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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; INTRODUCTION. 111
therefore, not only answers to, but also proves, the running difference of two hundred
and forty-two years between current Gupta and current Śaka years.
On the analogy of the Kaira grant of Dharasêna IV. of the year 330, and with a year
beginning either with the month Kârttika, or with the month Mârgaśîrsha, next before the
commencement of the northern Śaka year, the given date of Chaitra śukla 2, in Gupta-
Saṁvat 163, would still belong to Śaka-Saṁvat 405. But, as noted at page 108 above,
the results for the date of A. disprove the possibility of our being concerned with the scheme
of the southern Vikrama year, beginning with the month Kârttika next before the com-
mencement of the northern Śaka year. And, as will be shewn at page 115 below,
the results for the date of C., in Gupta-Saṁvat 191, disprove the possibility of our being
concerned with a year, northern or southern, beginning with the month Mârgaśîrsha next
before the commencement of the northern Śaka year.
By the mean-sign system, the Mahâ-Âśvayuja saṁvatsara commenced on
Chaitra śukla 8 of Śaka-Saṁvat 404 current, corresponding to Tuesday, the 24th March,
A.D. 481; and it was followed by Mahâ-Kârttika on Chaitra śukla 15 of Śaka-Saṁvat 405,
corresponding to Saturday, the 20th March, A.D. 482. Accordingly, by this system also,
the Mahâ-Aśvayuja saṁvatsara was current on the given date.
With General Cunningham's epoch of A.D. 166-67, and with the original
reading of Gupta-Saṁvat 163, the given date would belong to Śaka-Saṁvat 252 current;
and its English equivalent would be Monday, the 17th February, A.D: 329. Mr. Sh. B.
Dikshit finds that Jupiter's rising, next before the given date, took place on Âshâḍha kṛishṇa
6 of Śaka-Saṁvat 251, corresponding to Thursday, the 16th May, A.D. 328; or, by the
English calendar, on Friday, the 17th May. His longitude then was 47° 25'. By all three
systems, he was then in Rôhiṇî; and the saṁvatsara which then began, must have been
named Mahâ-Kârttika. Jupiter's next following rising took place on Âshâḍha śukla 10 of
Śaka-Saṁvat 252, corresponding to Sunday, the 22nd June, A.D. 329; or, by the English
calendar, on Monday, the 23rd June. His longitude then was 82°12'. By all three sys-
tems, he was then in Punarvasu; and the saṁvatsara which then began, must have been
named Mahâ-Pausha; the intervening saṁvatsara, Mahâ-Mârgaśîrsha, being omitted. Ac-
cordingly, with this epoch, and with the real reading of the text, the Mahâ-Âśvayuja saṁ-
vatsara was not current on the given date. For the commencement of the Mahâ-Âsva-
yuja saṁvatsara, we have to go back to Jupiter's rising on Vaiśâkha śukla 3 of Śaka-Saṁ-
vat 250, corresponding to Tuesday, the 11th April, A.D. 327, or, by the English calendar,
on Wednesday, the 12th April; when his longitude was 11° 21', and, by all three systems,
he was in Aśvinî. And thus the given saṁvatsara was current on the same date in the
preceding year.—With the same epoch, and with the proposed corrected reading (see
Texts and Translations, page 102, note 1) of Gupta-Saṁvat 173, the given date would belong
to Śaka-Saṁvat 262 current; and its English equivalent would be Tuesday, the 27th Febru-