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Dr. Jacobi's Second Approach
21
kya dynasty." Now it is unanimously accepted that Kumarapala's accession took place in 1142 A.D.1 But according to Hemacandracarya, the interval between this event and the date of Mahavira's Nirvāṇa is 1669 years. In this way, Hemacandrācārya himself has also accepted 1669-1142-527 B.C., as the date of Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa.
The Date of Buddha's Nirvāņa
Dr. Jacobi regards 484 B.C., as the date of Buddha's Nirvāṇa, for according to him", "The southern Buddhists hold that Candragupta's accession took place 162 years after the death of Buddha. And the uncontroversial date of Candragupta's enthronement is 322 B.C. Hence (322+162)=484 B.C. is the date of Buddha's Nirvāṇa.” The fact regarding Candragupta's accession gleaned by Dr. Jacobi referring to the tradition of Southern Buddhists is taken from the Ceylonese chronicle-Mahāvaṁśa3. But
1. An Advanced History of India by R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri, and K.K. Datta, p. 202.
2. Saramana, vol. XIII No. VI. p. 10.
3. Ajätasattuputto tam, ghatetvādāyabhaddako! Rajjam solasavassāni, kāresi mittadubbhiko !! !!! Udayabhaddaputto tam, ghātetvā anuruddako! Anuruddhassa putto tam, ghatevā muṇḍanāmako !! 2 !! Mittadduno dummatino, te pi rajjam akārayum! Tesam ubhinnam rajjesu, aṭṭhavassānatikkamum !! 3 !! Mundassa putto pitaram, ghatetavā nägadāsako! Catuvisati vassāni, rajjam kāresi pāpako !! 4!! Pitughātakavamsoyam, iti kuddhatha nāgarā ! Nāgadāsakarājānam, apnetvā samāgatā !! 5 !! Susunagoti paññātam amaccam sādhu sammatam ! Rajje samabhisiñcisum, savvesim hitamānasă !! 6 !! So aṭṭhārasa vassāni rājā rajjam akāryi; ! Kālāsoko tassa putto aṭṭhavisati käryi: !! 7 !!
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