Indian Antiquary Vol 41

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

Page 85

APRIL, 1912.]
THE VEDIC CALENDAR
81
above passage. There is also a passage in the Krishya-Yajurvéda in which it is clearly stated that the five days after the ciose of the savana year are such as have the power of creating the seasons. The passage, VII. 1. 10, runs as follows:
ET IT * reftr. a 14 haft. T 149934. ar . a. når वैस सनसजत ब एवं विद्वान्पंचरात्रेण बजते प्रेव जावते. तसवस्मृष्टान व्यावतेत त एतं पंचरापमपश्यन समाहरन् तेनाय जंत ततो वे ते व्यावतत. य एवं विद्वान्पंचरात्रेण यजते वि पाप्मना भ्रावृष्येणावर्तते. सार्वसेनि इशौचेयोऽकामयत पशुमान स्थामिति. स एतं पंचरात्रमाहरतेनायजत. सतो वैस सहवं पशून्प्रामोस य एवं विद्वान्पंचरान बजते प्र सहवं पशनाप्नोति. बबरमावाहणिरकामयत वाचः प्रवदिता स्यामिति स एतं पंचरात्रमा हरतेनायजत. तसो वै स वाचः प्रवदिताऽभवत् य एवं विद्वाम्पंचराग बजते प्रवदितव वाचो भवति अयो एनं वाचस्पतिरित्याहः भनामश्चतूराबोअतिरिक्तप्पडूात्रः अथवा एष संप्रति यज्ञो वत्पंचरात्रःव एवं विद्वान्पंचरात्रेण बजते संप्रत्येव यज्ञेन वजते पंचरात्रो भवति पंच वा ऋतवस्संवत्सरः मनुष्वेष संवत्सरे प्रतितिष्ठति.
"The year (of 360 days ) was of yore ua differentiated; it desired that it might create the seasons; it saw the five nights, caught hold of them, and sacrificed by them; then it created the seasons: whoever with this knowledge sacrifices by the five nights becomes endowed with children. The seasons, once created, did not regularly return again; they saw the five nights, canght hold of them, and sacrificed by them; then they regularly returned : whoever with this knowledge sacrifices by the five nights gets rid of his sin, his powerful enemy [i.e., the intercalary days bordened with sin). Sauchêya, the son of Sarvasêna, desired that he might be possessed of cattle; he caught hold of the five nights and sacrificed by them; then he obtained a thousand head of cattle : whoever with this knowledge sacrifices by the five nights obtains a thousand head of cattle. Babara, the son of Prâváhani, desired that he might be possessed of eloquence ; he caught hold of the five nights and sacrificed by them; then he became an orator: whoever with this knowledge sacrifices by the five nights undoubtedly becomes an orator; him they call the lord of speech. Four nights are les8 ; sis nights are more; the sacrificial period of five Nights is neither less nor more: whoever with this knoledge sacrifices by the five nights acquires the merits of a sacrifice performed neither in less nor in greater time. Five are the nights and five are the seasons which compose a year: (whoever observes then gets a firm footing in the seasons of the year.”
If we read the above three passages along with Agnisvamiu's commentary on Latyayana's aphorism, IV. 6. 12, and the two verses of the Sâmarêda, II. 1. 17. 8, and VI. 2. 2. 7, together with the verses of the Atharvaveda, IV. 15. 13, and IV. 16. 6, all of which are quoted above, we can clearly understand that, when the Vedic poets recognised the failure of the synodic lanar and the savana years to keep pace with the course of the seasons, some of them seem to have discovered the sidereal solar year of 866 days, and regarded it as capable of agreeing with a round of the seasons. Others, with more accurate observation, seem to bave been divided in their opinion, and to have taken a vague solar year of 365 days according to some, and a more true solar year of 365 days according to others, as the one fairly agreeing with the course of the seasons. Those who observed the synodic lunar year of 354 days seem to have been passing 12 days in Dikshd or vow of initiation after its close and before the commencement of the sidereal solar ycar. Of those who followed the så vana year of 360 days, some seem to have been al justing it with a solar year of 865 days by adding five days to it, as exclaimed by the speaker in the Nidina-Sutra: "Lo ! I observe only five days, thereby making the two wings of the year undisturbed." But those who were still nore accurate in their observation appear to have framed a cycle of four savana-and-solar years, and to bave adjusted the savana year with a solar year of 3653 days by adding 53 x 4 = 21 days to every fourth savâna year. As we have already seen, this period of 21 days has been called by various names: some called these days the thrice seren milch-kine pouring their genuine milky draught for the nourishment of Soma, the moon; others seem to have regarded them as the 21 fetters of Varuņa, to be got rid of by the observance of the rites of