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206
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JULY, 1888.
grounds for doubting that the above period really is equivalent to Saka-Samvat 1808 expired, and 1809 current. But it is quoted, for all ordinary purposes, simply as Saka-Samvat 1808. And, if a Hindu were converting "Saturday, the 1st January, A.D. 1887," into its corresponding Hindu date, he would write down, as the result, " Sake 1808 Pausha bukla saptami Sanivära;" in which, not only does he abstain from including any word meaning "expired," but he actually usea, instead even of the crude form saka, the Sansksit locative Sake, which literally means " in Saka (1808)," i.e. " while Saka 1808 is current;" and this is the meaning which the mention of the year presents to any Hindu who is not an astronomer, and who is not acquainted with the technical application of the number of the year. So, also, the same expression is used in the almanacs themselves; thus, in the first two almanacs mentioned above, "Sako 1808 Vyaya. nâma-samvatsare," on the title-page; and “Sake 1808 Chaitra-sukla-pakshah," on the top of the page which exhibits the bright fortnight of the month Chaitra : and, in the Sayana-Panchang, "Salivâhana-Sakê 1808 Vyaya-nama-samvatsarah," on the title-page, and elsewhere "amantah Chaitra- sukla-pakshaḥ Salivahana-Šakė 1808 Vyayanåma-samvatsarah." In the same way, I find, for the same period, "Sake 1808 Vyaya-nåma. Bamvatsarl" on the title-page of an almanao published at Pandit Umacharan Muhatmim's Press at Gwalior; and for the period from the 17th March, A.D. 1885, to the 4th April, A.D. 1886, "Salibahana-Sake 1807," on the titlepage of the Jodhpur Chando-Panchang for that year, and “ Sri-Sarhvat 1942 Sake 1807 Chaitra-sukla-pakshah," in Bapu Deva Shastri's almanac, prepared at Benares and published at Lakhnau.
Again, in the preliminary passages that introduce the sarwatsara-phala or* (astrological) results for the year,' and other similar matter, Ganpat Krishnaji's and K. L. Chhatre's almanacs contain the passage--atha-gata-Kalih 4987, seshaKalih 427013; Svasti; sriman-nripa- Vikramárkasamay-atita-samvat 1912, Hômalamba-namasamvatsarê; tatha ériman-nfipa-Salivahana-Sake 1808, Vyaya-nåma-samvatsard; asmin varshê rija chandrah,"now the expired portion of the
Kali (age) (is) 4987 (years); (and) the remainder of the Kali (age) (is) 427013 (years). Hail! In the year 1942 expired from the time of the glorious king Vikramárka,* (and) in the Hemalamba samvatsara, so also in the Saka (year) 1808 of the glorious king Salivahana, (and) in the Vyaya samvatsara; in this year, the king (is) the Moon." And, for the nirayana year, the Sayana-Panchang for Saka-Sarhvat 1808 has-Kaliyugasya gata-varshani 4987; sriman-nripa- Vikramarkaeathvat 1943 Vilambi-samvatsarah; brimannpipa-Salivabana-Sak-abdaḥ 1808 Vyaya-namasamvatsarah; ath=asmin varshê råjå chandraḥ, -
the expired years of the Kaliyuga (are) 4987; in the year 1943 of the glorious king Vikramärka, (there is) the sanatsara named Vilambin; (and there is) the year 1808 of the Saka of the glorious king Salivahana, (and) the samvatsara named Vyaya ; now, in this year, the king (is) the Moon." In these passages, these three almanacs again treat the Saka year, apparently, as a current year. The Gwalior almanac, however, which I have quoted above, bas-gataKalih 4987, sesha-Kalih 427015 ........ ....; tan-madhyê gata-Sakaḥ 1808, sêshaSakah 16192 ............ Svasti; sriVikramarka-rajya-samayad atit samvat 1943, Saka-gata-varsheshu 1808, chândra-månêna Vyaya nama-samvatsarê; Bârhaspatya-månena, Saké 1807 Åsvina-kļishna-7 Sakre sdry-odayad gata-ghatishu 47 palêshu 24 tad-avadhi, Sakê 1808 Ásvina-ksishna-14 Bhaumê ghati shu*] 46 pale[ehno] 3 tAvat-paryantar, Vilambi-samvatsar-ollékhaḥ vidhêyah, tad-agre Vikåri-samvatsarOllêkhaḥ karyah ; Chaitr-adau råjå chandrah"the expired portion of the) Kali (age) (is) 4987 (years), (and) the remainder of the Kali (age) is 427013 (years), ....... ....; in it; the expired portion of the) Saka (era) (18) 1808 (years); and the remainder of the Saka (era) (is) 16192 (years)............ Hail ! In the year 1943 expired from the time of the reign of the glorious Vikramárka, (and) in the expired Saka year 1808, (and), by the lunar reckoning, in the (current) samvatsara named Vyaya,'-by the reckoning of Jupiter, the Vilambin samvatsara is to be used in writings from the expiration of 47 ghatis, 24 palas, from sunrise on Friday, the seventh lunar day of the dark fortnight of Agvina, Saka 1807,
3 i.e. sariwataard, or sashratsartshu. • It is curious that here the Vikrama year should be distinctly specified as expired, while the Saks year is not qualified in the same manner; as if a distinction were being made in the method of reckoning the two eras.
i.e. samvatsare, or samvatsaréchu.--The figures here, and in the Gwalior almanac, 1943, differ from those in Ganpat Krishnaji's and K. L. Chhatre's almanacs, 1942, because the latter quote the southern reckoning, by which each Vikrama year commences with the month
Karttika, seven lunations later than the same year in the northern reckoning; consequently, at the commencement of Saka-Sarhvat 1808 (expired), on the first day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, Vikrama-Samvat 1942 was still running, by the southern reckoning.
• i.e. atité sanhvateare, or atîtéshu gomvatsaréshu.
1 The context is at the beginning of Chaitra, the king (ia) the moon," a little further on. The intervening matter is by way of a parenthesis.
