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134
Lord Mahâvîra
concerning the doctrines of at least two of the teachers, Gosala and Nataputta, by comparison with Jain writings. Moreover, the Jain writings, e. g., the Aupapatika-Sutra 39 sq., tell us of visits paid by king Kuniya or Koniya (Ajatasatru) to Mahâvîra, 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 Jain writers" (pp. 126-127).
This visit of Ajatasatru to the Buddha took place in 491 B.C. according to our calculation. 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, Kartika) of the caturmasya the Buddha came to Rajagrha. The example of the Buddha's leaving his caturmasya place on the Asvina Purnima (the full-moon day of Asvina, Maha-pravarana 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 Trayastrimsa].
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 Mahâvîra? Ajatasatru mentions before the Buddha (Sankrityayana, p. 430) that he had been to Nigantha Nataputta as well and had held a discussion.
Coming to Mahâvîra, 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 Mahâvîra (Vol. II, Part II, page 658) we know that "Sramana Bhagavan Mahâvîra 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 Mahâvîra (at Rajagrha).
2. "In Majjhima Nikaya I, p. 93 sq. Buddha tells his relative, the Sakya prince Mahanaman, of conversation which he had once had with some Nirgrantha ascetics in the neighbourhood of Rajagrha. These disciples of Mahâvîra praised their master as
