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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; INTRODUCTION. 77
to the regular Pûrṇimânta northern scheme. By this means only can the thirteenth
tithi, or lunar day, of the bright fortnight answer to the twenty-seventh solar day of the
whole month. A double record of precisely the same kind is given in the Majhgawâṁ
grant of the Parivrâjaka Mahârâja Hastin, of the year 191, No. 23, page 106, in
which we have, in line 2,—Mâgha-mâsa-bahula-paksha-tritîyâyâm,—“on the third tithi,
or lunar day, of the dark fortnight of the month Mâgha;” and, in line 21,—Mâgha di 3,
—“Mâgha, the (solar) day 3.” But, the number of the solar day in this instance being
under sixteen, this record is not in itself sufficient to prove the case, one way or the other.¹
What we require is a double date, in which the tithi of the fortnight, the number of which
cannot exceed fifteen is connected with a solar day, the number of which, exceeding
sixteen, shews itself to be referred to the whole month, and not to the fortnight. This
we have in the grant of the Mahârâja Saṁkshôbha. And the record proves absolutely
that, in the arrangement of the fortnights of the months of the Gupta year,
it is the Pûrṇimânta northern system that is concerned; and, consequently,
the general scheme of the years of the era was not that of any southern
year at all.
At present, the Verâwal inscription of Arjunadêva, dated Valabhî-Saṁvat 945, is the
only instance in which the equation of the Gupta-Valabhî era and another era is accom-
panied by the full details of a month, fortnight, and day.² And the thirteenth solar day
in the dark fortnight of Âshâḍha, which is mentioned in it, might be the last or the first
day of the Gupta-Valabhî year. As a single instance, therefore, it does not help us in any
way to fix the initial day of the year.
Consequently, the remaining point,—whether the years of the Gupta-Valabhî era
followed in all respects the scheme of the northern Śaka year, or whether they had some
distinct initial day of their own,—is one which cannot be absolutely settled, until we
obtain, either some more double records like that of the Verâwal inscription, which will
¹ There seemed to be also a double record of the same kind in the Êraṇ pillar inscription of
Gôparâja, of the year 191, No. 20, page 91, in which we have, in line 2, Śrâvaṇa ba di 7, “(the
month) Śrâvaṇa; the dark fortnight; the (solar) day 7;” and, in line 1, apparently Śrâvaṇa-
bahula-paksha-sap[t]amy[âm] (or sap[t]am[yâm]), “on the seventh tithi, or lunar day, of the dark
fortnight of (the month) Śrâvaṇa.” Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit, however, finds that, in Gupta-Saṁvat
191, the seventh tithi or lunar day of the dark fortnight of Śrâvaṇa, ended on Monday, the 14th
June, A.D. 510; and that this was the sixth solar day in the fortnight or month; since, the preceding
new-moon tithi ended on Tuesday, the 8th June. Accordingly, at the end of line 1, we should perhaps
read sap[t]am[î], sap[t]am[î=hni], or sap[t]am[ê dinê.]
² The only other instance in which the Gupta-Valabhî era is mentioned in direct connection with
another era, is Albêrûnî’s statement (page 30 above), in which Gupta-Valabhî-Saṁvat 712 is given
as equivalent to Vikrama-Saṁvat 1088, and Śaka-Saṁvat 953. It cannot be turned to any practical
use, in determining the scheme of the year, because he does not give any details of a month, &c.; and
because we do not know for certain whether he is referring to the northern or to the southern Vikrama
year.