Indian Antiquary Vol 56

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 48

40
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
FEBRUARY, 1927
times for the year, for the month and for the day : together with many elucidatory notes and suband further still by the practice of forming calendars
sidiary tables. by calculations based upon the teachings of different
The historian and epigraphist will probably be Siddhantas, pre-eminent among which are the
more interested in the general tables, which give Súrya, Arya, Brahma and Siromani.
year by year the main eras, the Jovian Samvatsara, Schram and Jacobi provide us with what may be
intercalated and suppressed months, the European termed general results, while Messrs. Sewell and
dates of the beginnings of the solar and luni-solar Pillai give us detailed tables according to the
years, etc. Those general tables occupy 330 pages, various systems in vogue. Schram reduces the
or rather more than half the volume. They are date to Julian days, and for ordinary verification
generally exactly the same for some seven columns, his method is simple and effective. His original
but differ occasionally in the record of the intertables for India occupy five pages only. Jacobi
calated months, and more often in the times of the employs the acargana, or sum of days from the
commencement of the year. beginning of the Kali-yuga, and his general tables occupy some dozen pages. Sewell gives for each The following table (shown below) 2 illustrates the year certain elements from which the details of the type of variation between the tables based upon the calendar can be calculated, and his tables fill three several Siddhantas. Of the explanatory portion of quarto volumes. Pillai now gives information for the volume the student will find the preface of con. each day (in eight large volumes). He indood siderable interest, and he will find it profitable to states that any attempt to enable the historian or work through the examples on pages 237 to 247. epigraphist to be his own computor of tithis, and
One special feature of the present volume is its nakshatras seems predestined to failure, and that
supposed greater accuracy than former publications the only solution is a day to day ephemeris. The
-"since the figures are given with four decimal draw-back to this plan is the size, number and cost
places instead as previously in whole numbers, and (£6-108.) of the volumes involved, and Schram's
so give us planetary positions to a quarter of a or Jacobi's few pages, or, say, Ginzel's two volumes
Becond whether in space or time." Mr. Sewell (for all countries) may be preferred; or, for India
goes even farther than this, e.g., on page 56 wo itself, the volumes of Mr. Sewell.
find a value 2° 8' 18.828200553," and there are Mr. Sewell's present volume is the third of a
many other similar examples. Accuracy to & series, consisting of (1)The Indian Calendar,
hundred millionth of a second might delight certain 1896, which gives detailed information based upon
astronomers if it wore attainable ! But in dealing the Sarya Siddhanta for every year from A.D. 300
with physical quantities it is a sound maxim to to A.D. 1900, also a table of initial days of
keep the calculations to the same order of accuracy Muhammadan years from A... I to A... 1245 (A.D.
as the observations on which they are based ; and 1900), Schram's useful tables for eclipses of the
although it might be stated with justification that Sun in India, and certain subsidiary tables; (2)
Hindu astronomy is not based upon observation, Indian Chronography, 1912, which is an extension
yet no useful object can be obtained by such of the former volume with working examples ;
artificial methods. There are misprints, and the (3) the present volume which gives general tables
volume used for review has the pages bound up based upon the Siddhanta Siromasi (A.D. 11001900), the First Arya Siddhanta 'True system
in incorrect order; but such blemishes are diffi
cult to avoid in a technical work printed at a (A.D. 900-1800) and Mean system (A.D. 5001400), Brahma Siddhanta "True system' (A.D.
Government Press in India.
These may be termed the minor defects of an 600-1200) and Mean system' (4.D. 600-1400); also tables relating to the cycle of Jupiter, and
extremely valuable work.
G. R. KAYE. Fleet's tables for finding the mean place of Satur,
Kali. 4201 4202 4203 4204
BEGINNING OF THE SOLAR YEAR-TRUE SYSTEMS. A. B.
Differences. Arya.
Brahms. Biromani. A-B B-C March
March. March. 24.31077 23.26146 23.25777 1.0463100669 23.56914 22.522 89 22.51620 1.04655 00669 23.82813 22.78133 22.77485 1.04680 *00669 24.08681 23.03976 23.03308 1.04705 00668 24.24479 23.18632 23.17955 1.06847 00677 25.17882 24.10818 24.10133 1.07064 00885
A. D. 1099-1100 1100-1101 1101-1102 1102-1103
4251 4301
1149-1150 1199-1200
Yearly Differences.
25868
25843
25843