________________
Date of Mahâvira's Nirvana
dynasties in succession exactly from the day of Mahâvîra's Nirvana to Vikrama's coronation as follows:
Palaka
Nandas
Mauryas
Pusyamitra
Balamitra and Bhanumitra
Nahapana
Gardhabhilla
Saka
55
Years
60
155
108
30
60
40
13
4
470
It may be argued that these kings and dynasties may not be successive, but, in some cases, contemporary, because, for example, Palaka ruled at Ujjain while the Nandas ruled in Magadha at Pataliputra. We are, however, told that Palaka had taken possession of Pataliputra as well, when Udayin died heirless :
सिरिजिण- णिव्वाण-गमण - रयणीए उज्जेणीए चंडपज्जोअ-मरणे पालओ राया अहिसित्ताो । तेण य अपुत्त - उदाइ - मरणे कोणिअ-रज्जं पाडलिपुरं पि अहिट्टि । '
According to this order and periods of kings and dynasties the period from Mahâvîra's Nirvana to Candragupta's coronation is 60+155 215 years. But according to Hemacandra, as mentioned before, this period is only 155 years. This discrepancy of 60 years was noticed by the ancient chronicler Merutunga who remarks in his Vicarasreni as follows:
तच्चिन्त्यम् यत ः एवं
यच्च परिशिष्ट- पर्वण्युक्तम् ' एवंच श्रीमहावीर .. ६० वषाणि त्रुट्यन्ति, अन्यग्रंथै: सह विरोधश्च । '
"In Parisista Parva the period recorded from the Nirvana of Mahâvîra to Candragupta's coronation is 155 years. But this falls short by 60 years, and thus it is in conflict with the mentions in other books." The discrepancy is, however, explainable when we take into consideration another verse of Parisista Parva which is as follows:
अनन्तरं वर्द्धमानस्वामि निर्वाण-वासरात् ।
गतायां षष्टिवत्सयमिष नन्दोऽभवन्नृपः (परि० ६, २४३.)
Here we are told that Nanda became king sixty years after the Nirvana of Mahâvîra. The same we find mentioned in the succession list reproduced above. It, therefore, appears that what
