India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c8.s14.65

c8.s14.65

Pāṇini refers to another allied term, *viz.* *mahāparāhṇa*, 'the great afternoon' (VI.2.38). As the other words in the *sūtra* VI.2.38 like *mahā-vrīhi* and *Mahā-bhārata* are technical terms, *mahāparāhṇa* also appears to be of the same category. We may connect this word with the afternoon of the last day of the year, or better of *Vyushṭa* itself. The *Sūryaprajñapti* states that the new year began with *the longest day* in the month of *Śrāvaṇa* (*Proc. Second Oriental Conference*, p.38). This day was truly a *Mahāparāhṇa* as its day-book (*ahorūpa*) would be long kept open for entries after verification. The *Mahābhārata* knows this term; Arjuna returning from the *svayamvara* 'entered the house on the *mahāparāhṇa* (day), surrounded by Brāhmaṇas like the sun in the midst of the clouds' (*mahatyathāparāhṇe tu ghanaiḥ sūrya iv=āvṛitaḥ*, Ādiparva, Critical Poona edition, 181.40). The metaphor would be appropriate only in the rainy season. The Brāhmaṇas wearing black antelope skins (*rauravājina-vāsibhiḥ*, Ādi. 181. 35) overshadowed Arjuna as masses of dark clouds cover the sun. This connects *Mahāparāhṇa* with the rainy season, and confirms its identification with *Vyushṭa*, i.e. the New Year's day in Śrāvaṇa, considered from the accounts point of view to be the "Longest Afternoon" of the whole year.