Indian Antiquary Vol 16

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 58

46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1887.
Karttik-dbuddha-palichadaśyam yatraankatu=pi CURIOSITIES OF INDIAN LITERATURE. saivat 948 Karttik-asuddha 15 Ravau sanjatê THE STORY OF KING DAHARIYA-KARNA AND CHE adityagrahana-parvaņi, -" in nine centuries of the
PANDIT'S PROMISE. rears that have gone by from the time of the Saka King Dahariya once went to the Ganges to king, increased by forty-eight; on the fifteenth bathe, taking his mother with him, and in honour tithi of the dark fortnight of the month) Karttika of the event he made her a present of 125,000 head which is in the Kshaya sariwatsara; or, in figures, of cattle. It happened that at the same ghut there 948 years; the dark fortnight of Karttika; (the was a poor Brahman, who also had brought his lunar tithi or solar day) 15; on Sunday, on the mother with him. In spite of his poverty he told occurrence of the occasion of an eclipse of the sun." her to choose whatever gift sho might desire.
The contents of the inscription connect it abso- Thereupon she asked for the same gift as that lutely with the neighbourhood in which it was which had been given by the king to his mother, found, a locality in the Thana (Thanê) District; laughing at the same time at the idea of his being and all the details of the date have, therefore, to
able to fulfil such a request. The Brahman howbe treated in accordance with the southern system. ever, who was a great Pandit, swore by a mighty
This record gives us Saka-Samvat 948, the oath that he would seize the king by the lips and Kshaya sanatsara both current: and, as pointed bring him before his mother, and cause him to make out under No. 1 above, Saka-Sarvat 948 was her a present of the required number of cattle. the Kshaya samvatsara.
Before, however, he could carry out his design, the It also adds the information that the day, on king had heard of it, and for fear of its being which the eclipse occurred, was a Sunday.
accomplished shut himself up in his tent and We have already seen above that the Hin. refused admission to all Brahmars of every kind, du date corresponds, by Gen. Cunningham's and, atter concluding his bathing ceremonies, re. Tables, to Saturday, the 12th November, A.D. turned to his palace, where he again shut himself 1086, when there was an eclipse of the sun, asup carefully, and refused to admit any Brahmans required; but, by Mr. Cowasjeu Patell's Tables, to see him. The Pandit tried his best to gain an to Sunday, the 13th November, which agrees in audience, but unsuccessfully; 80 at length he gave respect of the week-day, but not in respect of up overt attempts, and built a small hut for himself the eclipse. Making allowance for the difference near the king's palace, where he lived continually on of time between Greenwich and Bombay, possibly
the watch. One night, a very rainy one in Bhadra, detailed computations might shew that the eclipse when the clouds produced a thick darkness, and the tvok place at such an hour as to culminate, for wind and the thunder conspired to make the hour Greenwich, very late on Saturday night, and, in terrible, he began to sing a song to the melody called the neighbourhood of Bombay early on Sunday
Malldra, which was very sweet, and dealt with the morning. This would remove the apparent dis- passion of love. So sweetly did he sing, that when crepancy in respect of the week.day. But, in the queen, the wife of king Dahariya, heard his voice that case, the result would seem to support where she was sleeping by her husband, she could Mr. Cowanjee Patell's initial day, Wednesday, not restrain her feelings, and leaving her husband's the 23rd March. A.D. 1026. rather than Gen. side went out through the blinding rain to the Pan. Cunningham's, Tuesday, the 22nd March; where, 1'dit's hut and entreated him to allow her to enter as we have seen above that Gen. Cunningham's
and to throw herself into his embraces. initial day is more probably the correct one.
The king, who had been awake when she went Another explanation might be, that the 30th
out, had followed her in secret, and had heard her tithi of Karttika, the 15th of the dark fortnight, request. The Pandit refused, in spite of all her commenced after sunrise on the 12th November, entreaties, and advised her to go home quietly as and lasted until after sunrise on Sunday, the 13th. she had come. She replied that she was afraid In this case, it appears, the name of Sunday, not to go back in the rain, and added of Saturday, would be connected with the tithi.
अनाहूतैवमि प्रचुरगुणलोभेन भवतः 6th November 1886.
J. F. FLEET.
समीह सौहार्द तदपि परितापं च तनुते । • The original has, in both places, Karttika fuddha, we adopt Gen. Cunninghan's initial day, or Mr. Cowasjee the bright fortnight of Kärttika." As pointed out by Patell's. But, as we also have a solar eclipse as required, Dr. Bühler, in editing the inscription, there is evidently
my own opinion is that the mistake lies in the drafter a mistake somewhore here: since an eclipse of the sun or engraver having written Karttika-uddha, "the bright cannot take place on the fifteenth tithi of the briyht fortnight of Kärttika," instead of Kárttikasuddha, "the fortnight, .. on the full-moon day. His inclination dark fortnight of Kárttika." The use of afuddha, for Wis that, instead of an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse krishna or bahula, is perhaps rare; and I am not proviof the moon was intended. And there was an eclipse of ded with other instances of it at present. But I have the toon in Karttika in that year; tiz. on Friday, the 28th instances in which the exactly synonymous term aukla October A.D. 1026, or, by the Hindu calendar, on Satur. is used. dny, the 29th October, or Sunday, the 30th, according as See O. Patell's Chronology, p. 42, para. 5.