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INTRODUCTION.
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in orders forty-five years (Dîpavainsa IV, 41), he ordained Saunaka. This would give us 461 – 45=416 B.C., while the tenth year of Nâgadâsa, 429 - 10, would give us 419 A.D. Later on the Dîpavamsa (V, 78) allows an interval of forty years between the ordinations of Dâsaka and Saunaka, which would bring the date of Saunaka's ordination to 421 B.C., instead of 419 or 416 B.C. Here there is a fault which must be noted. Dâsaka died 461-64=397 A.D., which is called the eighth year of Sisunaga, and so it is, 405–8= 397 A. D.
When Saunaka had been in orders forty years, i. e. 416-40=376, Kâlâsoka is said to have reigned a little over ten years, i. e. 387–11=376 A.D., and in that year Saunaka ordained Siggava. He died 416-66=350 A.D., which is called the sixth year of the Ten, while in reality it is the ninth, 359–6=353 A.D. If, however, we take 419 as the year of Saunaka's ordination, his death would fall 419–66=353 B.C.
Siggava, when he had been in orders sixty-four years, ordained Tishya Maudgalîputra. This date 376_64=312 B.C. is called more than two years after Kandragupta's accession, and so it very nearly is, 315-2=313.
Siggava died when he had been in orders seventy-six years, i. e. 376–76=300 A.D. This year is called the fourteenth year of Kandragupta, which it very nearly is, 315–14=301.
When Tishya had been in orders sixty years, he ordained Mahendra, 312-60=252 B.C. This is called six years after Asoka's coronation, 259–6=253, and so it very nearly is. He died 312-80=232 B.C., which is called the twenty-sixth year of Asoka, and so it very nearly is.
* I take 60 (80), as given in Dipavamsa V, 95, 107, instead of 66 (86), as given in Dipavamsa V, 94.
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