Jain Journal 1967 04

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

Page 32

APRIL, 1967
163
took place at the same time. It may further be added that this was the first visit of Mahavira to Vaisali after his enlightenment (May 519 B.C.) That is why the Jaina tradition mentions the conversion of Rsabhadatta, Devananda, Jamali and Priyadarsana to Jainism on this occasion. But it is silent about the conversion of Siha, who was a Nirgrantha, to Buddhism.
5. "...and also the well-known Upali Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya. (I, p. 371 sq.) Here it is related at considerable length, how Upali, who was a lay follower of Nataputta, went to see Buddha at a time when the two teachers dwelt at Nalanda in order to try to refute him on matters of doctrine. But this attempt had only a scanty result ; for Buddha soon converted Upali, and made him his disciple. So Upali went back to his house in Rajagrha, and told his door-keeper no more to admit the Nirgranthas. When Mahavira afterwards came with his disciples to see him, Upali declared to his former teacher the reason of his conversion, and eulogised Buddha, his new master.” (p. 127)
The Upāli Sutta is also highly important, because the event took place at Nalanda when both the teachers were there.
Rajagrha and Nalanda are close to each other just like Vaisali and Vanijyagrama or Campa and Prstha Campa. That is why in the 8122 of the Kalpa Sūtra where totals of rainy seasons passed at different places are indicated, these are shown jointly and not separately. Thus it has been stated therein (quoted in Life of Mahavira, Vol. II, Part, II, pages 690-691) that Mahavira passed 3 rainy seasons at Campa and Prstha Campa, 12 rainy seasons at Vaisali and Vanijyagrama and 14 rainy seasons at Rajagrha and Nalanda22This joint mention is significant.
Coming to the Buddhist tradition, Rahula Sankrityayana mentions in his Buddhacar yā that the Buddha spent his 42nd rainy season at Sravasti (page 413, f.n.) The date of this will be 491 B.C. according to our calculation. From the next page we find the Hindi translation of Upali Sutta (pp. 414-423) with its scene at Nalanda. The date given is 487 B.C. which is equivalent to 491 B.C. according to our calculation. The year given is 77th year of the Buddha's life. This will be May, 491 B.C. to May, 490 B.C. according to our calculation. Thus it appears that
28 In the $122 of the Kalpa Sutra Mahavira is said to have spent fourteen rainy seasons in Rajagrha and the suburb (bahirika) of Nalanda. This was a famous place even with the Jainas, cf., e.g., Sutrakritanga II, 7 (SBE, XLV, 419 sq.) (Charpentier, p. 127, f. n.)