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Mahāvīra and Buddha
This Nandivardhana conquered the kingdom of Avanti and established the Nanda's rule there in 467 B.C., thus ending the rule of the Palak dynasty or "Pradyotas."1
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after having ruled for 24 years at Rajagṛha (Viceregal throne), acceeded to the regal throne of Magadha at Pataliputra. Because he belonged to the Sisunaga dynasty, he can be called as "Śiśunaga". He it seems then assigned a new name "Nandi Vardhana" and found as a new dynasty--the Nanda-dynasty after his new name. He must have reigned for 16 or 18 years, for the Buddhistchronology assign this period to Suśunaga. Also, the Purānas have ascribed 40 or 42 years out of which 24 were spent at Rajagṛha as "Darśaka" and the remaining 16 or 18 years must have spent as "Nandivardhana". It should also be remarked here, that Udayi and Aniruddha Munda reigned for 24 years at regal-throne of Magadha and at the same time, Darśaka reigned at Räjagṛha for the same period. Thus the Puranas count 24 years of Darśaka twice which is an error, while the Buddhist-chronology counts it only once which is correct.
1. According to the Puranas (Vayu Purāṇa, a Ic, vs. 309-314, Matsya Purāṇa, ad CCLXXI, vvs, 1-4), Pulaka (or Sunaka) killed his master Ripunjaga, the last king of the Bṛhadratha-dynasty, and enthroned his son Pradyota. Thus, when the rule of Vitihotras and Bṛhadrathas ended in Avanti, the rule of the kings called Pradyotas commenced. The following five kings are called pradyotas:
1. Pravdyota (Mahāsena or Candpradyota)
2. Pälaka (Son of Pradyota)
3. Visakhyupa
4. Ajaka or Gopalaka
5. Avantivardhana (Or Vartivardhana).
As we have already seen, according to the Jain tradition, Palaka acceeded to the throne of Avanti on the very day on which Mahavira died, and his dynasty reigned for 60 years. Now, the Puranas assign 20 years to Palaka's reign (cf. Pargiter, Dynasties of the Kali age, p. 19, note 26. In some Purāņas, 24 years are assigned; but the scholars have relied on the above version. cf. Dr. Shanti Lal Shah, Chronological Problems, p. 26). The third Pradya (Contd. on next page)
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