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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; INTRODUCTION. 75
=Śaka-Saṁvat 1245 (expired),—which, as the difference in the first case is 802 years,
and in the second, 801, shew that the scheme of the year differed from that of the Śaka
years. And, taking this in connection with the information obtained by Mr. Prinsep and
Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji, and with the fact that all such dates as have been examined tend
to support the result, it seems certain that the initial day of each year was Kârttika śukla
1 ; and it is evident that the year was borrowed from the southern Vikrama year. The
question remains as regards the arrangement of the fortnights of the months; and here,
though we might most reasonably expect that, so far north as Nêpâl, even a year borrowed
from the southern Vikrama year, would be coupled with the Pûrṇimânta northern arrange-
ment of the lunar fortnights, yet we find that this distinctly was not the case, but the Amânta
southern arrangement was preserved. This is proved, in the first instance, by the mention
in the inscription of Siddhinṛisiṁha, dated Nêpâla-Saṁvat 757, of Śrâvaṇa kṛishṇa 8 after
Śrâvaṇa śukla 12 ; and still more explicitly by the provision, in the same passage,¹ for per-
forming the janmâshṭamî-pûjâ, or ‘worship on the eighth lunar day which is (the anni-
versary of) the birth (of Kṛishṇa),’ on the eighth tithi of the dark fortnight of Śrâvaṇa ; for,
a comparison of any Pañchâṅgs will shew that the festival in question occurs in the dark
fortnight of Śrâvaṇa only according to the Amânta southern reckoning, but, according
to the Pûrṇimânta northern reckoning, on the same tithi in the dark fortnight of Bhâdra-
pada. Further, the inscription of Ṛiddhilakshmî gives a date in a dark fortnight, avail-
able for calculation. The details² are Nêpâla-Saṁvat 810 current; the month Kârttika;
the dark fortnight ; the second lunar day ; and Sunday. With the epoch of A.D. 879-80,
the given tithi should fall in A.D. 1689; and, by Prof. K. L. Chhatre’s Tables,
Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit finds that, by the Amânta southern arrangement, it did end on a Sun-
day, viz. the 20th October, A.D. 1689; while, by the Pûrṇimânta northern arrangement,
it ended on a Friday, viz. the 20th September. Also, in connection with the question of
the epoch itself being A.D. 879-80, he finds that the given tithi did not end on a Sunday
in either A.D. 1688 or 1690, by either the Amânta or the Pûrṇimânta arrangement.³ It
is absolutely certain, therefore, that the year which was used in connection with the
Nêwâr era of Nêpâl, and which had Kârttika śukla 1 for its initial day, was a southern
¹ See Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 186, last two lines.
² Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 192,—Nêpâl-âbdê gagana-dhariṇî-nâga-yuktê kil=Ôrjê mâsê pakshê
vidhu-virahitê su-dvitîyâ-tithau sâ kṛitvâ dêvâlayam=api Ravau Ṛiddhilakshmî prasannâ chakrê
dêvî su-vidhi-viditâṁ Śaṅkarasya pratishṭhâm,—"in the Nêpâl year possessed of the sky (=0), the
earth (=1), and the (8) Nâgas; in (the month) Ûrja (i.e. Kârttika) ; in the fortnight which is deprived
of the moon; on the excellent second lunar day; on Sunday; having made (this) temple, she, the
gracious (and) majestic Ṛiddhilakshmî, made an installation, according to all the proper rites, of (the
god) Śaṁkara."—The name of the week-day is overlooked in the published version.
³ The English equivalents for those years, are, by the Amânta arrangement, Tuesday, the 30th
October, A.D. 1688, and Saturday, the 8th November, A.D. 1690; and, by the Pûrṇimânta arrange-
ment, Monday, the 1st October, A.D. 1688, and Thursday, the 9th October, A.D. 1690.
K 2.