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Tattoarthasutra Verification of Prasasti
61
svati is the interpolation made on the genealogy of the Kalpasutra which was also penned down in the Third Valabhi Council, It could be well probable that the sald Nandi interpolation was made after the Third Canonical Convention, because it is also pointed out that Nandi draws materials from the Avakyakaniryukti. Suppose it was interpolated prior to this last convention, here arises a difficulty involved with the dates of Jaina Canonical conventions which are calculated upon the basis of the date of Mahavira's nirvana. Mahavira's nirvana is agreed in both traditions to have occurred in 527 B.C., which however does not go with the established historical fact that Mahavira was a contemporary of Buddha whose date of nirvana is generally held between 487 and 477 B.C."4 According to the Buddhist record, Buddha 18 told to have survived Mahavira, and if the said date of Buddha's nirvana is taken as the basis of calculation, the Third Canonical Council took place at the end of the 5th century A.D.
Bhadrabahu clearly refers to the issues raised by the T.S. in his niryuktis. Therefore the date of the T. S precedes the date of niryuktis which is accepted somewhere in the 5th-6th century A.D.17 Pujyapada's date is somewhat agreed upon among the scholars as the beginning of the 6th century A D., and from the conceptual development evinced in the Sarvarthasiddhi, it is suggested that at least half a century of temporal distance should be allotted between the T. S. and the Sarvarthasiddhi. These crucial factors suggest that the lower limit of the date of the T. S. should be placed somewhere before the end of the 5th Century A.D.
Upper limit of the date of the T.S. is determined by the date of the Abhidharmakosa. Vasubandhu's date 18 not yet finally settled among the scholars, 18 but he seems to have flourished in the middle through the latter half of the 5th century A.D. Date of the composition of the Abhidharmakola is not known, but it must come before his conversion to Mahayanism, It is also known that the T.S. refers to Yogasütrabhasya Vyasa's dato is neither established yet, but it is suggested somewhere in the 5th century A.D. These factors offer the upper limit of the T.S. in the middle of the 5th century AD.
It is very much doubtful that Umasvati drew materials from the canon in the present form which was codified at Valabhi, Scholars agree that the major attempt of this final councils was to reconcile the difference of the two redactions of the canon derived by the second Councils at Mathura (300/313A. D. or. 827/840 V.N.) and Valabhi (which is said to have occurred around the same time), and preference is said to have been given to Mathura redaction. We do not know what was the exact nature of these two redactions,
