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294
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(OCTOBER, 1889.
These examples will soffice to show how dates of our own calendar are converted into days of the Julian period and vice versa, by Tables 1 and 2. By the construction of similar tables for the Hinda calendar, we shall now be able, when a Hindu date is given, to convert it first into days of the Julian period and afterwards into a date of our own calendar; or, when a date of our own calendar is given, to convert it first into days of the Julian period, and afterwards into the corresponding Hindu date.
The Tables 3 and 4 for converting Hindu luni-solar dates into days of the Julian period, and vice versa, are arranged in exactly the same manner as the Tables 1 and 2; the only difference being this, that in Table 3, which takes here the place of Table 1, the argument does not proceed by complete centuries, but in a rather irregular manner, by periods of 19 or 122 years. To calculate the day of the Julian period corresponding to a given date, we first take out from Table 3 (using either the column expired or the column current, as the Case may be the number corresponding to the year next lower than the year of the date. We then add from Table 4, the number for the month of the date, in the line corresponding to the difference between the year of the date and the year taken out of Table 3; and to the sum we add the given date of the month. Thus, to ascertain which day of the Julian period was Karttika sukla 1 of the Vikrama year 937, current, we have -
given year 937 -next lower year in Table 3, Vikrama current 845 = 2008 562
Remainder 92 Table 4, year 92, month Kârttika, + date 1 =
33 843
Sum 2042 405; is. Karttika enkla 1 of the Vikrama year 937, current, corresponds to the day 2042 405 of the Julian period. And as this day has been already found (see above) to correspond to the 20th October, A.D. 879, this is the European date which corresponds to the given Hindu date.
The Table 4 is arranged for the amanta scheme, by which the dark half of a month follows upon the bright half of the same month. Here the nth day of the bukla-paksha or bright half is, of course, the nth day of the month, while the nth day of the krishna-paksha or dark half is to be sought as the (15 + n)th day of the same month. With the purnimanta scheme, by which the dark half of a month follows upon the bright half of the preceding month, the nth day of the bukla-paksha will likewise be the nth day of the month; but the nth day of the krishna-paksha must be sought in Table 4 as the (15 + n)th day of the preceding month. But in applying this role, we must always keep strictly to the year of the date, and must on no account calculate for the preceding year. Thas, calculating for Chaitra krishộa 9 of the northern Vikrama year 837, current, we have to look in the tables for Phålguna (15 + 9 = 24 of Vikrama 837, current (not of 836 current). The reason of this is that, even with the purnimanta scheme of the lunar fortnights, the year always begins with the bright half of the month; and consequently Chaitra krishna 9 belongs to the end of the given year.
It will be seen that in every second or third line of Table 4, two numbers are given for one and the same month; e.g., for the month Jyaishtha of the year 00. This shows that the month to which the numbers refer, is an intercalary month; and in such a case the apper number nerves for the first or adhika, the lower one for the second or nijа month of the name.
A few examples, suggested by Professor Kielhorn or taken from his papers on the Chedi and Néwår eras (the results of which have been adopted in the construction of Table 3) will show the practical working of Tables 3 and 4, in conjunction with Tables 1 and 2 -
1. Which day of the Christian era corresponds to Vikrama 1397, current, Magha sudi 4 (Archæol. Survey of India, Vol. XXI., Plate xxix.) ?
