________________
140
Lord Mahâvîra
article of Charpentier. While . reading Buddhacarya of Sankrityayana we have come across certain other passages as well in which the Buddha and Mahâvîra are shown at the same place at a particular time. One such is given below:
8. From the Cula-Sakuludayi-Sutta (M., II, 3.9) we know (Buddhacarya, pp. 262-267, esp. p. 263) that there was a conversation between Sakuta-Udayi and the Buddha at Rajagrha in which a reference was made by Sakula-Udayi to Mahâvîra. The date of this event as given by Sankrityayana is 512 B.C. which is equivalent to 516 B.C. according to our calculation. We have already proved above that in 516 B.C. both the Buddha and Mahâvîra passed their rainy season at Rajagrha. (The text in the Sutta, however, does not make Mahâvîra's presence at Rajagrha necessary).
Thus my conclusion is that in case the Buddha's date is regarded as 567-487 B.C. the date of Mahâvîra should be :
Birth : 561 B.C. (April) Death : 490 B.C. (November).23
Here we would like to point out a mistake usually committed by many. When the date of the death of Mahâvîra is indicated, people find out the date of his birth by adding 72. This is wrong. Mahâvîra was alive for 71 years 6 months and 17 days, i. e., approximately for 72 years. If we add 72, we actually give him a life of 72 years, i.e., one year more than the real length of his life. It happens in this way. Suppose the date of his death is 490 B.C. If we add 72 to this in the usual manner, the date of birth comes to 562 B.C. Now Mahâvîra was born in April and died in November. So from April 562 B.C. to November 490 B.C. will be 72 year and 7 months while the real length of his life is 71 years and about 7 months. Hence we should add only 71 in order to find out the date of his birth.
2.
References See infra for references, A.F.R. Hoernle, Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Benga' 1898, pp. 39ff. Guerinot, Essai de Bibliographie Jain, Paris, 1906, p. VII. H. Jacobi, Kalpa-Sutra of Bhadrabahu, Leipzig, 1879: 'On Mahâvîra and His Predecessors', Ind. Ant. 9, 1880, p. 156ff.; introductions to S.B.E., Vols. 22 (Oxford, 1884) and 45 (Oxford, 1895).
