History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.251

v6.c81.251

The Nirukta¹⁶⁸ while deriving the word *atithi* applied to Agni in Ṛg V. 4. 5 gives two explanations, one of which is 'one who approaches the houses of others on special *tithis*'. Pāṇini furnishes no sūtra relating to the word *tithi*, but it is possible to argue that the affix *titha* which he mentions in explaining words like 'bahutitha'¹⁶⁹ was a relic of the word tithi. Patañjali expressly mentioned Paurṇamāsī tithi. Vide 'India Antiqua', the volume of studies presented to Dr. J. Ph. Vogel pp. 109-112 for Prof Edgerton's paper on affix 'titha'. From the above discussion it would be clear that the ideas and divergences of views about the proper tithis for certain religious acts existed in the Vedic times (at least before Ait Br.) three thousand years ago and that the word *tithi* itself must be held to have been in use about 800 B. C, if not earlier still ¹⁷⁰