The Jaina Calendar

Summary

The Jaina astronomers based their chronology on a five-year cycle known as the quinquennial yuga, which is identical to the cycle described in the Jyotisa-vedanga and in the Garga Samhitafile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=astronomic%20chronological%20period%20on%20which,Siddhinta%20which%20alge%20Varihamihira%20considers. According to Varahamihira, the cycle formed the fundamental doctrine of the Paitamaha Siddhanta. In the Jaina system the yuga consists of five years and begins with the lunar mansion Abhijitfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=In%20the%20Jaina%20astronomy%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87,cycles%20of%20five%20years%20each. Both lunar and solar years start and end simultaneously once every 30-year cycle, which equals six quinquennial cyclesfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=commence%20at%20the%20same%20point,same%20day%20or%20simultaneously%20begin. During these thirty years, the lunar calendar gains intercalary months, and thus the lunar and solar years coincide. Similar cycles synchronize solar, savana (seasonal), lunar and Naksatra years once every 12 cycles of 8 years (60 years)file:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=solar%2C%20the%20Savana%20or%20seasonal%2C,780%20Solar%20years%2C%20793%20Rtu. The article calculates that in a five-year cycle there are 60 solar months, 61 savana months, 62 lunar months and 67 Naksatra months, resulting in different counts for each type of yearfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=It%20must%20be%20noted%20here,days. The paper provides numerical details: a Naksatra year equals 327 days, a lunar year 354 days, a savana year 360 days, and a solar year 366 daysfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=One%20Nakgatra%20year%3D3272,lunar%20year%3D383%20days%2028%20m. The intercalary lunar year has 383 days. The moon coincides with Abhijit seven times in a five-year cycle and the sun meets the same star five timesfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=The%20moon%20moves%20and%20coincid%C3%A9s,five%20times%20in%20a%20yuga. The names of months in the Jaina calendar differ from modern Indian month names; the article lists them, pairing modern and Jaina names (e.g., Srivapda = Abhinanda; Bhadrapada = Supratistha, etc.)file:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=Modern%20names%20Jaina%20names%201%2C,la. The paper then defines different kinds of years: the Naksatra-samvatsara comprises 12 Naksatra months (327 days); the yuga-samvatsara equals five years; the pramana-samvatsara relates to various year lengths; and the Saturn year is based on the orbit of Saturnfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=The%20year%20or%20the%20samuvatanra,samvatsaras%20are%20thus%20explained%20%3A%E2%80%94. Calculations show that once in a great cycle of 1,652 yugas the intercalary lunar years, solar years, savana years, lunar years and Naksatra years all coincidefile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=Lunar%20and%20the%20Naksatra%20years,Lunar%2C%20and%20871%20Nakgatra%20years. The article explains that the savana year (also called karma or sāvana) of 360 days is popular among workmen because it has no fractional days, facilitating transactionsfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=Tle%20year%20of%20360%20days,Karma%20month%20has%20no%20frac. The solar year is based on the movement of seasons and is usually considered to have 366 days, with 61 days allotted to each seasonfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/334-338-the_jaina_calendar.pdf#:~:text=tlays%2013%20called%20Karma%20and,Hence%20the. The article concludes that the Jaina calendar is a sophisticated system that synchronizes various astronomical cycles through intercalation and naming conventions. By tabulating month names and year lengths, it provides a reference for researchers studying Jaina chronology and the interplay between lunar and solar reckonings.