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SEPTEMBER, 1889.1
MISCELLANEA.
beginning, the Lakshmi. is dropped, as if an unessential part of the name. Even if no one can settle my bibliographical query, perhaps some correspondent can at least solve this point of nomenclature.
According to Dr. Oppert's Catalogue (i. 7053), a copy of the Gurujñánavasistha exists at Kottapêta, Vijayanagaram (Library of Mandadi Kondayya Pantulu).
CECIL BENDALL.
British Museum.
CALCULATIONS OF HINDU DATES. No. 29.
In the spurious copper-plate grant of the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya I., from Kurtakoti in the Gadag Taluka, Dharwad District, published by me, with a lithograph, ante, Vol. VII. p. 217 ff., the passage containing the date (line 20 ff.), with all its inaccuracies, runs viditam astu sô-småbhi batrims-ôttara-pamchasatêshu Saka-varshêshv-&titêshu vijaya-rajyasambachchara-shôshasa-varshê pravarttamâna Kisuvolal-maha-nagara vikhyâta sthitvå tasya Vaisakha Jêshtha - mâsa - madhyam amavasyaBhaskara-dinê Rohinya-rikshê madhyâhna-kâlê Vikra[m]dityasya Atma cha atma-vinité nâma maha-dêvitayôḥr-ubhayôr-Vvrishabha-râsau tasmin Vrishabba-râsau sûryya-grâhana sarvvamâsi (read sarvvagrâsi)bhatê, be it known to you that by Us, when there have expired five hundred Saka yeurs, increased by the thirty-second (year); in the current sixteenth year of the years of the victorious reign; (by Us) stationed at the famous great city of Kisuvolal; on Sunday, which is the new-moon day between the months Vaisakha and Jyêshtha of that (year); (the moon being) in the Rohini nakshatra; at noon;.....
.. (the sun being) in the sign Vrishabha ; there being a total eclipse of the sun." And the charter goes on to record a grant of the village of Kuruta. kante, the modern Kurtakôți,-or of some land at that village, to a Brâhman.
Here the details for calculation are-SakaSamvat 532, distinctly specified as expired; the new-moon day between the months Vaisakha and Jyeshtha, i.e. the new-moon tithi of tho amanta Vaisakha, since, by the púrniminta arrangement of the lunar fortnights, the phase of the moon that separates these two months, is the
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1 The tithi was nominally amânta Vaisikha krishna 14. The fourteenth tithi ended at about 5 gh. 29 p. on the same day; and consequently the fifteenth it was expunged. The results with Frof. Jacobi's Tables are very nearly the same; the ending-times being respectively 2 hrs. 25 min. 6 gh. 2 p., and 23 hrs. 51 min., =59 gh.38 p.
285
full-moon of Vaisakha, and the new-moon of Vaisakha, or of Jyêshtha, falls in the middle of its month; Bhaskaradina or Sunday; the Rohini nakshatra, for the moon; the sign Vrishabha, for the sun; and a total eclipse of the sun, apparently indicated as central at noon, or at any rate as including the hour of noon in its duration.
With Prof. K. L. Chhatre's Tables, in the given year Saka-Samvat 533 current (532 expired).
the new-moon tithi of the amânta Vaisakha1 ended, not on a Sunday, but on Tuesday, 28th April, A. D. 610, at about 59 ghatis, 20 palas, after mean sunrise for Bådâmi. On this day, the sun was in Vrishabha ; having entered that sign at about 46 gh. 39 p. on Sunday, 19th April. And, though by the equal-space system of the nakshatras with Prof. Jacobi's Tables, Krittika, No. 3, commenced at about 8 gh. 42 p., and Rohini, No. 4, did not commence till the next day, yet by both of the equal-space systems there was the Rohini nakshatra, commencing by the BrahmaSiddhanta system at about 36 gh. 38 p., and by the Garga system at about 39 gh. 55 p. On this day, however, there was no eclipse of the sun, visible or invisible. The eclipse, a total one, which was not visible in or anywhere near India, but only in northern Europe, North America, and the Pacific Ocean, took place on Monday, 30th March, on which day there ended, at about 40 ghatis, the the new-moon tithi of the amanta Chaitra or the purnimanta Vaisakha. This eclipse, however, is expressly barred by the wording of the text, which distinctly specifies the new-moon of the amanta Vaisakha. Moreover, the week-day is not correct; for, even if the word madhydhna-kale is not to be connected with the eclipse, still the tithi only commenced at about 44 gh. 37 p. on the Sunday, and was not current at noon (15 ghatis) on that day. Also, the sun had not then entered Vrishabha. And the nakshatra at sunrise being Asvint, No. 1, by all three systems, there was no Rohini, No. 4, at all on that day.
If it should be thought that the given year is wrongly specified as expired, then we have to consider the circumstances for Saka-Samvat 532 current (531 expired). In this year the newmoon tithi of the amânta Vaisakha ended, again not on a Sunday, but on Friday, 9th May, A. D. 609, at about 15 gh. 19 p. On this day the sun was in Vrishabha; having entered that
The times here are for Bâdâmi all through; that place being the Western Chalukya capital, and Kisuvolal being the modern Pattadakal, quite close to Badami.
3 For this and the following eclipses, see von Oppolzer's Canon der Finsternisse, pp. 174, 175, and Plate 87.
