________________
360
· Lord Mahavira and His Time's
scriptures,' reliefs and inscriptions on the railings and gateways at Bhārhut and Sanchi, suggest that the works on-Dharmà and Vinaya were current before the rise of the Maurya dynasty. The Mahāvagga and Chullavagga are evidently assignable to the period of Asoka, as they are silent about the third Council. The Sutta Vibhanga and the five Nikāyas which'are referred to in the Chullavagga are certainly much older. There is no reference to the Abhidhamma, which is the latest of the Pițakas. As the. Nikāyas know no place in the east, south of Kalinga, and no place in the west, south of the Godāvarı, the Geography. of the Nikāyas points to their age being much earlier than Asoka. Therefore, it appears that the bulk of the Vinaya Pitaka and the first four Nikāyas of the Sutta Pitaka were compiled before 350 B.C.
· After discussing the chronology of the Pāli canonical texts from different points of view, B..C. Law places them in the following groups in their chronological order..
1. The simple statements of Buddhist doctrine now found in identical words in paragraphs or verses recurring in all the books;
2. Episodes found in identical words in two or more of the existing books; : . ... . 3. The Silas, the Pārāyana group of sixteen poems without the prologue, the Atthaka group of four or sixteen poemis, the Sikkhapadas;
4. Digha . Vol. I, Majjhima, Samyutta, Anguttara and earlier Pātimokkha with 152 rules; ;
.: 5. Digha . Vol. II, IIÏ, Thera-Theri-gāthā, 500 Jatakas, Suttavibhanga, Pațisambhidāmagga, Puggalapaññatti and Vibhanga;. in. 6. Mahāvagga, Chullavagga, Patimokkha with 227 rules, Vimānavatthu, Petavatthu, Dhammapada, Kathāvatthu;
2 7 . Chülla-and Mahă-niddesa, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Sutta Nipata, Dhätukathā, Yamaka, Pathāna;
8. Buddhavamsa, Chariyāpițaka, Apadāna;
9. Parivarapātha;"" .. *** . . , ::.10. Khuddakapātha. '.:. : .
::.. .. Vangisa, a native of: Magadha; is known to have been the.celebrated' poet during the time::of Buddha. - He repeated
i Historie oë Palem : 4:; !:-*. **
