Agama And Tripitaka Comparative Study

SR No.: 022804
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagaraj Muni
Publisher: Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 804
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

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could have written these inscriptions, if not Asoka ? and, how if written by Asoka, can the date, which they contain mean anything but 256 years after Buddha's Nirvana ? These points, however, have been argued in so masterly a manner by Dr. Buhler in his 'Second Notice' that I should be afraid of weakening his case by adding anything of my own, and must refer my readers to his 'Second Notice'.
Now, the remarkable and important thing regarding this matter is that the "number 256 years" of the above inscriptions becomes quite consistence, with the date 502 B.C., which we have proved in this book to be the date of Buddha's Nirvana. It has already been made clear that the above inscriptions were written by Asoka a little more than a year since he "joined the Order", and he "joined the Order" 20 years after his consecration. Here, we reach a definite point regarding the chronology which is unanimous and certain. It is the date of Asoka's consecration 269 B.C. Thus,
Asoka's consecration
269 B.C. Asoka "joined the Order" in
248 B.C. (264) The date of the minor Rock Edicts I & II
247 B.C. Hence, by going 255 years back from 247 B.C. we, reach the date of Buddha's Niriāna. 247 +255 = 502 B.C.
4.
Burmese Tradition
The most sound evidence among the traditional evidences is that of Burmese tradition. There prevails an era called "Eetzana era" in Burma (265). Eetzana is the Burmese term for Anjana, who was the Sakya king of Devadaha which is the Burmese for Deya daha Country and who was also the maternal grandfather of Buddha(266). The chief events of Buddha's life have been chronicled in the Eetzana era and the tithis, (the lunar days), the week-days as well as the constellations with which the moon was in combination on these days, have also been recorded with reference to the different years of that era, which would seem to have been current at that ancient time.
(1) Birth of Buddha (267) on Friday the full-moon day of the month Katson which is Burmese for the Indian lunar