History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.696

v6.c82.696

One or two points more about *adhika* and *kṣaya* months may be mentioned. The seven months from Phālguna to Āśvina can become only *adhika* but never *kṣaya*. Kārtika and Mārgaśīrṣa may become both Adhika and Kṣaya, but rarely; Māgha can become adhika but it has never been adhika or kṣaya (vide Ketkar's work p. 40). But the Śuddhikaumudī says that Māgha was a kṣaya month in śake 1397;¹⁰³⁰ and the Malamāsatattva quotes a text to the effect that Māgha may be an intercalary month, but Pauṣa never. About Pauṣa, Mr. V. B. Ketkar (in 'Indian and foreign chronology' p. 40) says that Pauṣa has almost no chance of becoming *adhika*, but has greater chance of becoming *kṣaya* than Mārgaśīrṣa' (but see a little below). A kṣaya month is generally preceded and followed, though not immediately, by an adhika month, so that there are two adhika months when a kṣaya month occurs in some years. The Siddhānta-śiromaṇi states that one out of the three months only viz. Kārtika, Mārgaśīrṣa and Pauṣa can be kṣayamāsa and that when a kṣaya māsa occurs there is an adhikamāsa before and after it within three months (Grahagaṇita, Madhyamādhikāra, verse 6, explanation). The curious reader may consult pp. 246-251 of the C. R. C. Report for light on the intercalary months The Siddhānta-śiromaṇi¹⁰³¹ mentions some śaka years in which kṣaya-māsa occurred or would occur, viz. in saka year 974 (expired) occurred a kṣaya month and a kṣaya month will occur in śaka 1115, śaka 1256, śaka 1378 and a kṣaya month generally occurs after 141 years and rarely in 19 years. In No. 1387 in the list of Inscriptions by D. R. Bhandarkar there is a reference to the 2nd tithi of the bright half of the first¹⁰³² Pauṣa (dated saṁvat 34, probably of Harṣa era), for a reference to 2nd Āṣāḍha see Sohawal plate of Śarvanātha in year 191 (probably Gupta) in E. I. vol. 19 at p. 130, for 2nd Pauṣa Jesar plate of Śīlāditya in 357 Valabhī era in E. I. vol 22 p. 120 may be seen.