Hindu Calendar -Era

 Era

Natural phenomena in the zodiac are used to record the passage of time. The art of writing afforded the means to record the exact succession of events and epochs. In chronology and periodisation, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured.

We have eras for cosmological, calendric and historiographical purposes. Hindu cosmology was mentioned in the previous blog.

 Non-Regnal Eras

Grahaparivritti Cycle 

This cycle is a chronological system used in southern India. It is a cycle of 90 years based on the the sum of the products in days of 15 revolutions of Mars,22 Mercury , 11 Jupiter,5 venus, 29 Saturn and 1 for Sun. The epoch occurs in 27 BCE on termination of 3078 of Kali yug. It is a sidereal year. To convert to CE date add 24 and divide by 90 to know the number of cycles till date.

 2025 CE will correspond to 

2025+24=2049, 2049/90= 22 cycles, 68.9 years.

 Buddha Era

The Buddhist Era was first introduced to Southeast Asia along with Buddhism in the early centuries BCE. It was not a separate calendar but they employed the organization and calculation methods of the prevailing lunisolar calendars in use throughout the region.

Prof HH Wilson, orientalist, mentions actual data for the epoch of elder Buddha as 1000 BCE (based on the data provided by various authors/scholars and Chinese travellers) .

Evidence for existence of second Buddha was around 6^th century BCE. This is as quoted by the Sinhalese, Burmese, and Thailand texts of the epoch of around 544/543 BCE the date of attainment of nirvana by Buddha.

In all Theravada traditions, the calendar's epochal year 0  date was the day in which the Buddha attained parinibbāna. However, not all traditions agree on when it actually took place. This calendar is still in use in South East Asian countries , including Sri Lanka .

2025-2026 CE is 2569 BE

 Regnal Eras

Era of Parshuram

This era is primarily used in south western coast, starting from Manglore down to southern tip of the peninsula. It is named from the prince Parshuram who is supposed to have ruled around 1176 BCE. The era is measured in 1000 years cycles. At the end of the cycle the year starts with 1 again. 1^st cycle ended on 176 BCE , the 2^nd cycle ended on 824 CE. This, 3rd cycle, is also the start of the Kollam era in Kerela. It is a sidereal year, with the year starting when the Sun enters कन्या राशी. 

2025 CE corresponds to 4^th cycle and 201 completed years

  Vikram Era or VIkramaditya Samvat 

This era is said to have been established by King VIkramaditya of Ujjain, to commemorate his victory over sakas. There is no historical basis for this event and all origins are debated.A new discovery of the “ Indravarman relic casket”dated in the years of King Azes I, who is presumed to have established era , which later became known as ‘Vikram era’. This inference was arrived at,  on chronological and archaeological grounds by the archaeologists and scholars.

Early Jain texts mention Vikram Samvat for dating. शत्रुंजय महात्म्य professes to have been written 477 years after Vikrama. This corresponds to 420 CE. This era is said to have been established by Vikram Raja 470 years after Mahavira , 527 BCE-470 =57 BCE

There are inscriptions which mention the dates along with the celestial events like eclipses, new moon etc.These have helped in obtaining the correct epoch of the historical events  Through the various inscriptions and copper plates ,studied up to 19^th century CE  of this era, it was seen that

•  The years' quoted are expired years; current years are used only on exceptional occasions.
•  The era commenced with the year, as a कृतिकादी system, but later the era also adopted the चैत्रादी system, this practice was up to 14^th century of Vikrami era.
• It was more common to find that the कृतिकादी year was coupled with the Purnimanta system and the  चैत्रादी system with the Amanta system.However neither of the systems was sacrosant with the year being followed.

This era was,also, called “ Malwa Era” from 450 to 850 CE. The present day it is called a ‘Vikram Samvat’. Samvat is more of an abbreviation of the word Samvatsar, meaning a year and now ‘samvat’ is used to denote any era.

The era is counted from 56/57 BCE

The era is in use in present day Gujarat and some parts of Northern India, except Bengal and eastern region. In northern India, the year is चैत्रादी and the months are purnimanta. Whereas in areas around Gujarat the year is कृतिकादी and the months are amanta.

•  चैत्रादीsystem, the year starts in Mar/April
• कृतिकादी system, the year starts in Oct/Nov
•  मेषादि system , the year starts in April, with the Sun's entry in  मेष राशि
• Amanta System, the month is counted from new moon to new moon
• Purnimants system, month is counted from full moon to full moon.

01 Jun 2025 corresponds to 

  ज्येष्ठ  शुक्ल  षष्ठी Vikram Samvat, 2081 ( कृतिकादी and Amanta system)- Gujarati Calendar

 ज्येष्ठ  शुक्ल  षष्ठी , Vikram Samvat, 2082 ( चैत्रादी and Purnimanta system) – Northern India ,except Bengal and Eastern region.

Christian Era

This era has come into use in India since the British rule. Beginning of the year, month January, corresponds to Hindu months of Paush/ Magh in both systems. It is Gregorian calendar. The calendar was corrected to synchronise with zodiac in October 1752 CE.It is followed all over the world.

Saka Era

This era is also called as ‘Saka kal’ ,’ Saka Bupa kal’and ‘Sakendra kal’. Or the era of king Shalivahan Saka. There is a legend which says that Vikramaditya defeated and killed King Saka in a battle near korur , between Multan and fort Luni. But this vikramaditya is different from the one mentioned above and there is no historical basis of this story.The historical origin is controversial and various theories are surrounding it are not authenticated.

The earliest authentic epigraphic reference to this era by name ‘Saka’ is ‘Vala Inscription of Suketuverman dated 322 Saka”.

The first indication of a relationship between King Shalivahana and the Saka era was mentioned by Somaraja, in his work उदभक्त  काव्य , in Kannada.

Varahmihira started to use Saka kal for astronomical works. All karana works use this era.

This era is used extensively for astronomical calculation purposes. However, astronomers from Vedic period up to Aryabhata appear to have used Kali Yuga or Yuga system for all astronomical calculations.

This era is used, almost all over India, except some parts of Kerala/Malabar, where the Kollam era is used. Its years are चैत्रादी for lunisolar and मेषादि for solar. Months are Purnimanta in Northern India and Amanta in Southern India. The reckoning of this era is assumed from चैत्र शुक्ल प्रतिपदा, in 78 CE

Some Panchang mention the years as expired, but later, a tendency has set in to mention the current years. Hence, there will be some confusion regarding correct dates while examining ancient texts, inscriptions, archaeological findings and data. The correct year is often confirmed with the actual references to the astronomical and historical data.

60 years of Jupiter cycle is specified along with both Vikram and Saka  era. See previous blog on Jovian Cycles.

 Indian national calendar follows the Saka era, Amanta system, New Year starting from 21/22 March, the Vernal equinox.

01 Jun 2025 CE will be

 ज्येष्ठ  शुक्ल  षष्ठी 1947 (completed), as per Saka calendar

ज्येष्ठ  शुक्ल  एकादशी 1947,as per Indian national calendar.

.........other Indian eras follow

 __________________________________

References:-

1.  Bhartiya Jyotish Shastra-SB Dixit
2. The Indian Calendar- Robert Sewell and SB Dixit
3. Cowasjee Patells Chronology
4. The book of Eras- Gen A Cunningham
5. Calendar Reforms Committee Report  
6. Prof F Kielhorn - Indian Antiquary  Vol XIX
7. Indian Epigraphy- Richard Salmon