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May, 1891.]
THE SAPTARSHI ERA.
153
9. - In Zeitschrift Deutsch. Morg. Ges., Vol. XL. p. 9, Dr. Hultzsch informs us that at Hariparvat there is an inscription, dated -
Sam 60 'Srâ vati pra Sukrê | Mahammada-waha-rajyen é. e., 'in the year 60, on the first of the dark half of Sravana, on a Friday; in the reign of Muhammad Shah.'
According to Dr. Holtzsch, Muhammad Shah is said to have ruled from A.D. 1487 to 1537. Assuming this to be approximately correct, the Saptarshi year 60 of this date should correspond to A. D. 1484-85, or 'Saka 1406 expired, and the presumption is that Saka 1406 is really the year of the date, and that Muhammad Shah reigned a few years before A. [D. 1487. And calculating for Saka 1406 expired, we find that the first of the dark half of the pirnimántic Sravana of that year corresponds to the Sth July, A.D. 1484, which was a Friday, 15 as required, and is undoubtedly the proper equivalent of the date of the inscription.
10.- Dr. Stein has kindly informed me that a Sarada MS. of the Ratnávali-nútika is dated -
Sath vat 69, Chaitra-vati ekadasyam Chandra-vasaro Sravana-nakshatro - i.e., in the year 69, on the eleventh (lunar day) of the dark half of Chaitra, on a Monday, (the moon being in the nakshatra Sravana.'
A Saptarshi year 69 should correspond to an expired Saka year (69 + 46 = 115=) 15, and, the MS, being apparently an old one, we shall probably find the proper equivalent of the date in one of the expired Saka years 1615, 1515, or 1415. Calculations for 1615 and 1515 yield no satisfactory results; but in Saka 1415 expired the 11th of the dark half of the purnimúnta Chaitra fell on Monday, the 3rd March, A. D. 1494, when the 11th tithi of the dark half ended 19 h. 33 m., and when the moon was in the nakshatra Sravana from 5 h. 16 m. after mean sunrise. Here it is highly probable that Monday, the 3rd March, A. D. 1494, is the proper equivalent of the date. But, if the MS. were urusually old, an equally good result would be obtained for Saka 1215 expired. For in that year the 11th of the dark half of the purnimánta Chaitra fell on Monday, the 22nd February, A. D. 1294, when the 11th tithi of the dark half ended 9 h. 13 m., and when the moon also was in the nakshatra Sravana from 7 h. 53 m. after mean sunrise. - I am indebted to Dr. Stein for several other dates of this description, which it would serve no purpose to examine here.
It is clear, then, that all the above dates work out satisfactorily with the equations with which we have started. Besides, the dates prove that, since Saptarshi 4300 = A.D. 1224, the Saptarshi year has always, like the Saka year, commenced with the month Chaitra. And from the dates 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9, which fall within about the last four hundred years, we see that the scheme of the lunar months during that time has been invariably the purņimanta scheme. On the other hand, the date 1, which falls in A. D. 1224, works out properly only with the amanta scheme; and further research must show whether this is a solitary instance of the employment of the amanta scheme, or whether that arrangement of the lunar fortnights was followed generally in more remote times.
We have assumed above that the Saptarshi or, as they are more commonly called, laukika yeargle are current years. To us it would indeed seem only natural that in a popular mode of reckoning this should be so; but we are not left altogether to our own guidance. Professor Bhâņdirkarl7 has drawn attention to certain passages in a Sanskrit work connected with the Khandakhadya, in which a rule and examples are given for converting laukika into Saka years. The main part of the rule is, that 47 should be taken as a constant, to which the number of passed laukika years should be added, to find the Saka year corresponding to the
18 On that day, the first tithi of the dark half ended 11 b. 50 m. after mean sunrise. 16 See also the Rajatarangint, L. 59, and ante, Vol. XVII. p. 218. 17 Report on Sanskrit M88 for 1888-84, pp. 83 and 369.
