Correlation of Jaina Inscriptions with Sthaviravalis

Author(s): U P Shah
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

Page 11

Correlation of Jaina Inscriptions with Sthavirāvalis
173
अज्जमंगू आयरिया बहुस्सुया अज्झागमा बहुसिस्सपरिवारा उज्जयविहारिणो ते विहरता महुरं णगरी गता । ते "वेरग्गिय"त्ति काउं सड्डेहिं वत्थातिएहि घूइता, खीर-दधि-घय-गुलातिएहि दिणे दिणे पज्जतिएण पतिलाभयंति । सो आयरियो लोभेण सातासोक्खपडिबद्धो ण विहरति । णितिग्रो जातो । सेसा साधू विहरिता । सो वि अणालोइय पडिकंतो विहारियसामण्णो वंतरो णिद्धमणा जक्खो जातो । xxxx साहूहिं पुच्छितो भणाति-सोहं अज्जमंगू इड्रिसपमादगरुओ मरिऊण णिद्धमणे जस्खो जातो, तं मा कोइ तुब्भे एवं लोभदोसं करेज्ज ।। ३२००
—Nisitha cũrni (Agra, 1958), Vol-li Sū.43, 4109-111.3200, pp. 152-153. Also see ibid., p. 125.
The Digambara author Svāmi Virasena (A. D. 817), in his commentary, the Dhavalā on the Satkhandagama of Puspadanta and Bhūtabali, and ācārya Jinasena (A. D. 837) who finished his guru Virasena's incomplete commentary, the Jayadhavala, on the ancient Kasaya-pähuda-sutta and Yati-Vrsabha's cūrni on the Kasāya-Pāhuda, repeatedly cite Mahāvācaka Arya Nāgahasti kşamäśramana, Mahāvācaka Ārya Mankşu kşamāśramana, and Mahăvācaka Ārya Nandi ksamāśramana27. Prof. Hiralal Jain, the editor of the Satkhandagama, identifies Mahāvācaka Nägahasti and Mahāvācaka Manksu with Ärya Nāgahasti and Arya Mangu of the Sthavirävali of the Vācakas of the Svetämbara tradition given in the Nandi sutra of Deva vācaka (c. A. D. 450)28.
We have shown above that, according to the archaeological evidence of the two inscriptions from Mathurā, Ārya Māghahasti (identified with Arya Mangu as earlier shown) is later than Arya Vajra since Mangu belonged to Vajri-śākhā. This goes against the dates given in the Commentary on the Tapāgaccha-pattāvali. Under the circumstances, we have to reject the late literary evidence of the Commentry on the Tapāgaccha pattāvalī. But, if we can fix up the date of Arya Mangu, we can fix up the age of the above-noted inscriptions. At present these inscriptions are regarded as dated in 52 and 54 = A. D. 130 and 132 This would show that the era of A. D. 78 is used in these inscriptions.
Dhaky takes the date of Mahāvira's nirvana as 477 B. C. following Jacobi. Thus Ārya Vajra's date would be A. D. 177 and Arya Mangu would be a junior contemporary of Arya Vajra or letter a little later than Arya Vajra. Dhaky, following A. K. Narain, takes the initial year of the Kuşāna era as A. D. 105 and A. D. 78 as the initial year of the Saka era. If the dates in the two inscriptions discussed here are in the Kusana era, then they are