History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.753.5

v4.c63.t2.753.5

Besides, we are totally in the dark about the details of the system of the calendar generally adopted at the period of the war. Many suppose that it largely resembled the rules contained in the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa (of the Ṛgveda). There is no unanimity on the question whether the months ended with *amāvāsyā* (i. e. whether they were *amānta*) or whether they ended with Full Moon (i. e. whether they were *pūrṇimānta*).¹⁷⁶⁶ That a pūrṇimānta month was in vogue in Vedic times is beyond dispute. For example, Tai. S. states that Pūrvā Phalgunī is the last night of the year and Uttarā Phalgunī is the mouth (i. e. beginning). Similarly Tai. S. VII. 4. 8. 2 declares that the citrāpūrṇamāsa is the mouth of the year; while Śāṅ. Br. IV. 4 declares that the Phālgunī Paurṇamāsī is the *mukha* of the year. The author or authors of the Mahābhārata, in describing the evil portents of an impending tragic or catastrophic event, often assemble together (as in Udyoga 143.5-29, Bhīṣma 2. 16-33) all of them irrespective of the fact whether some of them are possible in the very order of nature. For example, it is stated that Arundhatī went before Vasiṣṭha (Bhīṣma 2. 31), that a mare gave birth to a cow calf and that a bitch gave birth to a jackal (Bhīṣma 3. 6) and that images of gods trembled, laughed and vomited blood (Bhīṣma 2. 26, which may be compared with Bṛhatsaṁhitā 45. 8 and the verses of Garga quoted by Utpala thereon); it is several times said that the Moon and the Sun are seized (i. e.