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INTRODUCTION
xxxvii
But there is one point in the above verse which at the first sight is in discrepancy with the accepted period derived from history. In the above verse, it is stated that in the Kalki age 600, in the praised year Vibhava, the statue of Gommateśvara was established. The Saka Samvat begins after 605 years five months elapse from the Nirvâņa of Mahavirao and the Kalki era begins 394 years and seven months after the Saka era, or, in other words, 1000 years after the Viranirvana. The Kalki era therefore begins from 472 A. D. The year 600 of the Kalki would therefore be 472+600=1072 A. D., which does not accord at all with history, for Rachamalla II's reign ended in 984 A.D Further, even by astronomical calculation we find that the Panchami Tithi in Sukla Paksa in Chaitra of the Kalki year 600 falls on Friday, the 23rd Chaitra, a fact which is opposed to that laid down in the verse itself, viz., that the Sukla Panchami in Chaitra was a Sunday in that year.
It is, therefore, necessary to interpret "the Kalki era 600" as the sixth century of the Kalki. The Vibhava year should be the eighth in order, so that it may accord with historical facts. By "the Kalki era 600 in the praised year Vibhava," therefore, we should mean the eighth year in the sixth century of the Kalki, viz., the year 508 of the Kalki era; and, if we accept this, it exactly accords with the year 980 A. D. and corresponds in every astronomical detail with the facts mentioned in the verse.
There are, therefore, two courses open for us to adopt; first, to reject the verse contained in the Vahubali Charitra as opposed to the historical records, or to interpret it in the way we have done, so that it may accord with the data obtained from the inscriptions; and we think that the latter course would be the best to adopt.
We shall now try to collect all available information about Nemichandra the author of Dr+1-80.. (D799-91 raia
or compendium ravarti, the author or compendium
of the substances. From the
OLU of Dravya-samgraha. last verse of this work, it appears that it was
Siddhant a-chak
* Vide:
"पणछ सयवस पणमासजुदं of frugter ARTIFIT I"[Triloka-sâ ra by Nemichandra.
i.e., six hundred and five years, joined to five months, having passed away, since the Nirvana of Vîra, the Saka king (was born)]. [See Indian Antiquary, Vol. XII, page 21 (1883).
