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that this king was coronated 169 years after the nirvāna of Mahāvira. It is evident from other authorities that Kumārapāla's coronation took place in 1142 A.D. Thus Mahāvīra attained nirvāṇa in 1669 - 1142 = 527 B.C. Dr. Jayaswal accepted 544 B.C. for Buddh's nirvāna on the basis of Ceylonese tradition, but it is no more confirmed by other evidences. According to the earlier Ceylonese tradition, the Mauryan emperor Asoka came to the throne 218 years after the nirvana of Buddha. There is plenty of historical evidence to prove that Asoka came to the throne in 269 B.C. or about that. Thus Buddha attained nirvana in 218 +269 = 487 B.C. This is confirmed by a Chinese tradition too. In China in the town of Kaintan (?), attempt was made to record the memory of Buddha's nirvāna by series of points or cyphers. Every year one cypher was added. This addition continued up to A.D. 489, and their total number was 975 - 489 = 486 B.C. Thus there is perfect agreement between the Chinese and Ceylones traditions. So this very date, namely 487 B.C. deserves to be accepted for the nirvăņa of Buddha. In the Pāli Tri-pitaka itself is plenty of evidence that Mahāvīra was senior to Buddha both in age and renunciation and that he attained nirvana during the life time of Buddha. In the Sāmañña-phala-sutta of the Digha-nikāya, in the Dahara-sutta of the Samyutta-nikāya and the Samiya-sutta of the Sutta-nipāta there are enumerated six Tīrtha-karas who flourished before Buddha. Their names are: Purana Kāśyapa, Makkhali Gośāla, Nigantha Nătaputta (Mahāvira), Samjaya Belatthi-putta, Pakuddha Kaccāyana and Ajita Kesa-kambalī. All of them are said to have been honourd by many, experienced, of long ascetic standing and senior in age; but these adjectives are not used in the case of Buddha. On the other hand, as contrasted with them, Buddha is decribed as younger in age and a novice in renunciation. Thus it stands proved that Mahāvīra was senior to Buddha in age and had taken renunciation earlier than him.
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