________________
96
BUNDAHIS.
the water of springs is cold in summer, for Rapitvin is not there; and those seven 2 months one celebrates the Rapitvin, and summer advances through the whole earth. 15. And yet in the direction of Hindůstân, there where the original dwelling of summer is nearer, it is always neither cold nor hot; for in the season which is the dominion of summer, the rain always dispels most of the heat, and it does not become perceptible; in the winter rain does not fall, and the cold does not become very perceptible 3. 16. In the northern direction, where the preparation of winter is, it is always cold * ; for in the summer mostly, on account of the more oppressive winter there, it is not possible so to dispel the cold that one might make it quite warm. 17. In the middle localities the cold of winter and heat of summer both come on vehemently.
18. Again, the year dependent on the revolving moon is not equal to the computed year on this account, for the moon returns one time in twentynine, and one time in thirty days, and there are four
1 K20 has 'winter' by mistake.
K20 has 'six,' and M6 'five,' instead of seven.' 3 This is a fairly accurate account of the effect of the monsoons over the greater part of India, as understood by a foreigner unacquainted with the different state of matters in a large portion of the Madras provinces.
• M6 has khârâsân instead of årâyisn, preparation,' which alters the sense into 'that is, Khûrâsân, of which the winter is always
cold.'
• The MSS. have the Huzvâris term for month,' which is sometimes used, by mistake, for 'moon. It is doubtful which word the author intended to use here, but it is usual to count the days of a lunar month from the first actual appearance of the new moon, which usually occurs a full day after the change of the moon.
Digitized by Google