Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 55

MARCH, 1912.]
THE VEDIC CALENDAR
51
“The Savana year (of 360 days)20 has been explained. It is this same sidereal year of the sun.21 The sun is known to pass through each of the nakshatras in a fixed number of days: he remains in each nakshatra for thirteen and thirteen days, together with a third part of a day and two out of aine kalás or parts of a day-and-night [i. e., of a whole day]: these kalds or parts amount in a year to 54, and are equal to six times nine kalds [i. e., 6 days] : thus it consists of 366 (days) as contrasted with the (Savana year) consisting of 360 (days). There are two verses about this :
**Twenty-seven are the mansions in the king's [1. o., the Sun's) dominion; thirteen and thirteen days he resides in each nakshatra : thirteen days and one-third of a day; thus dividing four tiines ten days into three (equal) parts, he traverses the broad and ancient path of thrice nine stations in the course of forty periods, each of nine nights,
4 Then the year of the sun (of 378 days) which is greater than the Savana year) by eighteen days; this indeed is made by his transverse motion ;23 it is well known that the sun always goes to the North for six months and nine days, and likewise to the South. Accordingly there are the following verses:
Who knows that year in which the solar, the lutuar, and the sidereal months are not lost, who knows that? In the year weasured by 87 or 38 (full-moons), the solar, the lanar, and the sidereal months are not lost. The sun goes to the South for twenty-seven times seven days, and likewise to the North for twenty-seven times seven days.
"This is how this year is observed :-In the two intercalary months, 2 one should intercalate eighteen days; nine days before the contral day of the year and nine days after it ; three Trikadruka days and six Abhiplava days before the central day, and six Abhiplava days and three Trikadruka days after the central day."
Similar forms of calendar, together with some more varieties, are also described in the Srauta-Sätra of Latyâyana, iv. 8, 1-7. This is what he says:
ज्योतिषामयन विकल्पाः । तत्र थवादितोऽन्सतस्तनूर्व विषुवतः | मासि मास्थाचस्याभिप्लवस्य स्थाने त्रिकनुकाः । स पदशिनूनी नाक्षत्रस्सविशिनो हि मासाः। पष्ठायस्याभिप्तवस्य स्थाने ज्योतिर्गौच ज्योविरेवावृत्ते स नवोनो नाक्षत्र एव त्रयोदशी । युग्ममासेष्वाद्यस्यानिप्लवस्य स्थाने तत्पंचाहः स पडूनश्वांद्रमसः । षष्ठादी विकद्रकानभित चोपध्यात सोडादशाधिकापौर्णमासीप्रसवस्तैर्यगयनिक आदित्यस्य ।
“ Varieties of the movements of the heavenly luminaries. In the calendar pertaining to these movements, that which is observed at the beginning of each month) before the central day, is observed at the close of each month) after the central day. In the place of the first six Abhiplava days in each month, only three Trikadruka days are observed. Thus this sidereal lunar year is less than the Savana year) by 86 days, since its months consist of 27 days each.
"In the place of the first six Abhiplava days of the sixth month of the Savana year), there are observed only two days, known as jyotis and gô; and in the second part of the year, which is
2. Sea Calendar, Form I., and for the year of 866 days, see Form IV. below.
91 [The text, treats here in somewhat obnoure manner of both the SAVADA year of 850 days and the sidereal solar year of 356 days. The latter is not mentioned as one of the fire olasses of years in the boginning of the pagsago. The text seems to suggest that the Savans year, before being regarded as 30 days X 12, was sidereal year of 27 x 131 days, and that the year of 365 days, - 27 x 131, was a refinement of it, MA result of experionos showing that the sun required of day more time to pass through each rakshatra.-J. F. Fleet.
13 Bes Calendar, Form IV. below.
1 The motion from South to North and back again, which the sun sem, to have in passing from solstice to latice, is transverse, at right angles, to his notual motion from West to East through the nakshatras.-J. P. Floot
24 SAA Note 18, above.