Epigraphia Indica Vol 17

Author(s): F W Thomas, H Krishna Sastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 40

No. 6.]
THE FIRST ARYA-SIDDHANTA, MEAN SYSTEM.
17
Brahmå because they have placed there Brahma-sastă, a deity superior to Brahmå in his knowledge of the Vedas. I think fit to draw attention to the existence of the trinity consisting of Subrahmanya, Siva and Vishņu and also to explain it with the help of the above-mentioned excellent work of M. R. Ry. T. A. Gopinatha Rao."'!
TEXT. 1 CaefaTETHE[0] 2 Tagv[fafayfa]ia [*] 3 facuffunrara[u] - 4 trayalfaruana [1*]
TRANSLATION This brickless, timberless, metalless and mortarless temple, which is a mansion for (the Gods) Brahmă, Isvara and Vishnu, was caused to be created by the king Vichitra-chitta.
No. 6.-THE FIRST ARYA-SIDDHANTA.
MEAN SYSTEM. (A continuation of the author's "Indian Ohronography.").
BY ROBERT SEWELL, I.C.S. (RETIRED). 303. It has long been known that in earlier years the Panchang Brahmans in India framed their local almanacs on calculations made by the use of the mean, as opposed to the true or apparent, motions of the sun and moon. The change from the mean to the true systems of calculation was advocated by Sripathi (A.D. 1040), and the latter system may have been adopted in some places about that time; becoming more general from about A.D. 1100 onwards. India, however, is a very conservative country, and the late Dr. Fleet was of opinion that, the mean system may have been adhered to, in some tracts at least, till a far later date.
304. With this opinion in mind I have prepared the Tables which follow, so as to cover the period of nine centuries from Aryabhata's date, K.Y. 3600 (A.D. 499-500), to 4500 (A.D. 1399-1400). It would be well if all dates of inscriptions that have hitherto been set aside as irregular by epigraphists could be re-examined, seeing that the difference between the two systems of the Arya Siddhānta constantly leads to differences in the computed positions of the sun and moon on the same civil day, and consequently to differences in the almanac; let alone the differences caused by the use of different Siddhantas.
Thus, to give an example. The civil day, Monday, 21 October A.D. 1090, was by the Arya Siddhanta true system described as "Monday, 25 Tula, nija Afyina kr. 10," wbile by the mean system it was "Monday, 27 Tula, Kārttika kr. 10." Thuesday, 31 Oct., in the same year was by the true system "Thursday, 5 Vpiśchika, Kärttika sukla 6," while by the mean system it was "Thursday, 7 Vriệchika, Märgasira sukla 5."
305. The present Tables are based on the First Arya Siddhanta as amended by Lalla. The principal Table LXXVI is framed on the lines of the Indian Calendar, Table I, so as to meet the convenience of epigraphists who have become accustomed to the use of that work. The numbers of the columns are made to correspond in both Tables.
Results of calculation carried out by the present Tables will be found to correspond with those worked by use of Professor H. Jacobi's skeleton Tables published in Vol. XI above. There is no need for me to dwell on the great services he has rendered to the cause of Indian history and epigraphy. These are well known. All I have done is to follow in his footsteps,
1 This note in reproduced here exactly as it was sent by Mons. G. Jouveau-Dubrouil; no corrections bave been effected in it.
[For Plato see the article on ' A Vákataka Inscription from Gadj. -F.W.T.)