Indian Antiquary Vol 43

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

Page 205

OCTOBER, 1914.]
THE TRUE AND EXACT DAY OF BUDDHA'S DEATH.
201
same, i. e., sukla 1 of Tabaong or Phâlguna. As an analogous case, we may cite the era of the reformed English calendar which began on 14 Sep. A. D. 1752, though the commencement of the year was always the same as before, the 1st of January.
(2) Secondly, it is apparent, except in the case of the last date on the chart, that the commencement of the lunar month under this ancient calendar, was sukla 1 or (prati pada), as in the present day Indian calendar, and not the first heliacal rising of the moon, as in the Jewish and the Muhummadan calendar. In the excepted case I suspect, as observed in paragraph (6) of this note, a wrong reading in Bigandet's English Translation (Vol. II p. 113) of Monday for Sunday. On the other hand, the phrase ádi chandrôdaya diné quoted by Dr. Fleet from Dipavarisa (J. R. A. S. 1909), seems to refer, not necessarily to sukla 1, as assumed by him, but to the first day when the crescent was actually visible, and in 242 B, C., as shown below, this was actually sukļa 2. The ordinary rule is, that if sukļa 1, ends before 42 of a day, (25 ghatikas after sunrise) the crescent will rise the same evening and that if sukla 1 ends later than 58 of a day, (35 ghatikas after sunrise), the crescent will only appear next day. Between these limits, the day of the first appearance of the crescent is a matter of calculation, . Among other indications going to show that the first of the moon" or "the first of the waxing moon" in Bishop Bigandet's translation is meant for sukļa 1 is the following, which is also otherwise interesting. We are told at p. 107 of Vol. I that for 49 days from the attainment of perfect Buddhaship i. e. from Vaisakha purnima, Buddha did not taste food, and that on the 50th day which was the 5th of the moon of Watso he was hungry. [Bigandet's translation in this place " 5th after the full moon of Watso" is an obvious mistake, since (1) 49 days from Vaisakha půrnima can only take us to sukla 5 (292 + 14 +5 49) in Watso or Åsha lha, and (2) we know from p. 118 of Vol. I that some days after the conclusion of the 49 days fast, Buddha preached a sermon at exact full moon and exact sunset ; this we may identify as Âsha tha pûrnimâ or Watso full moon - which tithi, in 522 B. c., ended on 6 June at 40 of the day or a little while before sunset.] The 50th day from Vaisakha pûrņima in 522 B. C. was Wednesday, 27 May = Ashadha (or watso) sukla 5, which tithi ended at 78 of the day. In this case, sukla 1 was first moon rise, but as sukla 1 ended on May 24 18, the 5th tithi, if it had been counted from first moon rise, would have been Thursday, May 28, the 51st day, not Wednesday the 50th day counted from Vaisakha pûrnima. It is clear, therefore, that tithis in the text translated by Bigandet wete calculated, as now, from new moon and not from the first moon-rise.
(3) On the relative merits of 483 B. c. and 478 B. c. as years of Buddha's death, Dr. Fleet remarked, at p. 22 of J. R. A. S. 1909, : For the latter occurrence" (the anointment of Devânampiya Tissa), " the mention of the Asbadha nakshatra indicates 247 B. c. or 242 B. c. The choice thus lies between 247+236 B. C.-483 and 242+236 B. C.= 478 B. C. The earlier year is preferentially supported by a consideration of the circumstances which paved the way to the acquisition of sovereignty by Chandragupta,"
It will be seen from the author's "Eye-Table" that Nakshatra Parva Ashacha can coincide with Margasira gukļa l or sukla 2 (on either of which days Devânampiya Tissa was anointed) only in a year in which some month previous to Mârgasira was adhika. This was the case with the years 247 B. c. and 242 B. C., and Dr. Fleet is, therefore, perfectly right in observing that the choice lies between these years. There is, however, this noteworthy difference between these two years. In 242 B. c., the year of anointment of Devânampiya Tissa, corresponding to 478 B. c. for Buddha's