Indian Epigraphical Glossary c6.5357

c6.5357

samvat (IE 8-1), originally an abbreviation of samvatsara (a year) or any of its declensional cases that can be used in expressing a date; later stereotyped in the sense of ‘a year’ or ‘an era’. It was generally regarded as indeclinable; but we have some cases of the use of forms with case-endings, e. g., samvataḥ, samvatā, samvati and samvatām. See also samvate (IE 8-1), the seventh case-ending of samvata, a corrupt form of samvat. Since the late medieval age, the word specially indicates the Vikrama era, although originally it was used with the name of any reckoning in quoting the dates of records, especially the regnal reckoning. The word is used in inscriptions in a large number of corrupt forms, e.g., samvata, samvatta, samata, samanta, samatta, sammat, samasta, smat, samvatu, samvatū, etc., etc.