Contemporaneity and Chronology of Mahavira and Buddha

Author(s): Nagrajmuni, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Today and Tomorrows Book Agency

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Mahāvīra and Buddha
Brhadrathesvatiteșu vītihotreşvavantisu! Pulakas svāminarı hatvă svaputrmabhișekşyati !! (Vāyu Purāņa, adh. Ic, VV, 309-310; Matsya Purāna adh. CCLXX V. 30; ad. CCLXXI, V.1) These verses explicitly indicate that when the rule of the kings: Viihotrās and Brhadrathās was over in Avanti, Ripuñjaya the last king was killed by his minister Pulaka (or Puņika or Sunaka) and his son Pradyota was enthroned. (We have already discussed Prālyota's rule in Avanti.) Thus, though the rule of the Bärhadrathās was established in Magadha in the time of Somādhi, later on it must have been transferred to Avanti. (iv) The kings of Prādyota dynasty from Pradyota to Avanti
vardhana. This dynasty reigned in Avanti. (v) The king of śiśumāga-dynāsty from Śisunāga to Mahānandi. This dynasty reigned in Magadha.
Those dynasticlists clearly show that the dynasties mentioned are not in succeeding order but are more or less contemporary. Udayan of the first dynasty, Presenjita of the second dynasty, Pradyota of the fourth dynasty and Ajātasatru (and Bimbisāra) of the fifth dynasty are undoubted by contemporary kings of Vatsa, Košala, Avanti and Magadha respectively. (cf. Rapson, C.H.I.p. 277) Thus, it would be a mistake if we take the fifth as the successor of the fourth dynasty, although the fourth dynasty is explicitly mentioned to have succeeded the third dynasty. Also, because the Bärhadrathās transferred their seat from Magadha to Avanti, tho Sisunāgas are justified as the rulers of Magadha and the conteinporaries of the later Bārhadrathảs of Avanti. The only question which remains still to be answered is that during whose reign the Bārhadrathās changed their seat from Magaddha to Avanti. It is possible that when Sisunāga became powerful in northern India and when he established his kingdom in Magadha (in c. 807 B.C.) the Bärhabrathäs king ruling at that time in Magadha would have escaped to Avanti and established his kingdom there. Then onwards, the Siśunāgas ruled in
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