Indian Antiquary Vol 18

SR No.: 032510
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 454
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 411

DECEMBER, 1889.]
MISCELLANEA.
severe self-criticism, there is the danger of writing too little, and into this danger Garrez fell. His ripe learning, his power for comparative philology, have been lost to the world. His two principal essays, the one on the Bundehesh of Justi (1869) and the other on Weber's Hála (1872), are monuments of erudition. He showed himself able to thread his way with equal ease amid the mazes of Zend and Pahlavi, Arabic and Armenian, Prakrit and Sanskrit, ancient and modern India. His review of Hala's Saptasatikd is probably that which is best known in India, and its readers will remember with what sobriety, yet decision, he put forward theories then altogether new, but since in great measure confirmed, regarding the comparatively late development of the classical literature of India, and the previous existence of a literature couched in the popular dialects. Other shorter essays, published in the Journale Asiatique, and in the Revue Critique, need not be referred to here, though we may direct attention to his luminous criticism (Rev. Crit. March 1873) of the first volume of Mr. Beames' Comparative Grammar. The writer of these lines well remembers a pleasant afternoon spent at the rooms of the Société Asiatique in Paris, in the winter of 1886, and how delighted he was with the learning and the originality of some remarks on Hindi put forward by Garrez in the course of an ordinary
conversation.
His private means were sufficient to render it unnecessary for him to submit to the drudgery of a professorship, and at the same time prevented his feeling the at times useful spur of necessity. Hence, beyond the range of his intimates, his name was as little known, as his writings were
rare.
M. Senart's closing remarks deserve quoting in their original form, "Cette vie se ferme sans avoir conquis dans le public la réputation legitimement due à tant de travail et de mérite. C'est une tristesse pour les amis de Garrez. Quant à lui, jamais une pareille préoccupation ne l'a effleuré. Il était aussi supérieur à la vanité qu'étranger à l'ambition. Sa noble carrière, toute pleine d'une activité sans agitation, quoique sans repos, gouvernée par une âme haute et sereine, éclairée par un esprit admirablement ferme et étendu, restera inoubliable à ses confrères et à ses amis; elle leur sera, mieux qu'un cher souvenir, un modèle fortifiant. Quelle récompense plus enviable pour un homme qui, avec la patrie, a surtout passionément aimé deux choses; la science et l'amitié ?"
379
CALCULATIONS OF HINDU DATES. No. 31.
In the Talgund stone inscription of the time of the Western Chalukya king Jayasim ha III., from Maisûr, published by me in this Journal, Vol. IV. p. 278 f. (see also Pali, Sanskrit, and 8 ff.) is -Saka-varsha 950neya Vibhava-samvatOld-Kanarese Inscriptions, No. 215), the date (line sarada Pushya-suddha-5-Sômavarad-uttarayanasamkrântiy-andu," at the time of the Uttarayana-Samkranti of Monday, the fifth tithi of the bright fortnight of (the month) Pushya (i.e. Pausha) of the Vibhava samvatsara, which is the 950th Saka year." And the inscription goes on to record that, on this occasion, the Thirty-twothousand (Mahajanas) of Sthânakundûr, an agrahára that had existed from time immemorial, made a grant of twelve márus (of land), by the measure of the staff called gaḍimbada-gale of the god Pranamêsvara.
By the southern luni-solar system, the Vibhava samvatsara coincided with Saka-Samvat 951 current; i.e. with the given year 950 as an expired year. In this year the given tithi, Pausha 1028, at about 56 ghatts; 42 palas, after mean sukla 5, began on Sunday, 22nd December, A.D. sunrise (for Bombay); was current all through about 1 gh. 7 p. And the Uttarayana-Samthe Monday; and ended on the Tuesday, at kranti, as represented by the sun's entrance into Makara, occurred on the Monday, at about 37 gh. 58 p. Accordingly, the English equivalent of the given date is Monday, 23rd December,
A.D. 1028.
This date gives an instance of the custom to which I have drawn attention at page 260 above, of quoting, as the tithi of a samkranti, the tithi that is actually current at the moment of the samkranti. It is not a very pointed instance; because there was no other tithi, current or ended, on the day of this samkranti. But there was no absolute necessity for the original to quote the fortnight and tithi at all; there are plenty of instances in which these details, and sometimes even the name of the month, are omitted, in connection with a samkranti. And therefore this date is an instance of the custom in question; though doubtless we shall obtain more pointed instances hereafter.
In this instance we find that, though the samkránti occurred more than three ghatis after sunset, its punyakala was not deferred till the next day, but was taken to be on the day of the occurrence of the samkranti. J. F. FLEET.
G. A. G.
1 Rice (Mysore Inscriptions, p. 201) has given Sunday;' but this is a mistake; the syllables sómavara are very distinot,