Jainism in North India

Author(s): Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London

Page 63

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA Vicārafreni is based on them, and they specify 470 years as the interval between Vikramaditya and the Nirvāna of Mahāvira.
The translation of the three verses is as follows:
1 Pālaka, the Lord of Avantī, was anointed during that night in which the Arhat and Tirthankara Mahāvīra entered Nirvana
2 Sixty are (the years) of King Pālaka, but one hundred and fifty-five are (the years) of the Nandas; one hundred and eight those of the Mauryas, and thirty those of Pusamitra (Pushyamitra).
3 Sixty (years) ruled Balamitra and Bhānumitra, forty Nabhovāhana; thirteen years likewise lasted the rule of Gardabhilla, and four are the years of Saka.
Thus, according to Merutunga, 470 years elapsed between the Norvāna and Vikramāditya's era, which corresponds to 527 BC. of the Christian era : In coming to this period of 470 years accordmg to Merutunga, we get 255 years as the interval between the beginning of the era of Vikrama and the reign of the Mauryas. This comes to 812 BC as the date of Candragupta's Abhisheka, according to the Jaina tradition 4 Now, subtracting 255 from 470 we get 215 years as the period between Candragupta and the Norvāna This period of 215 years is not subscribed to by all, for Hemacandra, in his Parzśrshtaparvan, writes. “And thus 155 years after the liberation of Mahāvīra Candragupta became kung." Adding 155 to 812 BC. we get the Nirvana of Mahavira in 467 BC Merutunga no doubt refers to this statement of Hemacandra, but about it he says nothing more than that it is in contradiction with other works
The date of Mahavira as worked out by Jacobi? and Charpentier is based on the data supplied by these two Jaina Gurus. Both the
1 "That they were not composed by Merutunga himself or any of his contemporane is certain, because at that time the Jaina authors had long ago ceased to write in Prakrt" Charpentier, op cit, 120
tyfu ITT ME 8 Vicdrasreni, p 1 MS, BOR I.L, NO 870 of 1871-1872
Fifty-seten years elapsed between the commencement of the Samoat and the Christian eras
"The Jaina authorities give the year of his accession as 818 (312) BC, & date which the canon of the Jaina scriptures was fixed "- CAI,1,P 698
VIRERIR Y HRE:.-Jacobi, Pansshtaparvan, Canto VIII, V 339 . afya Eco far I WARS: E facty:.-Vecārašreni, op cit, p.
Jacobi, Kalpa-Sutra, Int , PP 6-10
"Charpentier, op cit, pp 118-123, 125-188, 167-178 28