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THE MAITRAKA PERIOD
preceded vā of vāre is also partially broken away, but what remains of it shows that it was ma and therefore the day was either Soma (Monday) or Bhauma (Tuesday).29
According to the epoch of 247-48 A.C. the date would fall in 704 A.C. if the year was current and in 705 A.C. if the year was expired. In 704 A.C. the tithi falls on Friday30 and in 705 A.C. it falls on Wednesday.31 Moreover, there was no lunar eclipse on the specified day in either year.
47
On applying the date to the epoch of 248-49 A.C. the date would fall either in 705 A.C. or 706 A.C. as the year 456 was current or expired. The date of 705 A.C. does not suit as noticed above, while the date corresponds to Tuesday, the 2nd Feb., 706 A.C., if the year is taken as expired. There was also a lunar eclipse on that day32.
The date gives no indication about the systems of years and months.
(ii) The Anjaneri plates of Jayabhața III33 record a Tula Samkrānti on the 11th day of the dark fortnight of Asvayuja in the year 460.34
29. Ibid., p. 84
30. Pillai, IC, Table X
31. CII, Vol. IV, P. I, intro. p. xi. The corresponding Christian date is 14th Janu., 705 A.C.
32. Ibid., p. xi
33. Ibid., No. 22
34. The Samkrānti is mentioned along with the tithi in line 30 and the year is given in the last line along with the same tithi.
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