Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates c5.8

c5.8

Each year of this five-year cycle, or lustrum, had a separate name. This important fact was first made known by Colebrooke from the White Yajur Veda. The same names are also given by Varâha Mihira, who says :‡ "The first year of each lustrum, called Samvatsara, is (ruled by) Agni; the second, Parivatsara, by the Sun; the third, Idâvatsara, by the Moon; the fourth, Anuvatsara, by the Creator; and the last, Udavatsara, by Rudra." But the passage in the Yajur Veda goes on to say: "May mornings appertain to Thee, may days and nights, and fortnights, and months, and seasons, belong to Thee." Here then we see that, as early as the time of the Yajur Veda, the whole system of lunar months, with their light and dark fortnights, and of intercalary months, to adapt the lunar months to solar reckoning, had already been established.§