Contemporaneity and Chronology of Mahavira and Buddha

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

Page 42

22
Mahāvīra and Buddha
on one hand the Mahāvariša state that Candragupta's accession took place 162 years after Buddha's death, while on the other hand it shows 543 B.C. as the date of Buddha's Nirvāņa. Dr. Jacobi, too has hold it as the most popular date of Buddha's Nirvāṇa accepted by the traditions. Now if Mahāvamsa considering 543 B.C. as the date of Buddha's Nirvāņa, places Candragupta's enthronement 162 years after the death of Buddha, we get 381 B.C. as the date of Candragupta's accession. But it does not agree with the uncontroversial historical data of Candragupta's accession viz. 322 B.C. Hence, it is obvious that the date of Buddha's Nirvāņa fixed by Dr. Jacobi on the basis of the suspicious evidence of Mahāvamśa' is not compatible.
Inconsistencies
The acceptances of the date of the Nirvāṇa of Mahāvīra
Atīte dasame vasse, kālāsokassa rājino ! Sambuddha parinivvānā, evem vassasatam ahu !! 8 !! -Mahavamsa, Pariccheda, IV, 1-8 Kālāsokass puttā tu, ahesum dasa bhātukā ! Dyāvisati te vassāni, rajjam samanusāsisum !! 14 !! Nava namdātatoāsum, kameneva narādhipă ! Tepi dvāvisa vassāni, rajjam samanusāsisum !! 15 !! Moriyāņam khatiyaņam vanaśe jātam siridharam ! Candaguttoti pañātam, cānakko brāhmane tatto !! 16 !! Navamam dhananamdam tam, ghātetvā candakodhavā ! Sakale jambudīpamsmim, rajie samabhi siñciso !! 17 !!
-Mahāvassa, Pariccheda, V, vv. 14--17. 1. Cf. Political History of Ancient India, by Dr. H.C. Raychaudhuri,
p. 225; Bhārata Kā Itihāsa, by Prof. Shrinetra Pandey, Part I,
(4th edition), p. 243. 2. Op. cit. p. 10. 3. It may be noted here that the chronology discribed in Mahāvaṁsa
the ceylonese chronicle has been found, in general, to be erroneous on historical tests ; see, for the detailed discussion of this, 'Inconsistencies in Ceylonese Chronology in chapter I of this book.