History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.674

v6.c82.674

At present the year begins either in caitra or kārtika in different parts of India. But in ancient times it began in different months in different countries and for different purposes. Many Vedic¹⁰¹⁵ passages show that the reckoning was pūrṇimānta, that the year began after the Full moon of Phālguna and that Vasanta was the first season of the year. It is due to this that Mādhava says in his Kāla-nirṇaya p 63 (Calcutta ed.) that Śruti (Veda) is insistent on the pūrṇimānta month (paurṇamāsyantatve śruteḥ katākṣo bhūyān) The Sm C. (on śrāddha p 377) notes that the *amānta* reckoning is followed in Deccan the (Dakṣiṇā-patha) and pūrṇimānta in North India (Uttarā-patha). Vide Mundakhede plate of Sendraka Jayaśakti on 10th of Phālguna dark half of year 602 (must be śake) for indicating that in north Mahārāṣtra there was amānta reckoning then (E I. vol 29 part V pp 116-117). The Vedāṅgajyotiṣa¹⁰¹⁶ says that the first year of the cycle of five years began in Māgha-śukla i. e. at the winter solstice Alberuni (Sachau II. pp. 8-9) mentions that the year began in Caitra, Bhādrapada, Kārtika, Mārgaśīrṣa in different parts of India. Kautilya¹⁰¹⁷ provided that the year for work in the Government office of Accounts was a cāndra one and ended on the Full Moon of Āṣāḍha. From Vanaparva¹⁰¹⁸ it appears that the year began in Caitra It is possible to suggest that the year began with Mārgaśīrṣa because Anuśāsana (106. 17-30) deals with the results of practising *ekabhakta vrata* from Mārgaśīrṣa to Kārtika The Kṛtyaratnākara (p. 452) quoting Brahmapurāṇa says that the year began with the *pratipad* of Mārgaśīrṣa in Kṛtayuga. From Gītā X. 35 (*māsānāṁ mārgaśīrṣoham*) it does not, I humby think, follow that Mārgaśīrṣa was the first month of the year, since most of the *vibhūtis* with which Lord Kṛṣṇa identifies himself are the best in that particular category and as even among Pāṇḍavas Arjuna is mentioned, not as first but as the best. Only a few such as *akṣara* or *Dvandva* are the first of their respective categories. The Varṣakriyā-kaumudī and Nirṇayasindhu p 79 say that the Brahmapurāṇa¹⁰¹⁹ generally accepts the pūrṇimānta reckoning and that it (N. S.) would deal with tithi-nirṇaya by generally following Brāhmapurāṇa. The Bhaviṣyapurāṇa when speaking of Holikā festival on Phālguna Full Moon states that it was the end of Phālguna (Uttara-parva 132. 1). Matsya 159 3-6 say that Skanda and Viśākha are said to have been born on the 15th of dark half of caitra in a clump of reeds and it is added that the two were made into one by Indra on the 5th of the bright half of caitra and on 6th crowned as commander. It follows that Matsya thinks the month to have been pūrṇimānta.