The Arctic Home in the Vedas c12.57

c12.57

But it may be urged that we have no authority for holding that, in ancient days, time was reckoned simply by seasons and days; and chatvârimshyâm sharadi cannot, therefore, be interpreted to mean “On the 40th (day) in Sharad.” The objection is not, however, well-founded; for in ancient inscriptions we find many instances where dates of events are recorded only by reference to seasons. Thus in the book on the Inscriptions from the Cave-Temples of Western India, by Dr. Burgess and Paṇḍit Bhagwânlâl Indrâji, published by the Government of Bombay in 1881, the date of inscription No. 14 is follows :—“Of king (raño) Vâsiṭhîputa, the illustrious lord (sâmi-siri) [Puḷumâyi] in the year seventh (7), of Grîshma the fifth (5) fortnight, and first (1) day.” Upon this Dr. Burgess remarks that “the mention of the 5th fortnight of Grîshma shows that the year was not divided into six seasons (ritu) but into three, namely, Grîshma, Varshâ and Hemanta.” But what is important for our purpose in this inscription is the method of giving the date by seasons, fortnights and days, without any reference to the month. This inscription is followed in the same book by others, one of which (No. 20) is thus dated :—“In the twenty-fourth year (24) of the king Vâsiṭhîputa, the illustrious Puḷimâvi, in the third (3) fortnight of the winter (hemanta) months, on the second (2)