गुप्त अभिलेख संग्रह (जे. एफ. फ्लीट - गुप्त सम्राटों एवं परवर्ती नरेशों के ऐतिहासिक पाषाण व ताम्रलेख)

106 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
195° 24'. By both the systems of unequal spaces for the longitudes of the ending-points
of the nakshatras (see Appendix III. Table IX.), he was then in Viśâkhâ; and the
saṁvatsara which then began (see Appendix III. Table VIII.), must have been named
**Mahâ-Vaiśâkha.**¹ Jupiter's next following rising took place on Mârgaśîrsha śukla 13
of Śaka-Saṁvat 399, corresponding to Monday, the 15th November, A.D. 476; or, by the
English calendar, on Tuesday, the 16th November. His longitude then was 225° 35'.
By the Brahma-Siddhânta system of unequal spaces, he was then in Jyeshṭhâ; and the
saṁvatsara which then began, must have been named Mahâ-Jyeshṭha. While, by the
Garga system of unequal spaces, he was then in Anurâdhâ; and the saṁvatsara which then
began, must have again been named Mahâ-Vaiśâkha; which shews that, by this system,
there was at this period a repetition of a saṁvatsara. This difference as to the following
saṁvatsara, however, does not affect the given date. By both the systems of unequal
spaces, with the running difference of two hundred and forty-two years between current
Gupta and current Śaka years, the Mahâ-Vaiśâkha saṁvatsara was current on the
given date. And the result gives Śaka-Saṁvat 398 current (A.D. 475-76), as the equi-
valent of the given current Gupta year.
In connection with the results for this record, the following points have to be noted.
In the first place, Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit has described three systems of fixing the ending-
points of the nakshatras; one of equal spaces; and two of unequal spaces. An exami-
nation of Jupiter's longitudes, as given in Table IV., page 105 above, for each rising
next before the given dates, will shew that, in all the remaining instances, the current
saṁvatsara is proved by all three systems; the only variation is that, in the case of E1,
Jupiter's position, at his rising next before the given date, was, by the system of equal spaces,
in Âślêshâ; but, even then, the current saṁvatsara would be named Mahâ-Mâgha, as also
by the two systems of unequal spaces. So, also, it may be seen that, by all three systems,
we have almost the same results in respect of the following saṁvatsaras; the only variation
is that, in the case of D., Jupiter's position, at his rising next after the given date, was,
by the system of equal spaces, in Bharaṇî, and, accordingly, the saṁvatsara which then
began, would again be named Mahâ-Âśvayuja; which shews that, by this system, there was
a repetition of a saṁvatsara at this period; but this does not affect the saṁvatsara current
on the given date. So far, therefore, as those dates are concerned, the correctness of the
records might be proved by any of the three systems. The same, however, is not the case
in respect of the present record. By the system of equal spaces, Jupiter's position, at his
rising next before the given date, was in Svâti; the saṁvatsara which then began, would
¹I have not been able to obtain the original authority for the use of the prefix mahâ (mahat),
'great.' And it does not occur in connection with the two saṁvatsaras mentioned in the Halsî grants
of the Kâdamba chieftain Mṛigêśavarman; viz. the Pausha saṁvatsara, in line 8 of the grant dated
in his third year (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 35). and the Vaiśâkha saṁvatsara, in line 10 of the grant
dated in his eighth year (id. Vol. VI. p. 24). I use the prefix, however, throughout, in accordance with
the custom of the original records now under examination.