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112
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[APRIL, 1918
MISCELLANEA.
THE WEEK-DAYS AND VIKRAMA.
the face of the Avadana and the Bauhdyana THE late Dr. Fleet argued (JRAS., 1912, p. 1039) Dharma-elera. that the Jewish calendar of the week-days found its The Gathd-Sapta-Saff mentions Vikrama (V. 64), a way into India after Europe received it from the fact which was not known to me when I published Jows, that is, in the third century of the Christian my theory in 1913 on the identity of Vikrama with ers. If India received the week-days from outside it one of the two Satayâhana kinga, either the one who it must have been from Syria direct, not sia conquered Nahapana or the one who succeeded him. Europe. The evidence is twofold. The Sard Alakarna The theory apparently appealed at the time, as vadana (Divyavadana) mentions these days (p. 642). I was fortunate to receive & letter from one In the 3rd century it was translated into Chinese. of the greatest Indian scholars, Mr. Haraprasad Dr. Fleet tries to get over this evidence by saying Shastri, who signified his acceptance of my view. that the days are not to be found in the Chinese The theory, or rather the mythology about the noncranslation. But the natural explanation is that it existence of Vikrama circulated by early Indianista bbing rather difficult to express week-days in in their imperfect knowledge, is fit to be given up. Chinese, the translator left them out. The other I might point out that the new Jaina datum (see my evidence is more ancient. The Baudhd yana article on Kalki)places the end of Nahapana Dharma-ultra (Buhler, II. 5. 9. 9) prescribes (Nahavâna) in 58 B.C. The authority which I had tarpaya to the week-days or their planets in the before me in 1913 placed him a few doondes earlier. same order as we know them here or as Europo The new material makes the identifioation doubly learnt centuries after the Baudhayana-Stras from strong. Napapana was the sake of the popular the Semitic world
tradition who was taken captivo, and whose rule The point comes before us in connexion with the was onded by Vikrams. It is impossible for the Gashd-Sapta-Sati, where one of the day-names Hindu public to have forgotten the great conqueror, occurs.
the son of Gautami who destroyed so many oppres. Even if we knew the weekdays in the first sors of " dharma." Tha Jaina book Vird charitra Century A.D., as is clearly proved by the Avadana also connects Vikrams with Bodraks Satavahana. referred to, thedate of the Gatha-Sapta-saff need not The Satavahana (=Balavahana) origin of the be lowered from the 1st century A.c., which was Vikrama explains the confusion in the popular be date assigned to it by Sir R. Bhandarkar. My tradition, which connecta Balavihana with Vikrama riend Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar's argument in the Bhandarkar Memorial Volume loses its force in
K. P. JAYASWAL
1 Apparently she did, as in old literature we have only pakaha.
Not only some' as supposed by Fleet. All the week-day (grahas) names are thero.
3 Rahu and Ketu were originally separate as in the AnandAkrama od. of the BDhs. They make up the nine grahas. The Avadana also has got Rdhu and Keu.
It has been given up for Fleet and other do admit that there was a Vikrama, but they say he was . foreigner. . Ante, 1917, April
• 18., XIV, 07 .
