Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 36

32 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[FEBRUABY, 1913. =
It would be perhaps possible to augment this list by the inclusion of some other documents, as for instance, the Meberault pillar-inscription of emperor Chandra, No. XXXII, and the poetically coloured genealogy of the Maukharis on the Asirgadb seal, No. XLVII, which, according to the character of their writing, belong to this period. But those already mentioned quite suffice for our purpose. Their number shows that during the period from 350-550. A. D., the use of the kávya-style in inscriptions, especially in the longer ones, was in vogue and from this very circumstance it follows that court-poetry was zealously cultivated in India. It will be seen further on that this conclusion is confirmed by other iudications of no doubtful character. Our next and most important work is, however, to inquire how far the samples of the Kavya style contained in the inscriptions agree with the works of the recognized masters of Indian poetic art, and how the same are related to the rules in the manuals of poetics. A full discussion of all the numbers mentioned would in the meanwhile be too detailed and of but little use. It would suffice to select a poem that falls in the beginning of the period and another that belongs to the close of the same, as representatives and to go through the same thoroughly. With the rest, cnly a few important points will be prominently touched upon. On similar grounds, I take ap, for purpose of a detailed discussion, No. I-Harishena's panegyric of Samudragupta and No. XVIII.-Vatsabhatti's prajasti on the Sun temple at Dasapura-Mandasor; and immediately turn mysrlf to the latter.
(To be continued.).
THE ADITYAS. BY R. SHAMA SASTRY, B.A., M.B.A.S., BANGALORE.
(Continued from p. 84) The seven hundred and twenty sons, spoken of in verse 13, are evidently the 720 days and nights of the civil year; and the ten twins on the upper side of the chariot, referred to in the next verse, must necessarily be the 10 days and nights above the 360 days of the year. This shows that the poets were well acquainted with the real length of the solar year. It is the seven Adityas or the gods of the intercalary months, that are referred to in verse 16. The expression that the seventh was single-born clearly shows the break in the eighth intercalary month, as pointed out above.
In the following verses of the Atharvarēda (X. 8) the mention of the number one thousand it connection with seven swans seems to furnish additional evidence that the seven Adityas, eagles, or swans, as they are variously called, are the seven intercalary months.
बावश प्रधयश्चक्रमेकं त्रीणि नभ्यानि क उ सच्चिकेत । सचाहतास्त्रीणि शतानि शंकवष्पष्ठिइच खीला अविचाचला ये ।। 4 एवं सवितविजानीहि षड्यमा एक एकजः। तस्मिन्हापिस्वामधंते य एषामेक एकजः॥ 5 एकचक्र वर्तते एकनेमि सहस्राक्षरं प्रपुरी निपश्च ।। af
er 264 I ........ 7 सहस्राधा वियतावस्य पक्षी हरोहँसस्थ पतसस्स्वर्गम्।
Terriztu ara fa fra 18 "Twelve fellies, one wheel, three naves,—who understands that? Therein are inserted three hundred ard sixty pins, pegs that are immovable."16 4
" This, O Savitri!, do thou distinguish: six are twins, one is sole-born; they seek participation in him who of them is the sole sole-born." 5
"One-wheeled it rolls, one-rimmed, thousand-syllabled, forth in front, down behind ; with a hall it has generated all existence; what its other half is-what has become of that?" 7
"By a thousand days are the wings expanded of him, of the yellow swan flying to heaven; he, putting all the gods in his breast, goes, viewing together all existences,"16 18 15 Comp. R.V.I. 164, 18,
* Comp. A.V. XIII, 2,88.