Jain Journal 1967 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 29

160
content of it is undoubtedly true, as much as we can control the facts told concerning the doctrines of at least two of the teachers, Gosala and Nataputta, by comparison with Jaina writings. Moreover, the Jaina writings, e.g., the Aupapātika Sutra 39 sq., tell us of visits paid by King Kuniya or Koniya (Ajatasatru) to Mahavira, and although there are no facts from which to conclude that it is the same visit as that alluded to by the Digha Nikaya, there are sufficient instances to prove that the imagination of Ajatasatru paying visits to Mahavira was quite familiar with Jaina writers." (pp. 126-27)
JAIN JOURNAL
This visit of Ajatasatru to the Buddha took place in 491 B.C. according to our calculation, because Rahula Sankrityayana put it at 487 B.C. (ibid., p. 426) taking 483 B.C. as the date of the death of the Buddha. The rainy season of 491 B.C. was passed by the Buddha at Sravasti. This was his 42nd rainy season after enlightenment. So this Buddhist reference means to say that sometime in the last month (i.e. Kārtika) of the caturmasya the Buddha came to Rajagrha. The example of the Buddha's leaving his caturmasya place on the Aśvina Purnima (the fullmoon day of Asvina, Maha-pravāranā day) or later is furnished by Sankrityayana on page 82 of his book. [This was the Buddha's 7th rainy season (526 B.C.) which had been passed at Trayastrimśa.]
Thus Buddhist literature says that there was a meeting between the Buddha and Ajatasatru at Rajagrha in the full-moon night of Kartika. But what about Mahavira? Ajatasatru mentions before the Buddha (Sankrityayana, p. 430) that he had been to Nigantha Nataputta as well and had held a discussion.
Coming to Mahavira, as is well-known, he passed his 42nd rainy season (which was his last rainy season) at Madhyama Pava where he died. This, according to our calculation, took place in 490 B.C. From the Life of Mahavira (Vol. II, Part II, page 658) we know that "Sramana Bhagawan Mahavira lived at Rajagrha nagara during the rainy season of the forty-first year of his ascetic life." The date of this rainy season will be 491 B.C.
Thus it was possible for Ajatasatru to meet the Buddha at Rajagrha after having met Mahavira (at Rajagrha).
2. "In Majjhima Nikaya, p. 93 sq., Buddha tells his relative, the Sakya prince Mahanaman, of a conversation which he had once had