Like
Kali Yuga, Śaka (शक) era is the much
mis-understood concept and interpreted at will by various people right from the
time epigraphic evidences were compiled and recorded. With many inscriptions
coming to the fore mentioning Śaka eras, there is all round confusion about
what ‘Śaka’ means and the era indicated by that term. This part is aimed at
removing the confusions caused by mis-interpretations of the Śaka Eras.
To
begin with, let us first know the textual and the traditional wisdom on Śaka.
Kali
Maha Yuga of 4,32,000 year duration is divided into sub-parts named as ‘Śaka’ eras. There are six Śaka divisions of Kali Yuga, of which we are now
in the third. This was common knowledge among the people until the foreigners
started interpreting our texts and traditions in the way they understood. It was
further picked up by the present day writers.
The
first Śaka of Kali Maha Yuga was “Yudhishthira Śaka” computed right from the first day of Kali
Yuga, that is, 3101 years before the Common Era or at 3101 BCE (in terms of Gregorian
years currently in use, with the zero-year included). Historically Yudhishthira
did not step down exactly on the first day of Kali Yuga, but the era (Śaka)
computation started right from the start of the first day, since the entire
exercise is about maintaining the computation of time.
The
second was “Vikrama Śaka ”
that started after 3044 years of Yudhishthira Śaka. (3044 Kali years)
The
third was “Salivahana Śaka”
that started at the completion of 3179 Kali Years, which was 135 years after
Vikrama Śaka. We are living in this Śaka.
Any
reference to a Śaka while giving the time of composition of a Jyothisha
Siddhanta could be about one of the Śaka eras of Kali Yuga. As written earlier
in Part
2,
these texts identify the time of composition from Kalpa or the nearest Yuga or
the nearest Śaka of Kali Yuga – and never from the date of an individual king
or a dynasty.
Textual evidence for Śaka eras of Kali Yuga.
The
written evidence for the Śaka era appears in Jyothirvidabharana
composed by Kalidasa who lived in the court of Vikramaditya of Paramara dynasty in the 1st
century BCE.[1]
Not giving any doubt on the time period
of this composition, the author had stated in the text itself that he started
writing this in Visakha 3068 of Kali Era
(33 BCE) and completed
in Kartika month of the same year.[2]
Two
salient features of relevance to the Śaka era are found mentioned in this text.
(1) How a Śaka era and a Śaka-kāraka are identified. (2) The duration of all
the Śaka eras.
1. Who is Śakakāraka?
Kalidasa
says that whoever kills the Śaka-s in large numbers would
become a Śakakāraka, i.e., the founder of a new Śaka era.
By this the Śaka era running until then would be terminated and a new Śaka Era
would begin, credited to this king. [3]
The
deductions are:
·
A distinction is made between two ‘Śaka-s’ – a people or tribe called as ‘Śaka’ and an era
called ‘Śaka’
·
Extinction of the race of
Śaka-s by
a king is the foremost requirement.
·
In other words, a Śaka era ends with the
death of the king of Śaka tribes – who was an opponent
king, not the king of the Śakakāraka lineage.
·
When this is done, the until-then
running Śaka era comes to an end and a new Śaka era is
begun by the king who killed the king of the Śaka tribes.
This
gives rise to two ways of expressing a Śaka era in an inscription –
1. the Śaka year starting from a new
Śakakāraka
2. the expiry or the lapse of the previous
Śaka era.
In
this context let me point out that the Śaka era references in the inscriptions
listed down by Sri. Vedveer
Arya, fall within the above two expressions.[4]
All
the above references given by Vedveer Arya DO NOT run counter to each other if
we understand the definition of Śaka era by Kalidasa.
However
Vedveer Arya writes, “How can the totally
different references“Śaka-nrpati-rājyābhisheka-samvatsara”
and “Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta-samvatsara”
lead to the same epoch?”
It
is replied that,
· The mention of “Śaka-nrpati-rājyābhisheka-samvatsara” counts the years from the new Śaka era founded by a Śakakāraka.
·
This is no way different from the
expression “Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta-samvatsara”
– that refers to the lapsed years of the current Śaka.
These
two expressions talk about the same epoch. To explain this, assume that an
inscription was made after100 years in a Śaka era. This can be written as ‘in
101st year of the Śaka-nrpati-rājyābhisheka-samvatsara” or “with 100 years of Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta-samvatsara”
(having elapsed). Both refer to the same Era.
Further
on, Vedveer Arya’s observation that, “epigraphs that refer to “Śaka-nrpa-kāla”
denote an older epoch than the
epigraphs that refer to “Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta-samvatsara” is not true –
irrespective of whether they are used in the same context or in different
contexts.
·
First of all there is nothing to suggest
an old epoch in “Śaka-nrpa-kāla”.
·
Śaka-nrpa-kāla – is the time of the Śaka
under reference.
·
Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta-samvatsara – is the
number of elapsed years of the Śaka era
·
If both are used in the same context they
refer to the current Śaka era of the inscriber and the elapsed years of the
previous Śaka – since both of them have the same boundary of demarcation with
the “Śaka-nrpa-kāla” being the current and the “Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta” being the previous Śaka era. This
interpretation depends on the overall meaning of the inscribed verse.
·
“Śaka-nrpa-kālātīta” may also have
been used in the current Śaka of the inscriber to denote the number of
years elapsed in the Śaka of that time.
Whatever
be the context the purport should not be lost that the Śaka era is founded by a Śakakāraka who had
exterminated the Śaka tribes. The elapsed Era is not that of the slain
king of the Śaka tribes, but the end of the previous Śaka era, going on for
years.
2. Duration of the Śaka Eras
Further
clarification is obtained from the duration of the Śaka eras given by Kalidasa.
He says that there are six
Śaka eras in Kali Yuga.[5]
They are
1. Yudhishtira,
2. Vikrama, 3. Salivahana, 4. Vijayabhinandana, 5.Nagarjuna, 6. Bali.
These
kings are the Śakakāraka-s of the respective Śaka eras. Kalidasa had also given
the duration of each of these six Śaka eras as follows.[6]
The
corresponding Gregorian year is given in the last column.
Two
notable features of this split-up:
1. The
Yudhiṣṭhira Śaka that began at the 1st year
of Kali Yuga when Krishna left did not include the 35 years of rule by
Yudhishthira but it started with the abdication of the throne by Yudhishthira
and the simultaneous crowning of Pariskhit. Even though Yudhishthira had left,
his rule of law was prevailing. That was named as Yudhishthira Śaka. This went
on for 3044 years. This was the first Śaka.
2. Kalidasa had composed Jyothirvidabharana 24 years after the Vikrama Śaka had begun in 57 BC. So this Śaka classification was made well under the auspices of King Vikramāditya. The surprising element is the small duration of just 135 years for the Śaka of this king! If the classification of the work was done for the first time under the direction of King Vikrama, those working on it could be expected to have allotted a long duration for the Śaka era of this king. The next Śaka being given 18,000 years, it is surprising that a meager 135 years was given for Vikrama Śaka.
The only plausible reason is that the Śaka classification was neither
a later development nor the work of the people of Vikrama’s time. Kalidasa
had merely stated what was already prevailing at his time.
The
Śaka classification must have been handed down by the ‘Purā-Vidah’
when they determined the date the Kali Yuga at the departure of Krishna! The
knowledge of that classification had continued in Vikrama’s time. Kalidasa had
only passed on the information for the sake of posterity.
This
revelation further clarifies two issues:
1. King Vikramāditya did not replace the then existing Yudhishthira Śaka on his own volition. As the date of the new era was nearing, the event of slaying the Śaka tribes must have been achieved by him. Recognizing these markers, the learned people of his time must have endorsed the change of the Śaka.
This change could not have started at the beginning of the regnal year of King Vikrama, but at the lapse of 3044 Kali Years before which he had subdued the Śaka tribes. He must have been crowned as “Śaka nṛpa” at the beginning of Caitra (lunar) or Citra (solar) for only then the number of years elapsed would tally with 3044 Kali years (= Yudhishthira Śaka). Expressions such as “Śaka-nrpati-rājyābhisheka-samvatsara” could only refer to the time of formal crowing as Śakakāraka.
2. The identity of the king Shalivahana, the founder of the 3rd era being still elusive, it appears that this name was given by the ‘Purā-Vidah’ when they handed down the complete structure of Kali Yuga with its Śaka sub-divisions. Whichever king existed at the end of Vikrama Śaka and subdued the Śaka tribes must have been recognized as the Śakakāraka of the 3rd era of Shalivahana Śaka.
Shalivahana must have
been an assumed name by the king who found himself qualified to be the
Śakakāraka at that juncture. So it is futile to search for a king by name “Shalivahana” but would be rewarding to
locate a king at the expiry of 135 years of Vikrama Śaka who was known to have
defeated the Śaka tribes.
Next
we must identify the Śaka tribes defeated by the Śakakārakas, namely Yudhiṣṭhira,
Vikrama and Shalivahana to put rest the versions that there was an old Era
initiated by Śaka people (Indo-Scythians) or Cyrus the Great before Shalivahana
Śaka was introduced. As per this version, there was only one Śaka era before
Shalivahana Śaka and that was initiated the Mlechas. Nothing can be more
erroneous than claiming that the Śaka of Mlechas was used by the Bharatiya
people. We will examine all these claims.
(To
be continued)
[1]
Jyothirvidabharana, Sloka 21 of chapter 22, Kota Venkata Chelam, “Vikramaditya
of First Century B.C.--Kalidasa's Jyotirvidabharana” http://trueindianhistory-kvchelam.blogspot.com/2010/01/vikramaditya-of-first-century-bc.html
[2]
Jyothirvidabharana: Ch 22, verse 21
[3]
Jyothirvidabharana: Ch, verse 89
[4]
Vedveer Arya, “The Epoch of Sakaa Era: A critical study” http://indiafacts.org/epoch-saka-era-critical-study/
[5]
Jyotirvidabharana: 10-109
[6]
Jyothirvidabharana: 10- 110-111
