History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.666

v6.c82.666

Another era, which is current even now in Kashmir, is the Saptarṣi era, also called Laukika era. According to the Rājatarangiṇī the Laukika year 24 was equal to śaka 1070 (expired).[^1009 a] In the use of that era the centuries are generally omitted. It is a luni-solar era supposed to have begun in April 3076 B. C. on the first day of Caitra-śukla Vide Cunningham's 'Indian eras' pp. 6-17 and Stein's Introduction to translation of the Rājatarangiṇī pp. 58 ff. The Bṛhatsaṁhitā¹⁰¹⁰ notes a tradition that the Saptarṣis (Ursa Major) occupy each nakṣatra for a hundred years and that they occupied the constellation of Maghā when king Yudhiṣṭhira reigned. Probably this is the origin of the Kashmir era in cycles of one hundred years. For Inscriptions dated in the Laukika era, vide Bhandarkar's list No. 1431-1443 in E. I. vol. 20 Appendix and No. 1444-45 for Saptarṣi era.