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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1891.
On the 10th November, A. D. 904, corresponding to the amânta Karttika new-moon of Saka-Samvat 827 current; a partial eclipse; the central line of the eclipse was nowhere north of Lat. 30° S. Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit, however, found (loc. cit. p. 100) that this eclipse was visible at Môrbf, though only to a very limited extent; one twenty-fifth part of the sun's disc was eclipsed there; and the middle of the eclipse was at 11 54 a. m. of the Môrbi mean civil time.
On the 7th May, A. D. 905, corresponding to the amanta Vaisakha new-moon of SakaSamvat 828 current; an annular eclipse; the central line of the eclipse was at noon in Lat. 17° S., Long. 51° E., and it ended at sunset in Lat. 11° S., and Long. 107° E.; and the eclipse must have been visible over almost the whole of Southern India. Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit found (loc. cit. p. 99) that this eclipse was very distinctly visible at Môrbi; one ninth part of the sun's disc was eclipsed there; and the middle of the eclipse was at 12.9 midday of the Môrbi mean-civil time.
On the 30th October, A. D. 905, corresponding to the amanta Kârttika new-moon of 'Saka
Samvat 828 current; a total eclipse; the central line of the eclipse ended at sunset in Lat. 1° N., Long. 73° W.; and this eclipse was not visible anywhere in India.
On the 26th April, A. D. 906, corresponding to the amânta Vaisâkha new-moon of SakaSamvat 829 current; an annular total eclipse; the central line of the eclipse was at noon in Lat. 29° N., Long. 23° E., and it ended at sunset in Lat. 36° N., Long. 98° E.; and this eclipse must have been visible all over India.
On the 20th October, A. D. 906, corresponding to the amúnta Âśvina new-moon of Saka
Samvat 829 current; a total eclipse; the central line of the eclipse ended at sunset in Lat. 40° S., Long. 57° E.; and this eclipse was not visible anywhere in India.
In selecting the eclipse of the 7th May, A. D. 905, I was guided, partly by the fact that it was distinctly visible at Môrbî, even if it was not known beforehand from calculations; and partly by the fact that, on the supposition, based on the way in which I then applied the result for the date H. below, that the original nature of the Gupta year was preserved in Kâțhiâwâḍ up to considerably later than this time, this eclipse fitted in exactly with the results that had been established and have now been re-stated and affirmed under dates A. to C. above, whereas the eclipse of the 10th November, A. D. 904, did not so fit in.
Further experience, however, has shewn that, whatever may be the strict custom of later times, instances are beginning to accumplate, in which eclipses, of the sun at any rate, which we know to have been not visible in India, are quoted in genuine early records as occasions of ceremonies (compare page 2 above, and note 2).
So far, therefore, as visibility or invisibility is concerned, we might select any of the above eclipses; without inquiring whether it was actually visible at Môrbi or not. And for this reason, and also, taking the year at the end of the grant to be similarly the expired year 585,- in order to bring the making of the grant as close as possible to the date on which the charter was written, and further in order to place this date in precisely the same category with E. above, the eclipse which I now select is that of the 10th November, A. D. 904.
On this view, the month Kârttika of Valabhi-Samvat 585 expired or 586 current, was the Kârttika of Saka-Samvat 827 current. And the month Kârttika of Valabhi-Samvat 1 current
