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158
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JUNE, 1888.
Therefore, to find the date of new-moon in in the later part of which (below the hori. March for any year, e.g. A.D. 1468, subtract zontal stroke) the solar Hindu month comfrom it the next lower figure under I. in Part menced. For instance, the solar Śrâvana the first (1216), and put down apart the sub- begins in June and ends in July. The initial tractive quantity in parenthesis (-3; see Table date of the solar month is marked by a num13, example). From the remainder (252) sub- ber (4 to 19) placed between the Epact and tract, if it is greater than 76, the next lower the Dominical Letter. These numbers indicate figare ander II. of Part the First (228) and put the century A.D. in which, approximately, the apart the subtractive quantity. The second solar month commenced on the day marked by remainder (24) is to be looked out in Part the the number of the century; thus Sravana, in Second in the colamn y. From the date thus A.D. 600 to 700, began on the 23rd June, that found (271), subtract the sum of the subtractive day being marked by 6. quantities (34) set apart; the result will be the It will be noticed that January and February date of mean new-moon in March for the year in the large Table, and March and April in in question. By adding or subtracting 144 the Continuation-Table, have two columns; one we get the day of mean full-moon. Augment is to be used for common years, and the other the date of new or full moon by one, to find the for leap-years, as indicated by the headings of Epact of the beginning of the sukla or krishna the column. paksha. If the Epact turns out to be above An example will set the application of my 30, deduct 30 from it, to find the correct Epact. Table in a clear light. On what day, in A.D. Knowing the beginning of the month, it will 807, fell Pausha su di IP Cunningham's be easy to verify, approximately, any day of Table XVII. gives as the initial date of the it, by counting onwards, making the bukla Hindu year, Sunday, the 14th March. This paksha consist of 15 days, and the krishna day is marked XIVc. in my Table. The paksha of 14 days and 15 days alternately, Epact XIV. occurs in December, on the 5th ; as done by Cunningham. The result, thus this day is Pausha éa di 1, because it fell in arrived at, is the same as that arrived at the solar Paush a which in A.D. 700 to 800 ran by Canningham's method, if the initial day from the 23rd November to the 22nd December, of the year falls in March. If it falls in as indicated by the number 7 placed after the February, there is sometimes a difference. Epact of those days. The 5th December has For, if the date to be verified falls in & the Dominical Letter c., just as the 14th March, series of 30 Epacts, my date will be one day which was a Sunday. Therefore, in A.D. 807, earlier than Cunningham's date ; but if the Pausha bu di I fell on Sunday, the 5th date falls in a series of 29 Epacts, Cunning. December. ham's method and mine yield the same An additional advantage of my method, as result."
will have been remarked, is, that no regard is It remains to ascertain the names of the taken of intercalary or expunged months Indian months, the initial days of which are intervening between the initial day of the indicated by the Epact as explained above. Hindu year and the date to be verified. The name of the lunar month depending on I conclude with a practical hint. If a list the solar month in which new-moon occurred, of eclipses is at hand, some new and full all that is required, is, to know on which days moons of every year may be taken from it. the solar months commenced. This informa- For the day of a lunar eclipse is, of course, a tion is furnished by the following arrangement fall-moon day, and a solar eclipse coincides of my Table 12. The names of the solar months with new-moon. Taking the Epact of the are placed above those of the English months date of an eclipse, may serve to check & result in such a way that the first part of the Sans- arrived at by starting from the initial day of křit name is written above the latter part of the Hindu year. 88 given in Cunningham's the English name of that English month Table XVII.
" If Cunningham's date differs from mine, both are equally good; for both are approximations only.
15 In the more recent centuries preceding our time the beginning of the solar month has shifted to the first part of the next Christian month.
