________________
THE DATE OF MAHAVIRA
Prof. Upendra Nath Roy
The chronology of ancient India remains disputed to date. The date of the death of MAHAVIRA can help in solving problems of chronology but it is also disputed. The date we have got demand adequate analysis and evaluation. The scholars tend to concentrate on part of evidence apparently favourable to their pre-conceived notions and ignore the rest. That is hardly the way to find the truth and resolve a dispute, So we propose to observe and examine the evidence in its different aspects and ignore nothing that is relevant. Omissions are, however, not unexpected but they will show merely the limits of the author's knowledge and not his unwillingness to confront facts.
I. CHANDRAGUPTA AND BHADRABĀHU
The Jaipa' tradition mentions a king called CHANDRAGUPTA who got his dīkşā from ACHARYA BHADRABĀHU, spent his last days at SRAVANBELGOLĀ and died the death of Jaina monk. Information about CHANDRAGUPTA and BHADRABAHU appears relevant to the date of MAHAVIRA and therefore deserves discussion.
(i) According to the TILOYAPAŅŅATTI, PĀLAKA was coronated in AVANTI the very day MAHAVIRA died. The VIJAYA dynasty began 60 years after the event and CHANDRAGUPTA ascended to the throne 155 years later when the VIJAYA dynasty came to an end. The relevant verses (no. 95-96 in the SOLAPUR edition) are :
जं काले वीरजिणे णिस्सेयस संपयं समावएणो । तक्काले अभिविसत्तो पालयणामो अवन्तिसुदो ।। पालकरज्जं सट्टि इगिसय पणवएणं विजयसंगवा ।
कालं मरुदयवंसा तीसं वंसातु पुस्समित्तमि ॥ So, it follows that MAHĀVĪRA attained NIRVĀŅA 60+155= 215 years before the coronation of Chandragupta.
(ii) According to BHADREŚVARA SORI, the Nanda dynasty came to an end 155 A.M. (i.e. 155 years after the death of MAHĀVIRA) and CHANDRAGUPTA became a king :
