Indian Chronology (Solar, Lunar and Planetary): A Practical Guide to the Interpretation and Verification of Tithis, Nakshatras, Horoscopes and other Indian Time-records, B.C. 1 to A.D. 2000 c19: Chapter XIV. The Varttamana, Purnimanta and Karttikadi Systems of Citation

Indian Chronology (Solar, Lunar and Planetary): A Practical Guide to the Interpretation and Verification of Tithis, Nakshatras, Horoscopes and other Indian Time-records, B.C. 1 to A.D. 2000 c19

Language: English

Chapter XIV. The Varttamana, Purnimanta and Karttikadi Systems of Citation

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107. The ordinary or normal mode of citing an Indian date is by means of *gata* or 'expired' years (already explained, sec. 5 supra), *amanta* months (or months beginning with the first *tithi* after new moon or *amâvâsyâ*), and *Chaitrâdi* years (or lunar years beginning with *Chaitra*). The lunar year can begin with *Chaitra* only when the solar year begins with *Mesha Sankrânti*. Therefore a reckoning by *Chaitrâdi* lunar years is the same as reckoning by *Meshâdi* Solar Years.

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108. Exceptional modes of citation, used at certain epochs of history, or still used in certain parts of India, are:—

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*Varttamâna*, or current years, opposed to *gata* (expired); *Pûrnimânta* months, beginning with the tithi after full moon; and *Kârttikâdi* lunar years (or "southern" years) beginning with the lunar month *Kârttika*.

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109. In the *Pûrnimânta* system, each month beginning with a full moon is named after the next *amânta* month, but takes the dark fortnight preceding each new moon. It is to this system that we owe the name *paksha*, lit. a wing, the dark and bright fortnights being the wings on either side of a new moon.

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110. In the *Kârttikâdi* lunar year system, the year beginning with lunar *Kârttika* takes the number of the *Meshâdi* solar year then running, and has in common with it the five months, Lunar *Kârttika* to Lunar *Phâlguna*.

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*Canons.*

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I. A dark fortnight in *nth* *Amânta* month is in (*n* + 1)th *Pûrnimânta* month. II. Any month or *tithi* in *N*th year, expired, is in (*N* + 1)th year current. III. Any of the months named in the margin in *N*th year *Chaitrâdi*, expired, is ascribed to the
(a) (*N*−1)th year *Kârttikâdi*, expired, or to
(b) *N*th year, *Kârttikâdi*, current.

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*N.B.*—Conversely, any of the above months in *nth* year *Kârttikâdi*, expired, is ascribed to (*n*+1)th year *Chaitrâdi*, expired.

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For clearness' sake, we will present these three rules under three aspects, one of which, when we are in doubt, every problem before us must assume.

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*First Aspect.*—If we have before us a dark fortnight or *bahula* tithi of the *n*th month in the *N*th year, known to be an expired year, but do not know whether the system is *amānta* or *pūrṇimānta*, we must search for the tithi both in the *n*th and the (*n*−1)th month in our ordinary (*Amānta*) tables.

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*Second Aspect.*—If we have before us a dark fortnight or *bahula* tithi of the *n*th month in the *N*th year, and do not know whether the month is *amānta* or *pūrṇimānta*, nor whether the year is expired or current, we must, in using our tables, look for the tithi—

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(1) in the *n*th month, *N*th year, expired ;
(2) in the (*n*−1)th month, *N*th year, expired ;
(3) in the *n*th month, (*N*−1)th year, expired ; and
(4) in the (*n*−1)th month, (*N*−1)th year, expired.

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*Third Aspect.*—If we have before us a dark fortnight or *bahula* tithi of the *n*th month (from Chaitra to Āśvina, inclusive) in the *N*th year and do not know whether the month is *amānta* or *pūrṇimānta*, nor whether the year is expired or current, *Chaitrādi* or *Kārttikādi*, we must, in using our tables, look for the tithi—

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(1) in the *n*th month, *N*th year, expired ;
(2) in the (*n*−1)th month, *N*th year, expired ;
(3) in the *n*th month, (*N*−1)th year, expired ;
(4) in the (*n*−1)th month, (*N*−1)th year, expired ;
(5) in the *n*th month (*N* + 1)th year, expired ; and
(6) in the (*n*−1)th month (*N* + 1)th year, expired.

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*N.B.*—For bright fortnight or *Sukla* dates in any month, no search need be made in any case in the (*n*−1)th month ; and whether for bright or dark fortnight dates in the months of Karttika to Phalguna inclusive, no search need be made in any case in (*N* + 1)th year, expired.

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Readers who prefer Professor Kielhorn's mode of stating the same rules will find it in *Ind. Antiq.*, Vol. XIX, p. 22 or at p. 406 of *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. I. Any rules must be somewhat perplexing at first sight and should be carefully reasoned out by those interested in such investigations.