Contemporaneity and Chronology of Mahavira and Buddha

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

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Mahāvīra and Buddha
chronicles." Dr. H.C. Raychaudhuri has also maintained that these Ceylonese legends cannot be made basis of the historical conceptions.” Dr. Shanti Lal Shah has already found out the reason of the discrepancy which is found in the Ceylonese chronicles, and which he terms as a deliberated perversion. He writes :4 "The peculiarity of the Buddhist tradition (The Ceylonese tradition) is that it confines itself firstly to the history of the Hīnayāna Buddhism and secondly to the history of its development in Ceylon, since Buddhism although originating in India, had found its development in Ceylon. Because of this territorial limitation, which has been a great factor for the preservation of the history of Ceylon, the account of this tradition about Ceylon is much more prefect than that about India. One who is acquainted with the scheme and content of the Dipavamsa and Mahāvaṁsa will hardly fail to notice that the account of the North Indian kings in these two books is only occasional and of minor importance. This conclusion is absolutely borne out by the typical construction of the Dipavamsa and Mahāvaņģa.5"
1. Early History of India, p. 11 2. Political History of Ancient India, p. 6. 3. Chronological Problems, p. 41. 4, Op. cit., p. 19. 5. The content of Mahāramśa are as follows:
1. The visit of the Tathāgata. 2. The race of Mahāsammata. 3. The first council. 4. The second council. 5. The third council. 6. The coming of Vijaya. 7. The consecration of Vijaya. 8. The consecration of Pandu Vasudeva. 9. The consecration of Abhaya,
See Giger Tr, of Dr. Mahāvamśasa, p. VIII.