Indian Antiquary Vol 19

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

Page 49

JANUARY, 1890.)
MISCELLANEA.
41
considered as almost certain proof that the borrower the reading is exactly the same in the Bombay had to submit to the Baka-kartri or establisher editions of A. D. 1863, 1864, and 1874 ; in the of the era. For this reason, and becange the Benares edition of A. D. 1861 ; and in MS. in Nepalese Varadval (anto, Vol. XIII. p. 413) has the Bodleian Library, Aufrecht's Catalogue, Part preserved a reminiscence of the conquest of Nepal I., page 929, No. 780. by an Indian king just before Amsuvarman's
Again, in the Jour. R. As. Soc., F. S., Vol. XX. accession to the throne, most orientalists have p. 372. note. Dr. Kern has quoted the following accepted it as an indisputable fact that Harsbeverse as giving the date of the oompletion of vardhana extended his conquests to the eastern th. Commentary on the Brihat-Samhita : Himalaya. This view, it seems to me, is further
PhAlgunasya dvitiyâyâm confirmed by & passage in Bana's Briharah
Asitâyân Gurör dine 1 charita, where we read in the list of wonderful
Vasv-asht-shţa-mitê Sêkê deeds ascribed to Harsha (Kaśmir edition, p. 208,
kpitêyan vivsitir mays: 1. 6):-atra paramésvarena tushdrabailabhavô dur.
“This commentary has been composed by me gáyd grihitah karah. Like all the preceding ones,
on the second dark tithi of (the month) PhAlguna, this sentence has a double sense, and describes,
on Thursday, in the Saka (year) that is measured with the same words, both an act of a god and a
out by the Vasus (eight), (the numeral) eight, and feat of the king, in order to point out the resem.
(again the numeral) eight." blance or identity of the actors. It must be translated, as the commentator too states -(1)
This latter verse has also been quoted, on the "Here the supreme lord Siva) took the hand of authority of "Colebrooke and others," but withont Durga, the daughter of the snowy mountain any specific reference, by Dr. Bhau Daji, in the (HimAlaya);"--and (9) "Here the supremo lord same Journal, N. S., Vol. I. page 410. (Haraha) took tribute from the land in the snowy And I hear from Mr. K. B. Pathak, through mountains, that is difficult of access." The Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit, that with a few minor mishistorical information which Båņa means to con- takos which do not in any way affect the details, vey is, therefore, that his patron forced the prince this verse occurs in two MSS. of the commentary, of a country situated in the Himalaya to acknow. No. 415 of 1881-82 in the Dekkan College Colledge his supremacy. Considering the facte lection in this instance the figures 888 stand stated above, it is not doubtful that the Himalayan between the syllables asht-dsh!a and mitd), and district, to which he refers, is no other than No. 306 of the Vibrambag Collection. Also, Mr. Népal.
Sh. B. Dikshit tells me, it occurs in the Marathi 26th September 1889.
G. BÜHLER. 1 translation of the Brihat-Samhita, published at
Ratnagiri.
CALCULATIONS OF HINDU DATES.
The two Commentaries, accordingly, were finish. No. 32.
ed in one and the same year, 888. And, giving The astronomical writer Utpala has given the word Sdka ita most ordinary meaning, vin, us his dato in two of his Commentaries, on the of or belonging to the Sakas,' that was year SakaBrihaj-Jataka and the Brihat-Sanhita of Varába- Samvat 888, which, in both the verses, is not dismihira.
tinctly specified either as current or as expired. In his edition of the Brihat-Samhita, Preface, In this year, the commentary on the Brihaj-Jataka page 6, Dr. Kern has quoted the following verse,
was finished on the tithi Chaitra sukla 5, coupled as giving the date of the completion of
with Thursday; and the commentary on the the Commentary on the Brihaj-Jataka :
Brihat-Samhitd was finished on PhAlguna krishpa Chaitra-masasya pañchamyam
2, also coupled with Thursday. By Prof. K. sitayar Guru-vasaro
L Chhatre's Tables, I find that Vasv-asht-Ashta-mitê Sakê
In Baka-samvat 888 current, Chaitra vukla kpit-êyard vivsitir maya li
8 bogan on Thursday, 9th March, A. D. 905, This commentary has been composed by me ut about 58 ghafla, 22 palas, after mean sunrise, un the fifth bright tithi of the month Chaitra, on for Ujjain, and ended on the Friday, at about 59 Thursday, in the Saka (year) that is measured gh. 52 p. ; the parniments PhAlguna krishna out by the Vasus (eight), (the numeral) eight, anded on Thursday, 11th January, A. D. 986, and again the numeral) eight."
at about 84 gh. 48 p., beginning on the Wednesday, And, with the exception that the figures 888 at about 41 gh. P; and the amanta PhAlguna stand between the words Suke and krit-byan, krishna 8 began on Friday, 9th February, A.D.
1 The times here are for Ujjain, all through.