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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; INTRODUCTION. 119
A.D. 399. Here Jupiter's rising, next before the given date, took place on Vaiśâkha śukla
3 of Śaka-Saṁvat 321, corresponding to Tuesday, the 6th April, A.D. 398; or, by the Eng-
lish calendar, on Wednesday, the 7th April. His longitude then was 5° 28'. By all three
systems, he was then in Aśvinî; and the saṁvatsara which then began, must have been
named Mahâ-Âśvayuja. Jupiter's next following rising took place on Âshâḍha kṛishṇa
7 of Śaka-Saṁvat 322, corresponding to Friday, the 13th May, A.D. 399; or, by the Eng-
lish calendar, on Saturday, the 14th May. His longitude then was 41° 42'. By all three
systems, he was then in Rôhiṇî; and the saṁvatsara which then began, must have been
named Mahâ-Kârttika. Accordingly, with this epoch also, the Mahâ-Âśvayuja saṁ-
vatsara was current on the given date. This again, however, is a mere coincidence.
And again, though there is the same coincidence in respect of the date of A., it does
not occur in respect of B. and C.
By the mean-sign system, the Mahâ-Âśvayuja saṁvatsara commenced on
Chaitra śukla 10 of Śaka-Saṁvat 321 current, corresponding to Sunday, the 14th March,
A.D. 398; and it was followed by Mahâ-Kârttika on Vaiśâkha kṛishṇa 2 of Śaka-Saṁvat
322, corresponding to Thursday, the 10th March, A.D. 399. Accordingly, with this epoch
again, and by this system also, the Mahâ-Âśvayuja saṁvatsara was current on the
given date.
E.—The Bhumarâ Pillar Inscription.
The last inscription of this series is the Bhumarâ pillar inscription of the
Mahârâjas Hastin and Śarvanâtha, No. 24, page 110; in which the date (line
7 ff.) is — Mahâ-Mâghê saṁvatsarê Kârttika-mâsa divasa 10 9,—"in the Mahâ-Mâgha
saṁvatsara; the month Kârttika; the (solar) day 10 (and) 9."
This gives us, for calculation, the Mahâ-Mâgha saṁvatsara, as current on the
nineteenth solar day of the month Kârttika (October-November); but the current year of
the Gupta era is not given. The only guide, therefore, in determining the approximate
Gupta year, for which the calculations should be made, is the fact that this inscription
shows that the Parivrâjaka Mahârâja Hastin was, at the time of this record, contempora-
neous with the Mahârâja Śarvanâtha of Uchchakalpa. For the Mahârâja Hastin, we have
the extreme recorded dates of Gupta-Saṁvat 156 and 191; while, for the Mahârâja
Śarvanâtha, we have similarly the dates of the years 193 and 214; and for his father,
Jayanâtha, the latest date of the year 177, all of which may have to be referred to the
Gupta era. If so, the Mahâ-Mâgha saṁvatsara in question,—on the assumption that
what should be its regular place in the series was not affected by any omissions and
repetitions, subsequent to the Mahâ-Vaiśâkha saṁvatsara which was current on Kârttika
śukla 3 in Gupta-Saṁvat 156,—must be found in or about Gupta-Saṁvat 189 or 201; with
a preference in favour of the year 189, because of the early date of the year 156 for the
Mahârâja Hastin.