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

172 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
and the sun, and consequently eleven heliacal risings of the planet. And, this fact being
established, the interval of about four hundred days between two successive risings, —the
same period, for the duration of each saṁvatsara,—the omission of one saṁvatsara in
each cycle of twelve years,—and all the other points described by me,—follow of necessity
It will, doubtless, have been noticed that I have not been able to give any quotations
from the first Âryabhaṭa (born A.D. 476) or Brahmagupta (born A.D. 598), in support
of the heliacal-rising system. And it might be sought to base some argument against
its existence, on the grounds that these two early authorities, who moreover may be said to
be the originators of two of the three schools of astronomers in India, are silent about it,
though they do give the mean-sign system. But the facts only prove the early existence
and use of the mean-sign system; which I do not seek to deny. They do not prove, either
that the heliacal-rising system did not exist; or that, having existed, it had gone out of use
in their time. To take another instance, Âryabhaṭa and Brahmagupta give no rule for
finding the saṁvatsaras of the Sixty-Year Cycle; but, to say that this cycle was not
known to either of them, would hardly be sensible. The mean-sign system for the
Twelve-Year Cycle is undoubtedly early. But the heliacal-rising system is earlier still.
Among the authorities quoted above, the Sûrya-Siddhânta¹ is as early a work as the
Âryabhaṭîya, if not earlier. And, that Parâśara, Garga, and Kaśyapa, are earlier than
Âryabhaṭa, cannot be denied. Utpala quotes a verse of Garga, which, with some proposed
emendations, I give as it stands in my manuscript copy,—êvam Âśvayujaṁ ch=aiva Chaitraṁ
ch=aiva Bṛihaspatiḥ | saṁvatsarô(?raṁ) nâma(?śa)yatê saptaitêda (? saptaty-abda)-śatê=
dhikê ||.² This verse seems to refer to the mean-sign system; though I can say nothing
definitely about it, without seeing the context; of which I have not the opportunity at
present. But, supposing that it does refer to the mean-sign system, still it is not un-
favourable to the heliacal-rising system; for the same Utpala also quotes a verse of the
same Garga, given at page 170 above, in which Garga says—"when Jupiter, after dwelling
together (with the sun),³ rises and walks along with a nakshatra, then commences the year
of Jupiter, of which the first part (of the name) is the (name of that) nakshatra."
Not only that the heliacal-rising system is very early, but that it alone is the
original system of the Twelve-Year Cycle, is self-evident. The heliacal rising of Jupiter
is a natural phenomenon. No scientific apparatus is needed for the observation of it; nor are
¹ To say that the Sûrya-Siddhânta is a work of Varâhamihira, is simply a mistake. I cannot
enter iuto this point at present; but would refer any who hold that view, to Varâhamihira's Pañcha-
Siddhântikâ, and to Kern's Preface to his edition of the Bṛihat-Saṁhitâ.
² [Gen. Cunningham also has quoted this verse (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. p. 114); and in
such a way, his authority giving nâśyatê, where Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit's MS. gives nâmayatê, as to shew
that, in the second half of it, we certainly have to read nâśayatê saptaty-abda-śatê.—J. F. F.]
³ pravâsantê may be translated by "after having completed his journey;" i.e. having completed
a revolution of some kind or another.