Indian Antiquary Vol 16

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

Page 94

82
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1887.
The circumstances of this fortnight furnish are. Chaitra, thirty; Vaisakha, thirty; and a pointed confirmation of my statement, at Jyêshtba, twenty-nine. page 42 above, that the results obtainable from Of course it will be found that innumer. Gen. Cunningham's and Mr. Cowasjee Patell'
s able dates will work out correctly from the Tables ---or from any other Tables, the calcu- Tables in question. But the difference of one lations from which have to be based on the day, pointed out above, in respect of Jyêshtha supposition that each lunar fortnight of the (in Southern India; or, in Northern India, Hindu year covers a certain unvarying number Ashảdha) krishna 1, is quite sufficient in of solar days,-can only be accepted as closely itself, apart from the fact that numberless approximate results.
other similar instances might be quoted, -to Sappose we have, in a Hindu book or in- establish my position that the results obtainable scription, the record of Saka-Samvat 1800, the from such Tables are only to be taken as month Jyêshtha (in Southern India; or, in approximately correct; though they are of conNorthern India, the following month, Ashâdha), siderable use, as giving by easy and quick the dark fortnight, the first tithi, Sanivara or means, clues as to the dates for which correct Saturday. It is required to find, by means of results may be established by more accurate their Tables, the corresponding English date. processes.
By both the Tables, Saka-Sarvat 1800 As might be expected, references to so excepshould commence, -as in the Native alma- tional an occurrence as a lunar fortnight of nacs,-on Wednesday, the 3rd April, A.D. thirteen solar days, are to be found in Sans1876. The tithi in question should fall on the kşit literature. seventy-fifth solar day of the year. And the Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit has drawn my attention result would be Sunday, the 16th June. But, to the following verses in the Mahabharata, owing to preceding expunctions and repeti- Bhishmaparva, adhaya iii, vv. 28, 32, 33, in the tions, the tithi in question really fell on the speech of Vyása to Dhritarashtra, shortly seventy-fourth solar day of the year; viz. before the commencement of the war between Saturday, the 15th June. And there would the Pandavas and the Kauravas, in which he have been a difference of two days, instead of describes a number of phenomena and evil one; but that the preceding month, Vaisakha, omens, indicative of the great slaughter that renlly consisted of thirty solar days, -instead there would be in the war :of only twenty-nine, as should be the case in Chandr-adityåv=ubhau grastây= accordance with the theoretical arrangement of ek-ahna hi trayodasim the months given in the Tables in question. &-parvaņi grahan yatau
A later date in the same year,—the month praja-samkshayam=ichchhatah | 28 Åshadha, the bright fortnight (southern and Chaturdasim panchadasim northern), the first tithi, Chandravåra or Mon- bhůta-půrvậm cha shodasim day,-works out correctly by the same Tables ; imam tu n-abhijânê=bam= with the result of Monday, the 1st July. But L amåvåsyam trayodasim this is only because it happens to occopy its | chandra-sûryâv=abhau grastáv= theoretically normal place on the ninetieth @ka masim trayodasim 11 32 solar day of the year. This, however, is in A-parvaņi grahên-aitau consequence of an arrangement of the preced- prajâh samkshapayishyataḥ ing months different from the theoretical one måsa-varshan panas-tîvramgiven by Gen. Cunningham and Mr. C. Patell. asît-krishna-trayodasimi According to them, Chaitra should include sônitair=vaktra-sampurņå thirty solar days; Vaisakha, 'twenty-nine; and a-triptas-tatra ráksbasih II 33 Jyêshtha, thirty. Whereas, -following the (V. 28.) “The moon and the sun were both southern arrangement,--the actual numbers eclipsed on the same day, during the thirteenth
I should remark, however, that Gen. Cunningham's But it seems to be based on the fact that on the book, as published, gives Thursday, the 4th April. But, amdudoyd, when alone a solar eclipse can take place, in the copy given by him to me, he has corrected this the sun and the moon are together, and on the supposi. entry into Wednesday, the 3rd April
tion that Raha, who in Hinda mythology causes eclipses, • This, of course, is purely imaginative occurrence. swallowed, on this occasion, both the sun and the