiated by this extensive discussion. It can be definitely concluded that the Gupta era began 241 years after Saka era (i.e. in 319 A.D.).”
The above quotation shows how the date of Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa has become the base of the chronology upto the beginning of Gupta era. Dr. Upadhyaya, as shown above, has reached at the date of the Gupta era by starting from the date of Mahāvīra's Nirvāņa. Now, if we employ just the reverse process we reach back to the date of Mahāvīra's Nirvāna as 527 B.C. For,
The beginning of Gupta era-319 A.D.
Interval between Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa and the beginning of era-846 years. :. Date of Mahāvīra's Nirvāņa-527 B.C. Astrological Calculations
The learned Ācāryas of Terapantha have also accepted 527 B.C. as the date of Mahāvīra's Nirvāņa. They have supported their belief by the astrological calculations.
1. Op. cit. 181.
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