Contemporaneity and Chronology of Mahavira and Buddha

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

Page 29

Dr. Jackobi's Second Approach
Mahāvīra survived Buddha by a few years, can be stated as follows:
'The Jain scriptures furnish us with a further account of the later events connected with the wars fought between Ajätśatru (Koņika), the king of Magadha and the Vajjis (or Ceṭaka, the king of Vaišāli), etc. than what the Buddhist scriptures do.
In the Buddhist scriptures, Vassakära, the Prime Minister of Ajätśatru only lays down a plan of the victory over Vajjis before Buddha, whereas the Jain scriptures bear a picturesque discription not only of the Mahā-ŜilāKaṇṭaka war and Rath-Müsala war that took place between Cetaka and Konika, but also of the demolition of the rampart of Vaisali and finally of the victory of the king of Magadha over the Vajjis.'
On the basis of this evidence, Dr. Jacobi concludes,1 "It proves that Mahavira survived Buddha by several years (probably seven years)."
The extent to which the compilers of the scriptures. collected contemporary events in the scriptures, depended. upon the nature of their selection and needs. Even if we accept that the compilation made by the Jains is more extensive and exhaustive in comparison to that made by the Buddhists, it does not prove that Mahavīra lived for some years even after the death of Buddha.
Ajatsatru in the Buddhist Pitakas
It is a fact that the Jain scriptures have recorded more events or reminiscences about Konika. This has happened probably because of Konika's intimate association with
1. Śrmaņa, Vol. XIII, No. VII, p. 35.