Book Title: Jain Legend Vol 1
Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

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Page 363
________________ already. Observing with purity the monk conduct muni Abhayakum ra became ahamindragod named Vijaya in the Anuttaravim na. Nirv a from a historical Point of View Lord Mah v ra attained nirva in 527 B.C. Evidence for this is available in good amount in all the ancient and modern scriptures of the Jain tradition. The strong evidence is completely unambiguous based on which this time has been calculated. Still, modern historians and researchers have from time to time given different viewpoints on this matter. We shall briefly review these now. The name of Herman Jacobi is prominent among those scholars. Based on all these evidences he compared the nirva of Lord Mah v ra and Buddha and concluded that Buddha was younger than Mah v ra. After careful study of Dr. Jacobi's evidences, scholars have opined that it is not correct to take Dr. Jacobi's conclusion to be the final one. According to c rya Hemacamdra Mah v ra's nirva was in 527 B.C. Dr. K. P. Jaiswal states that Mah v ra's nirva account in Buddhist gamas do not agree with historical facts. He considers Mah v ra's nirvato have occurred prior to Buddha. Dr. R dh kumuda Mukharj and investigator of archaeology, muni Jinvijaya, according to Dr. K. P. Jaiswal's opinion, he accepts Lord Mah v ra to be older. In the same way, Dr. Hasle talks of Buddha's nirva as having taken place five years after Mah v ra. According to him, Buddha was born three years before Mah v ra. According to muni Kalyavijaya Buddha's nirva took place in 542 BC (in May) and Mah v ra's nirva in 528 BC (November); thus Buddha had attained nirv a 15 years before Mah v ra. He also places Lord Mah v ra's nirva in 527 BC, which is also in accordance with the tradition and evidence as well. Sr Vijayendra Sr's 'T rthamkara Mah v ra” also uses different evidences and places Mah v ra's nirva in 527 BC. Buddhist Pitakas perhaps give real and clear evidence about Lord Mah v ra's nirva. In those, Buddha speaks of Anamda's and Cunda speaks of Mah v ra's nirva. Where the question of Lord Mah v ra's nirv a before Buddha is concerned, we should not doubt it because there is no opposing reference in the Jain gamas for this. According to muni Nagar ja, there are many accounts in Buddhist texts to prove 363

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