The epic Mahabharata war signified that Dwapara yuga was going to end soon. On the 10th day of the 18-day Mahabharata war, Bheeshma lay on a bed of arrows. After spending 58 such nights, Bheeshma gave up his life on uttarayana (the sun’s northward movement). Yudhishthira respectfully completed his last rites and then ruled the kingdom from Hastinapura for 36 years after the war. As per the Purana-s, the ensuing ascension of Bhagavan Krishna and the flooding of Dwaraka marked the beginning of the dreaded age of Kaliyuga. Yudhishthira then handed the kingdom to Parikshita and retired to the forest with his wife and brothers.1
Many ancient inscriptions and scriptures state that Kaliyuga started in 3101 BCE (Before Common Era). The detailed description is in a previous article. Thus, we can say that the epic Mahabharata war was fought towards the end of the Gregorian calendar year 3138 BCE.2
1. The Magadha dynasties of Kaliyuga as per Hindu scriptures
The Purana-s list the Pandava and Suryavanshi dynasty’s kings who ruled after the Mahabharata war. The third important dynasty was Magadha’s Brihadratha (Jarasandha’s ancestor) dynasty whose capital was Girivraja (in present-day Bihar).
During the Mahabharata war, Jarasandha’s son and Magadha’s King Sahadeva, a Pandava ally, was killed. After him, his son Somaapi continued the Brihadratha dynasty from Girivraja. He and his lineage ruled for a total of 1,000 years. The chronology of Kaliyuga’s Magadha kings is listed in various Purana-s asunder:3
Matsya Purana states that the time between Parikshita’s birth and Nanda was 1,500 years.4 The calculation of 3137-1500=1637 gives a minor difference of 2 years.
2. The Magadha dynasties in Hindu texts
The Shishunaga dynasty’s last king was Mahanandi whose son with a daasi woman was named Nanda. This cruel Nanda was a reincarnation of the Asura Kali. He eliminated his step-brothers and forcefully became the king. Nanda then exterminated many Hindu Kshatriya-s. No king dared to disobey his command. Nanda looted and amassed immense wealth for which he was also called Mahapadma. He ruled for 88 years and had thousands of sons. His 8 sons, including Sumalya, ruled Magadha for another 12 years.
Then, a Brahmana named Kautilya trained a youthful Chandragupta Maurya who killed the Nanda-s. He became the king and made Kautilya (Chanakya) his Prime Minister. After Chandragupta ruled for 24 years, his son Bindusara succeeded him and reigned for 25 years. His son Ashoka ruled for 36 years after consecration.5
Thus, as per the Purana-s and Inscriptions, Chandragupta Maurya ruled from the year 1539 BCE. This is contrary to a largely mistaken correlation of Chandragupta Maurya with Alexander’s failed invasion of the Indian subcontinent in the year 326 BCE. As per Greek sources, Alexander’s contemporary was Sandrocottus who is generally translated as Chandragupta. This Chandragupta is not Chandragupta Maurya. This difference is important to address as it decides much of the subsequent chronology. For example, due to this false correlation, Lord Mahaveera’s birth and nirvana year have also been incorrect.
Lord Mahaveera and Lord Parshvanatha’s nirvana dates
As per Jain texts, a Brahmana from Chanaka village in Golla district was insulted by King Nanda of Pataliputra. He groomed a little boy named Chandragupta from the village of peacock caretakers. Chandragupta was the son of a previous Nanda. Allying with Himalayan King Parvataka, Chandragupta defeated the Nanda-s. He became the king of Pataliputra 155 years after Lord Mahaveera’s mukti.6
Based on the Puranic start date of Chandragupta Maurya’s reign of 1539 BCE, we can state that Lord Mahaveera attained nirvana in the year 1694 BCE (1539+155=1694).
Lord Mahaveera got emancipation 250 years after the emancipation of Lord Parshvanatha who was the son of Kashi’s King Ashwasena and Queen Vama.7 So, Lord Parshvanatha’s mukti would be in the year 1944 BCE (1694+250=1944).
Jain sources also mention that Chandamahasena was the ruler of Avanti. He was a contemporary of Lord Mahaveera.
Chronology of Ujjaina kings as per Jain texts
The day after Lord Mahaveera’s mukti, Palaka became the king of Ujjaina. Jain sources give the chronology and reigns of the Ujjaina kings. Accordingly, the start year of their rule can be listed:8
As per Jain texts, we can calculate that King Pushyamitra ruled Avanti (present-day Madhya Pradesh state) from 1439 to 1409 BCE. But Pushyamitra’s Puranic reign over Magadha is from 1402 BCE. This gives a small difference of 7 years between Puranic and Jain texts.
As per Brahmanda Purana and Vayu Purana, Pushyamitra ruled for 60 years.9 But Matsya Purana states that Pushyamitra ruled for 36 years (in Magadha).10 This implies that he ruled Avanti for 24 years, a difference of 6 years with Jain texts.
Also, Pushyamitra’s son Agnimitra is mentioned as ruling Vidisha (present- day Madhya Pradesh state). Agnimitra and Vasumitra fought against the Yavana-s (Turkic-Greeks) on the banks of River Indus.11
Lastly, it is important to note that the Gupta-s of Ujjaina mentioned in the Jain texts are not the same as the more famous Gupta-s of Magadha.
References
- Mahabharata 13.167, 15.1, 16.1; Bhagavata Purana 1.9, 1.18.6; Vishnu Purana 5.38.8; Brahma Purana 2.103.8-10
- Chalukya King Pulakeshi’s Aihole Inscription; Kalidasa’s Jyotirvidhabharana 10.111 and 22.21; ‘Orissa’s palm-leaf chronicles of Jagannath Appendix VII’ by WW Hunter; Persian Historian Alberuni’s ‘India’ chapter 49; Skanda Purana 1.2.40.252-254; Varahamihira Brihat-samhita 13.3-4; Mahabhaskariyam 1.4-6; Laghu Bhaskariyam 1.4-8; Shishyadhivriddhida Tantra 1.12-14; Siddhanta Shiromani1.28
- Bhagavata Purana 12.1; Brahmanda Purana 2.3.74.107-171; Matsya Purana chapters 271-273; Vayu Purana 2.37.289-352; Vishnu Purana 4.23-24; Garuda Purana chapter141
- Matsya Purana 273.36-37
- Vayu Purana 2.37.320-324; Brahmanda Purana 2.3.74.144-145; Katha Sarit Sagara 1.5
- Parishistaparva 8.339; Katha Sarit Sagara1.5
- Trishasti Shalaka Purusha charitra 10.13; Bhadrabahu’s Kalpa-sutra chapter 6-7
- Jinasena’s Harivansha Purana60.487-492
- Brahmanda Purana 2.3.74.150; Vayu Purana 2.37.331
- Matsya Purana chapter 273
- Kalidasa’s Malvikagnimitram chapter 5
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