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Lord Mahavira and His Times
tion which can support it. Moreover, as the late G.H. OJHA1 showed in his article 'On the conception of an Ananda Vikrama Era', no such cra was ever started or gained currency, nor does it find any mention in the Prithviraja-rāso of poet Chanda as is alleged.
THE THEORY OF MAHĀVĪRA'S NIRVĀŅA IN 527 B.C.
There are scholars who maintain that Mahavira's Nirvāṇa took place in 527 B.C. The following arguments may be advanced in support of this theory.
1. There is a continuous Jaina tradition from the fifth century A.D. onwards about the date of Mahavira's Nirvāṇa in 527 B.C. Yativṛishabha (5th century A.D.) seems to have been the first to record this tradition in the Tiloyapanṇati, and it is corroborated by Jinasena (783 A.D.) in the Harivamsa, by Nemichandra (973 A.D.) in the Trilokasara, by Merutunga (1306 A.D.) in the Vicaraśreṇī, and by others. The Jaina writers, whenever they expressed the date of Mahāvīra, did it either straight away in the Mahāvīra Era, or in terms of either the Vikrama or the Śaka era. The Vikrama era and the Saka era are known to have started in 57 B.C. and 78 A.D. respectively with the well-known interval of 135 years between them. The Jainas have never had any difference of opinion regarding the date of Tirthankara Mahāvīra, as, for instance, the Buddhists had regarding the date of the Buddha. The reason is that there was no cultural break. Jainism continued to live in India while Buddhism disappeared. In spite of schismatic tendencies and the predominance of particular sects in particular regions, it remained in constant touch with its coreligionists wherever they were or to whichever sub-sect they belonged. Thus the Jainas were able to preserve their cultural traditions.
1. NPPI, pp. 377-454, pp. 377-451.
2. G.C. OJHA: Bharatiya Prachina Lipimālā; V.S. AGRAWALA: Tirthankara Bhagavan Mahāvira, II Bhūmikā, p. 19; H.L. JAIN: Tattva Samuchchaya, p. 6, KALYANA VIJAYA: Vira Nirvana Samvat Aura Jaina Kala Ganană. VMT; NATA, p. 87.
