Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v1.c6.s3.t18: The Year was Solar

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v1.c6.s3.t18

Language: English

The Year was Solar

v1.c6.s3.t18.1

The first impression would be that because the months* were lunar, the year also must have been lunar. It is, therefore, to be considered whether the year was a lunar or a solar one ; and if solar, whether it was sidereal or tropical. The following quotations clearly mention the measure of a year in terms of days or months.

v1.c6.s3.t18.2

वेदमासो धृतव्रतो द्वादश प्रजावतः।। वेदा य उपजायते. ऋ. सं. १. २५. ८.

v1.c6.s3.t18.3

“Dhṛtavrata (Varuṇa) knows the twelve months; (and) the animals created during that period; (and) he knows (the intercalary month) which is created (near the twelve months)”—Ṛk Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.4

Although the word ‘intercalary’ has not been explicitly stated here, it is clear from the context that the intercalary month is intended and this ‘Ṛc’ is rendered in this very sense. The western scholars also accept this sense. That the year commonly consists of twelve months has been clearly stated in this Ṛc.

v1.c6.s3.t18.5

द्वादशारं नहितज्जराय वर्वति चक्रं परिद्यामृतस्य।। आ पुत्रा अग्ने मिथुनासो अत्र सप्त शतानि विंशतिश्च तस्थुः।। ऋ. सं. १. १६४. ११.

v1.c6.s3.t18.6

∗ This statement may appear vague, because only the term ‘year’ is under consideration here. A study of the civil, lunar and solar months will be taken up later.

v1.c6.s3.t18.7

“The wheel (of time) having twelve spokes revolve round the heavens, but it does not wear out. Oh Agni ! 720 pairs of sons ride this wheel”—Ṛk. Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.8

द्वादश प्रधयश्चक्रमेकं त्रीणि नभ्यानि क उ तच्चिकेत ॥ तस्मिन्त्साकं त्रिशता न शंकवोऽर्पिताः षष्टिर्न चलाचलाः ॥ ऋ. सं. १. १६४. ४८.

v1.c6.s3.t18.9

“Twelve spoke-boards, one wheel, three navels. Who understands these? In these there are 360 Śaṅkus (rods) put in like pegs which do not get loosened”—Ṛk. Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.10

It is clear that this curious description refers to the year, the 12 months are the twelve spokes of the wheel and the 360 days are the 360 nails. ‘The day and night’ is a couple and 360 such couples give the number 720.

v1.c6.s3.t18.11

मधुश्च माधवश्च शुक्रश्च शुचिश्च नभश्च नभस्यश्चेषश्चोर्जश्च सहश्च सहस्यश्च तपश्च तपस्यश्चोपयामगृहीतोऽसि संसर्पस्त्यं हस्पत्याय त्वा ॥ तै. सं. १. ४. १४.

v1.c6.s3.t18.12

“Oh Soma (Juice)! You are taken in by the ‘upayāma’ (i.e. a dish, a pán). You are Madhu, you are Mādhava, you are Śukra, etc.”—Taittirīya, Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.13

This gives the following names of the twelve months; Madhu, Mādhava, Śukra, Śuci, Nabhas, Nabhasya, Iṣa, Ūrja, Sahas, Sahasya, Tapas and Tapasya. It also gives Saṃsarpa as the name of the intercalary month. Mādhavācārya, while commenting on the above lines, observes that the word Amhaspati means the suppressed or decayed month.

v1.c6.s3.t18.14

मधुश्च माधवश्च वासन्तिकावृतू शुक्रश्च शुचिश्च ग्रैष्मावृतू नभश्च नभस्यश्च वार्षिका- वृतू इपश्चोर्जश्च शारदावृतू सहश्च सहस्यश्च हैमन्तिकावृतू तपश्च तपस्यश्च शैशिरावृतू ॥ तै. सं. ४. ४. ११.

v1.c6.s3.t18.15

“Madhu and Mādhava are the (two) months* of spring; Śukra and Śuci of summer; Nabhas and Nabhasya of the rainy season; Iṣa and Ūrja of autumn; Sahas and Sahasya of late autumn; and Tapas and Tapasya of sisira (winter)—Taittirīya Saṃhitā.”

v1.c6.s3.t18.16

षड्‌रात्रीदीक्षितः स्यात् षड् वा ऋतवः संवत्सरः ...... द्वादश रात्रीदीक्षितः स्यात् द्वादश मासाः संवत्सरः ...... त्रयोदश रात्रीदीक्षितः स्यात् त्रयोदशमासाः संवत्सरः ...... पंचदशरात्रीदीक्षितः स्यात्पंचदश वा अर्धमासस्य रात्रयो-

v1.c6.s3.t18.17

*The word ‘Rtu’ appears to have been used in sense of a ‘month’ in the original.

v1.c6.s3.t18.18

THE VEDIC PERIOD

v1.c6.s3.t18.19

धर्मासशः संवत्सर आप्यते......चतुर्विंशति रात्रो- दीक्षितः स्याच्चतुर्विंशतिरथमासाः संवत्सरः...... त्रिंशतं रात्रीदीक्षितः स्यात् त्रिंशदक्षराविराट् मासं दीक्षितः स्याद्यो मासः स संवत्सरः ॥ तै. सं. ५. ६. ७.

v1.c6.s3.t18.20

“One should remain consecrated for six nights, because there are six seasons in a year . . . . . Consecration should be observed for twelve nights because there are twelve months in a year . . . . . Consecration should last for 13 nights because the year has 13 months* etc.”—Taittirīya Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.21

तस्य त्रीणिच शतानि षष्ठिश्च स्तोत्रीयास्तावतीः संवत्सरस्य रात्रयः तै. सं. ७. ५. १.

v1.c6.s3.t18.22

“It has 360 ‘Stotriyas’ because the year has so many nights.”—Taittirīya Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.23

उपयामगृहीतोसि ॥ मधवे त्वोपयामगृहीतोसि माधवाय त्वोपयामगृहीतोसि शुक्राय त्वोपयामगृहीतोसि शुचये... नभसे...नभस्याय...इषे...ऊर्जे...सहसे...सहस्याय...तपसे... तपस्याय...अंहसस्पतये त्वा । वा. सं. ७. ३०.

v1.c6.s3.t18.24

“(Oh Ritugraha !) You have been adopted by ‘Upayāma’ (i.e. a dish) for the Madhu . . . . . ”—Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā.

v1.c6.s3.t18.25

Some of the lines quoted from Taittirīya Saṃhitā (1.4.14) are almost similar to those given above. These contain similar names of the twelve months of the year, viz., Madhu, Mādhava, etc., but the last verse names the thirteenth month as ‘Amhaspati’.

v1.c6.s3.t18.26

The quotations “Madhusca Mādhavasca . . . . . ” from Taittirīya Saṃhitā are found in Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā also (see 13. 25, 14.6,15,16,27 and 15,57).

v1.c6.s3.t18.27

सँ सर्पाय स्वाहा चंद्राय स्वाहा ज्योतिषे स्वाहा मलि- म्रुचाय स्वाहा दिवापतये स्वाहा वा. सं. २२. ३०. मधवे स्वाहा माधवाय स्वाहा शुक्राय स्वाहा शुचये स्वाहा नभसे स्वाहा नभस्याय स्वाहेषाय स्वाहोजाय स्वाहा सहसे स्वाहा सहस्याय स्वाहा तपसे स्वाहा तपस्याय स्वाहां हसस्पतये स्वाहा ॥ वा. सं. २२. ३१.

v1.c6.s3.t18.28

*The translation of the above passage has been partly omitted in the text because it is not necessary for explaining the point. It is now given in full below. “One should remain consecrated for 15 nights. Half a month has 15 nights. A year is made up of half-months. Remain consecrated for 24 nights, because 24 half-months make a year. Remain consecrated for 30 nights, because thirty Akṣaras make the Virāṭ. One should remain consecrated for a month because a month is a year”. Here a distinction is made between 30 days and a month. Similarly, looking to the reasons put forward for the observance of a period of 30 nights, on the one would expect the author to recommend the adoption of a period of 30 nights, on the plea that a month consists of 30 nights, but it is not so stated. Hence it appears beyond doubt that in the Vedic age, the lunar month was known to be slightly shorter than the period of thirty Sāvana (civil) days.

v1.c6.s3.t18.29

The above lines first give the terms *Saṃsarpa*, *Malimluca* (now usually given as a synonym for the intercalary month) followed by Madhu and other names of 12 months, and then comes the thirteenth name *Aṃhaspati*. This shows that *Saṃsarpa*, *Malimluca* and *Aṃhaspati* must have some differences in their meanings.

v1.c6.s3.t18.30

तं त्रयोदशान्मासादीनस्तस्मात् त्रयोदशो मासो नानुविद्यते ऐ. ब्रा. ३. १.

v1.c6.s3.t18.31

“They purchased ‘Soma’ juice from the thirteenth month, and hence the thirteenth month is censurable”.—*Aitareya Brāhmaṇa*.

v1.c6.s3.t18.32

त्रोणिच वैशतानि षष्टिञ्च संवत्सरस्याहानि...सप्त च वै शतानि विंशतिश्च संवत्सरस्याहोरात्रयः ऐ. ब्रा. ७. १७.

v1.c6.s3.t18.33

“A year has 360 days, a year has 720 days and nights together”.

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द्वादशारत्नी रशना कर्तव्या ३ त्रयोदशारत्नीरिति ।। ऋषभ वा एष ऋतूनां ।। यत्सं्वत्सरः ।। तस्य त्रयोदशो मासो विष्टपं ।। ऋषभ एष यज्ञानां ।। यदश्वमेधः ।। यथा वा ऋषभस्य विष्टपं ।। एवमतस्य विष्टपं ।। तै. ब्रा. ३. ८. ३.

v1.c6.s3.t18.35

“Should the reins in a horse-sacrifice be twelve cubits in length or thirteen? The year consisting of (six) seasons is a kind of bullock whose hunch is the thirteenth month. The horse-sacrifice is the best of all sacrifices. The year in the form of a bullock has got a hunch (in the form of the 13th month)”.—*Aitareya Brāhmaṇa*.

v1.c6.s3.t18.36

It is clear from the above quotations that the year was solar in the Vedic age. The natural means of measuring a year used to be one complete cycle of seasons, just as the natural means of measuring a day was the period between two consecutive sunrises or that for measuring a month used to be the period between two full moons. The year as a unit of time could not have come into existence if seasons were not to exist. It is, therefore, obvious that the year must have been solar. During the earliest stages of observation, the seasons were naturally supposed to recur after 12 lunar months. Although, one complete cycle of seasons required 11 days more than 12 lunar months, it must have been difficult to guess this correct measure in the beginning and one year must have been supposed to consist of 12 lunar months for a considerable period of time. As a result of this supposition, however, the month which used to fall in summer must have shifted to occur in winter and later on in the rainy season and thus have gradually receded through all the seasons. Every month of that calendar, like the Muharram of the Muslims, was bound to pass through all the seasons, thus completing a revolution in 33 years. After the passage of several such cycles of 33 years, it must possibly have occurred to people to insert an intercalary month; and the fact that such an intercalary month used to be reckoned in the Vedic times goes to prove that the year was solar in those days. This may appear very trivial today, but it certainly was no ordinary matter that our people conceived the idea of inserting an intercalary month in those days of hoary antiquity. As a matter of fact it is extremely significant.

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The ancient Romans who at one time were a very powerful nation used to regard a year as consisting of 10 months for quite a long time. Some of those parts of the Vedas which contain references to intercalary months were compiled before 1500 B. C. Even European scholars accept this view. The reference to intercalary months has not been made in such passages as a matter of special or unusual interest. It, therefore, appears that the idea had become a matter of common experience long before that time.

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Now there is no clue to find out the number of months that used to lapse before the intercalary month was inserted. According to the current practice an intercalary month is inserted after about 32 or 33 months by mean reckoning. The figure would vary by a month or two if true motions are taken. Even then it occurs after 32 or 33 months on an average. It used to occur after 30 months according to the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa. It is not known after how many months an intercalary month used to occur in the Vedic age. However, there must have been some rule for this.

Linked texts (8)

Taittirīyasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Vājasaneyisaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa — Sanskrit
Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit
Nāradasaṃhitā — Nārada, Sanskrit
Muhūrtacintāmaṇi — Rāma Daivajña 1600, Sanskrit
Maitreyopaniṣad — Sanskrit