Page:Sewell Dikshit The Indian Calendar (1896) proc.djvu/29
29. Pañchâṅgs. Before proceeding we revert to the five principal articles of the pañchâṅg. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month, 5 to each fortnight. The latter are generally denoted by the ordinary numerals in Sanskrit, and these are used for the fifteen tithis of each fortnight. Some tithis are, however, often called by special names. In pañchâṅgs the tithis are generally particularized by their appropriate numerals, but sometimes by letters. The Sanskrit names are here given.[1]
| Tithis. | Sanskrit Names. | Vulgar Names. | Tithis. | Sanskrit Names. | Vulgar Names. |
| 1 | Pratipad, Pratipadâ, Prathamâ | Pâdvâ, Pâdyami | 9 | Navamî | |
| 2 | Dvitîyâ | Bîja, Vidiya | 10 | Daśamî | |
| 3 | Tritiyâ | Tija, Tadiya | 11 | Ekâdaśî | |
| 4 | Chaturthî | Chauth, Chauthi | 12 | Dvâdaśî | Bâras |
| 5 | Pañchamî | 13 | Trayôdaśî | Teras | |
| 6 | Shashṭhî | Saṭh | 14 | Chaturdaśî | |
| 7 | Saptamî | 15 | Pûrṇimâ, Paurṇimâ, Pûrṇamâsi, Pañchadaśi | Punava, Punnamî | |
| 8 | Ashtamî | 30 | Amâvâsyâ, Darśa, Pañchadaśî |
The numeral 30 is generally applied to the amâvâsyâ (new moon day) in pañchâṅgs, even in Northern India where according to the pûrṇimânta system the dark fortnight is the first fortnight of the month and the month ends with the moment of full moon, the amâvâsyâ being really the 15th tithi.
30. That our readers may understand clearly how a Hindu pañchâṅg is prepared and what information it contains, we append an extract from an actual pañchâṅg for Śaka 1816, expired, A. D. 1894—95, published at Poona in the Bombay Presidency.[2]
- ↑ We cannot enumerate the vulgar or popular names which obtain in all parts of India, and it is not necessary that we should do so.
- ↑ This is an ordinary pañchâṅg in daily use. It was prepared by myself from Gaṇeśa Daivjña's Grahalâghava and Laghutithichintâmaṇi. [S. B. D.]
corroborated by information kindly sent to me from Howrah by Mr. G. A. Grierson through Dr. Fleet. It was also amply corroborated by a set of Bengal Chronological Tables for A.D. 1882, published under the authority of the Calcutta High Court, a copy of which was sent to rac by Mr. Scwell. I owe the Orissa Rule to the Chronological Tables published by Girishchandra Tarkâlaukar, who follows the Orissa Court Tables with regard to the Amli and Vilayati years in Orissa. Dr. J. Burgess, in a note in Mr. Kṛishṇasvâmi Naidu's "South Indian Chronological Tables" edited by Mr. Sewell. gives the 2 (a) Rule as in use in the North Malayâḷam country, but I do not know what his authority is. I ascertained from Tamil and Tinnevelly panchangs that the 2 (a) rule is in use there, and the fact is corroborated by Warren's Kâla Saṅkalita; I ascertained also from some South Malayâḷam pañchâṅgs published at Cochin and Trevandruni, and from a North Malayâḷam pañchâṅg published at Calicut, that the 2 (b) rule is followed there [S. B. D.]
Notwithstanding all this I have no certain guarantee that these are the only rules, or that they are invariably followed in the tracts mentioned. Thus I find from a Tamil solar pañchâṅg for Śaka 1815 current, published at Madras, and from a Telugu luni-solar pañchâṅg for Śaka 1109 expired, also published at Madras, in which the solar months also are given, that the rule observed is that "when a saṅkrânti occurs between sunrise and midnight the month begins on the same day, otherwise on the following day", thus differing from all the four rules given above. This varying fifth rule again is followed for all solar months of the Vilayati year as given in the above-mentioned Bengal Chronological Tables for 1882, and by its use the month regularly begins one day in advance of the Bengâli month. I find a sixth rule in some Bombay and Benares lunar pañchâṅgs, viz., that at whatever time the saṅkrânti may occur, the month begins on the next day; but this is not found in any solar pañchâṅg. The rules may be further classified as (1. a) the midnight rule (Bengal), (1. b) any time rule (Orissa), (2. a) the sunset rule (Tamil), (2. b) the afternoon rule (Malabar). The fifth rule is a variety of the midnight rule, and the sixth a variety of the any time rule. I cannot say for how many years past the rules now in use in the several provinces have been in force and effect.
An inscription at Kaṇṇaṇûr, a village 5 miles north of Srîraṅgam near Trichinopoly (see Epigraph. Indic, vol. III., p. 10, date No. V., note 3, and p. 8) is dated Tuesday the thirteenth tithi of the bright fortnight of Śrâvaṇa in the year Prajâpati, which corresponded with the 24th day of the (solar) month Âḍi (Karka.) From other sources the year of this date is known to be A.D. 1271; and on carefully calculating I find that the day corresponds with the 21st July, and that the Karka saṅkrânti took place, by the Ârya-Siddhânta, on the 27th June, Saturday, shortly before midnight. From this it follows that the month Âḍi began civilly on the 28th June, and that one or the other of the two rules at present in use in Southern India was in use in Trichinopoly in A.D. 1271. [S. B. D.]