Varśa means “that which is being showered.” It is a masculine term. In its feminine form it is Varśá (the feminine suffix á is added). The second meaning of varśa is “a large island”. In the Vedic age the world was divided into several vast islands or continents – Jambudviipa, Ságardviipa, Kraoṋcadviipa, etc. The name of ancient India was Jambudviipa. This island extended from Central Asia to the frontiers of Burma. One of the regions of Jambudviipa was Bhárata Varśa. Another name of Burma was Suvarńadviipa. All the areas of the vast Jambudviipa were not equally fertile, nor equally rich in mineral resources. The particular portion of Jambudviipa which was fit for human habitation, with an abundance of food and water, was called Bhárata Varśa. Ancient Tibet was called Kiḿpuruśa Varśa. Of course, in the nomenclature of “Kiḿpuruśa Varśa”, there is some humour. Tibetan males have hardly any beard or moustache, and from a distance people may wrongly think they are women. From their appearance, at least for outsiders, it was difficult to distinguish between men and women. That is why outsiders used to joke, “Are they males or females?” or Kiḿ puruśah? in Sanskrit. Varśa means “land”. Thus, Tibet came to be known as “Kiḿpuruśa Varśa”.

The Sanskrit verb bhr means “to feed” (bharańa). So the government food department is called “Janasambharańa Vibhága”. A husband’s duty is to support his wife, that is, to provide food and drink. So a husband is called Bharttá in Sanskrit. Bhárata means the land where there is an abundance of food and drink, and ample scope for all-round development. India has not been named after King Bharata, who lived and ruled long afterwards. In the Indian constitution, “India” or “Bhárata” is mentioned, but in actual fact, the name of the land is not “Bhárata”, but “Bháratá Varśa”. Bharata + suffix śńa = bhárata. Having added the word varśa we get the compound word Bhárata Varśa. So, at the end of this compound word, the term varśa or desh should also be used. Otherwise it will be grammatically incorrect.

Instead of dwelling upon the ancient history of India [[as such]], I would rather concentrate on the Bengali New Year’s day. Here, we will have to use the term varśa in a special sense. [[Varśa can also mean “year”.]] Bengal is situated in the far eastern part of Jambudviipa or Bharata Varśa. The boundary between two countries is the line regarding which the people on one side say, “This is the limit of our land,” and the people on the other side also say, “This is the limit of our land.” For example, Srinagar District is in the north of India, but Baramulla District is the northernmost extremity of India because it borders on Pakistan. Bengal is the easternmost area between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa.

You might have already heard from me that civilization advances along river banks and river valleys. If one moves even 500 miles along a river bank, one will encounter a similar type of civilization. But if one travels 40 miles inland, away from the river, the outward expression of the civilization will be quite different. For example, the river Ganges has its source at Gauṋgottarii (Some people wrongly say Gauṋgotrii, but this is incorrect). Gauṋgottarii is the place where the River Ganges originates (uttarań), and it ends at Gauṋgáságar. On either side of the Gangetic valley, the same type of civilization can be easily discerned. The civilization at Varanasi is quite similar to the civilization found at Patna, because the entire area is situated within the Gangetic valley. But if one moves only 40 miles south from Varanasi, one will notice a different culture and civilization, since that area does not come within the Gangetic valley civilization. If we study the various expressions of civilization along the river valleys, we find a certain blended civilization in Bengal.

Take the case of old Gondwanaland. In the distant past, some areas of India did not exist: There was neither the northern India area, nor the D́abák area, nor the Samatat́ area of Bengal, but there was old Gondwana. That was about 300 million years ago. At that time, the major parts of Sind, the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and major parts of Bengal did not exist. They were all submerged under the vast oceans. The Himalayas also did not exist. But the Vindhya mountain range and its sister ranges– Sátpurá, Sahyádri, Rajmahal and Rámgarh – did exist. These mountains were very high, and always snow-covered. Because of these snow-packed mountains, the rivers originating from them used to have melted snow water year round. They never dried up. The Suvarńarekhá, the Kaḿsávatii, the Keleghái, the Haldiá, the Rúpanáráyańa, the Dvárakeshvara, the Shilávatii, the Jayapáńd́á, the Gandheshvarii, the Damodara, the Ajaya and the Mayurákśii – these are the rivers of Gondwanaland. The litho-spherical order is from the west to the east, so the rivers also flow from the west to east.

This was the soil of Ráŕh, the original homeland of the Bengali civilization. The soil of Ráŕh is 300 million years old. Later on, the Himalayan mountain range was formed as a result of a tremendous earthquake resulting from a volcanic eruption. Many rivers started to flow down the Himalayas – the Ganges, Yamuná, Gharghará, Táptii, Koshii, etc. With the sand and alluvium carried by these rivers, the vast plains of northern India came into being. With the same alluvium, Bengal was also formed. Ultimately, a huge land mass was formed between the Himalayas and Ráŕh. According to history, the eastern part of Ráŕh, that is, Tamluk Subdivision of Midnapur District, Howrah District, Hooghly District, the eastern part of Burdwan and the western part of Murshidabad District – these areas were formed out of the alluvium carried by the rivers of Ráŕh. These areas do not have the same soil as the original areas of the 300 million-year-old Ráŕh. The oldest soil is in Manbhum, Bankura, the major part of Midnapur district, the western part of Burdwan district, and Birbhum. The soil of this part of Bengal is the most ancient.

The oldest manuscripts of Bengali literature will be found, and are being found in this western part. The script which was discovered written on a rock on Shushunia Hill is the oldest Bengali script. At Beletoŕ village or Baŕjoŕá police station of Bankura district, the oldest manuscript of the Bengali language was discovered. Shrii Krśńa Kiirtana, written by Baŕu Cańd́iidása, was composed in Ráŕh. In the village Jáydá of Candil police station of the former Manbhum (Singbhum) District (now in Bihar, but in a Bengali-speaking area), the oldest Bengali script Abhijiṋána Patra – has been discovered. All these should be carefully preserved.

However, let us come to the original topic. Bengal is situated on the boundary line between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa. The civilization that grew along the banks of the Mayurákśii, Ajaya and Damodara, later blended with the civilization which developed in the areas of Paond́ravardhana Bhukti (North Bengal), Samatat́ [mid-Bengal], and D́abák [mostly now in Bangladesh]. A new civilization was born in Bengal – a blending of the Ráŕh civilization of Gondwana and the Gangetic civilization. That is why the people of Bengal are not exactly the same as those of northern India. The modes of worship and the priesthood system are different from those of northern India. Bengali script and intonation are also different, as is the physical appearance of the Bengalees. From their facial lineaments, one can conclude that these people are of the Bengalee stock. These are the especial characteristics of a blended civilization.

Not only that, even the type of thought varies between the different communities. The blending of the dark-complexioned people of Ráŕh with the fair-complexioned Aryans led to the formation of the Bengalee race. But this is not the end of the story. The River Brahmaputra flowed from the interior of Tibet, where its name was Sang Po (Son of a God), into India. In other words, it came from within a Mongolian⁽¹⁾ country. The people of Tibet are Mongolian of the Indo-Tibetan group. The Mongolians are divided into a few branches, one of them being the Indo-Tibetan group. The Brahmaputra, or Sang Po, River carries that Mongolian civilization and not the Gangetic civilization. That Mongolian civilization was criticized by the Aryans in the Karma Puráńa:

Sarve máḿsaratáh múŕháh mleccháh gobrahmaghátakáh,
Kuvacakáh pare múŕháh ete kút́ayonayáh,
Teśáḿ paeshácikii bháśá lokácáro na vidyate.

“They do not protect cows and Brahmans. They eat fish and meat. When they eat fish, what sort of Aryans are they? By these acts of theirs they have degraded themselves even more. Their style of pronunciation is full of defects.”

Later on, the Bengali intonation was recognized as a Gaoŕiiya style of intonation. At Allahabad (Prayag) there was an assembly of the Brahmans of Jambudviipa (India) about 1200 or 1300 years ago, in which they declared that the culture of Bengal was different from that of other areas. It was a blended civilization, a blending of Ráŕhii and Mongolian civilizations. It cannot be accepted as a Vedic culture. So ten categories of Brahmans were recognized as the bonafide Brahmans of India. Regarding the other Brahmans it was declared that they were non-Brahmans using Brahman surnames. Those ten recognized categories of Brahmans are: 1) the Sárasvat Brahmans of Punjab and Kashmir, 2) the Gaoŕa Brahmans of Rajasthan, 3) the Kányakuvja Brahmans of Uttar Pradesh, 4) the Maethil Brahmans of Mithila of Bihar, 5) the Nágar Brahmans of Gujrat. These five categories were declared “Paiṋcagaoŕii,” that is, the five recognized groups of northern India. [[And the]] five recognized categories of Brahmans of southern India[[, known as “Paiṋcadrávid́ii,”]] were: 1) the Citpávan Brahmans of Maharastra, 2) the Utkal Brahmans of Orissa, 3) the Kannad́a Brahmans of Karnataka, 4) the Támil Brahmans of Madras [Tamil Nadu] and 5) the Traelauṋga Brahmans of Andhra Pradesh. Those are the only recognized classes of Brahmans of India. The remaining – Ráŕhii, Bárendra, Dakśinátya Vaedik, Páshcáttya Vaedik – are not recognized Brahmans but rather have been declared as non-Brahmans using Brahman surnames.

The Mongolian civilization that flourished in the Brahmaputra Valley blended with the Ráŕhii civilization and the Gangetic civilization, resulting in a new blended civilization, the Gaoŕiiya or Bengal civilization. Tantra had its origin in such a blended civilization. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra meet at Goyalanda in Bengal. Thus we see that the Bengal civilization is a mixed civilization, a blending of the Gondwana civilization of Ráŕh, the Gangetic civilization of northern India, and the Mongolian civilization of Tibet and China [whose access was via the Brahmaputra Valley]. That is why it is said that this Bengal civilization flourished in the border areas between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa.

In the Bengalee race the blood of these different civilizations is mixed. Because of the blending of Australoid and Dravidoid blood, the people of Bankura, Midnapore and Purulia are mostly dark-complexioned. A certain amount of Mongolian blood is also present. The Bengalee farmers, the Rájvaḿshiis and Chákmás, have come from the Brahmaputra Valley. They are flat-nosed. As a result of the permutation and combination of these various small groups, the various castes and sub-castes of West Bengal emerged – the Brahmans, the Kayasthas, the Vaedyas, and a host of sub-castes. But the source of all these castes and sub-castes is one and the same – the blended culture of the Ráŕh, Gangetic and Brahmaputra valleys. If we take Bengal as a distinct land, it has a speciality of its own. This is due to the influence of the river valleys.

The geographical environment influences human expressions. Consequently, different schools of music and dance arose in various parts of Bengal. The same thing is taking place even today and will do so in the future as well. The topography which has resulted from the meeting of the three rivers has exerted a great influence on the Bengalee mentality. By temperament the Bengalees are a sentimental people. Sometimes they tolerate injustice for a long period without any murmur, without even a whimper. Suddenly they decide not to tolerate injustice any longer, and they rise in revolt. In a few days they get involved in a bloody rebellion. They were subjected to endless torture, insult and humiliation. They tolerated all the wrongs and injustices like a nation of lifeless corpses. But suddenly, they may erupt in strong protest. These are the symptoms of a sentimental race. The people of Bengal, particularly the people of the lower stratum of society, had to undergo tremendous torture and humiliation in the past. Suddenly they revolted and embraced Islam in large numbers. They are also Bengalees – in bone, flesh and blood. They became Muslims as a reaction to the exploitation by the contemporary society. The Jains of Bengal, particularly those of Bankura, Midnapur and Purulia, discarded the Jain religion and accepted the Vaeśńava religion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in large numbers. Even today, there are Jain temples, but there are no Jain worshippers.

This typical sentimentality is one of the specialities of the Bengali character. The Bengalees, by struggling against the primitive culture of ancient Gondwanaland, the original cultural trend of the Gangetic valley and also the pure Mongolian culture of the Brahmaputra valley, have built a new, integrated Bengalee culture of their own. This typical Bengalee culture emerged about 3000 years ago. That is, about 3500 years ago, the Bengali language had its very old structure. That old structure of the Bengali language, through successive changes, has taken the form of the modern Bengali language. Modern Bengali is about eight hundred to one thousand years old. Thus, after the Bengalees distinguished themselves in so many ways, they thought that the ups and downs of their social life also should be directed in a particular flow, which is neither wholly in conformity with the full-fledged matriarchal system of Gondwanaland, nor the full-fledged patriarchal system of the Gangetic valley nor the Mongolian female-dominated system of the Brahmaputra valley.

In the ancient social system of Bengal, the women had a preponderant role. Members of that society would introduce themselves by the name of their mothers. As a rule, to find out the identity of a person, people would ask a person, “What’s your name? What’s your mother’s name? What’s your grandmother’s name?” Among the Khásiyás of Meghalaya, this system is still in vogue. Bengal has discarded the system long since, because it was not conducive to the growth of the Bengalees. The Bengalees built a diverse social system which contained certain characteristics of both the matriarchal and patriarchal societies, according to necessity.

For instance, in the rest of India, the property of the maternal uncle, if he dies without an heir, goes to the relatives of the father. The property of Mr. Shukla will be inherited by his nephews, though they might be his distant relations: Mr. Shukla’s own sisters’ sons will not be entitled to the property. But Bengal’s social system is different. If a maternal uncle dies without any heir, his property will be inherited by his sisters’ sons and not the more distant relations. This is the law of inheritance of Bengal, which is quite different from that of the rest of India. In the rest of India, property is not inherited by members of different lineages. If the maternal uncle’s property goes to the sister’s son, it means it goes to a different lineage. If the maternal uncle is one Mr. Banerjee, and the sister’s son is a Mr. Chatterjee, and Mr. Banerjee belongs to Sháńd́ilya lineage and Mr. Chatterjee to Káshyapa lineage, the property of the Sháńd́ilyas cannot be inherited by the Káshyapas. So it is seen that the property of the maternal uncle in northern India does not go to other lineages, which is possible in Bengal.

There is yet another speciality of the Bengalee social system. In the rest of India, a daughter, after marriage, loses the identity of her father’s family. But in Bengal this is not the case. According to social law in Bengal, a girl, after marriage, becomes a member of a new lineage no doubt. Suppose a girl of the Bose family [[marries into]] the Mitra family, she still retains her old blood. This fact cannot be ignored. She may marry into the Mitra family but she still carries the blood of the Bose family. That is why a system was introduced whereby a girl, even after marriage, will have to observe ashaoca [a purificatory period of mourning] for at least three nights after the death of any of her parent’s family. But in the rest of India this period of mourning is not required for a married woman, because now she is a member of a different lineage. Bengal adopted a system of its own because its culture is not the unmixed Gangetic culture, but a blended culture of Gangetic, Ráŕhii and Brahmaputra Valley cultures. This is how the issues of practical necessity have been inculcated in the social system.

Next comes the question of the law of inheritance. The rest of India is governed by the Mitákśará law of inheritance, which is based on the Manu Saḿhitá [as interpreted] by Vyasadeva. Bengal is governed by the Dáyabhága system which is based on the interpretation of the Manu Saḿhitá by Jiimútaváhana. In northern India, sons are entitled to ancestral property even during the lifetime of their fathers. In fact, the children, even when they are in their mothers’ wombs, acquire the right to property. When they are grown up, they can get their share by filing lawsuits against their fathers. But this is not permissible in Dáyabhága laws. As long as the fathers are alive, they [fathers] are the sole owners of the ancestral property. And if a father so likes, he can deprive his sons of their ancestral property: he may disown his son, or he may transfer the property right to other persons outside his own family. In the rest of India, there is no law to disown one’s son. Only Bengal follows that system, the Dáyabhága system of inheritance.

Not only this, there is proof that girls have a particular type of legal relationship with their parents in Bengal. One hundred years ago there was a rule. Suppose a girl’s name is Máyá, and she was born into the Basu family and married into the Mitra family. How will she maintain a relationship with her parents? Before marriage she writes her name as Máyá Basu Duhitá [daughter], whereas after marriage she writes her name as Máyá Mitra Jáyá [daughter-in-law]. Even after marriage, if she so wished she could write her name as Máyá Basu Duhitá [or Máyá Basu-Mitra]. After all, she was a daughter of the Basu family. This proves the fact that even after a girl’s marriage, her relationship with her parents is not permanently severed.

Bengal’s culture and civilization emerged from its own soil, whereas the culture and civilization of the rest of India is a product of its environment. There is some difference between the two. The Bengali civilization is indigenous, as Bengal is predominantly a land of water. People have to remain constantly vigilant as to whether there is solid ground under their feet or not. There are some places in east Bengal where the land remains under water for seven months during a year. As long as there is sufficient water in lakes and rivers, the girls can easily go to see their parents. But the rest of the year they cannot, as there is no land route.

Phiirá áisyá bandhu ámár guyápán kháio,
Náo laiyá sháon másere bandhu náiyor laiyá yáio.

[Return, O friend, and taste betel nut and betel leaves.
Come back in the month of Shrávań and take back the daughter to her father-in-law.]

This poem shows that the month of Shrávań [August-September] was a good time for married girls to visit their parents.

Now let us consider the influence of kings on the social system. In the rest of India, kings came to power through hereditary rights. But in the history of Bengal, in a number of cases, the situation was different. You should remember that 99% of Bengalees are the indigenous population – they are the children of the soil. There are only a few communities who are the original Bengalees, the forefathers of the Bengalee race: the rest of the castes and sub-castes have descended from them. Those who are regarded as the so-called upper castes – like delicacies placed on top of a pile of offerings – are also born from these original Bengalees. They are 1) Kaevartta, 2) Máháto, 3) Gop, 4) Namashudra, 5) Rájvaḿshii and 6) Cákmá. The Cákmás are the original Bengalees. Today, unfortunately, the same Cákmás are treated as tribal people of the hills. These six communities comprised the original Bengalees. Due to the intermixture of these different groups, the so-called upper castes evolved, and they later became the social parasites. These six ethnic groups are the pillars of the Bengali society: they support the Bengali social structure. They can be likened to the lamp stand, whereas the so-called upper castes are the lamp, sitting on the ethnic Bengalees. The oil trickles down the lamp stand. When only the five categories of [[Paiṋcagaoŕiiya]] Brahmans and the five categories of [[Paiṋcadrávid́ii]] Brahmans were recognized (not only the Brahmans of Bengal but also the other upper castes of Bengal were unrecognized), it was decided according to the Raghunandan social system of Bengal, that the Brahmans who were not recognized by northern India would be treated as the Brahmans of Bengal, because they were the persons who had to conduct the religious worship. The remaining non-Brahmans were declared as shúdras.

According to the Vedic system, there are four classes (catur varńa) in the society – Vaeshya, Vipra, Kśatriya and Shúdra. But in Bengal there were only two classes – Vipra and Shudra. Kśatriyas and Vaeshyas were conspicuously lacking in the society of Bengal.

In the rest of India one of the main sources of livelihood for the Brahmans was the practice of Ayurveda. But, as the Brahmans of Bengal were not recognized by North India, so those Brahmans who continued the practice of Ayurveda in Bengal were also not recognized. They were considered as a separate caste, Vaedya, whereas in fact they are also Brahmans. So, since there is a difference from the scriptural point of view, there is also a difference regarding the system of worship.

Kings ascended to the throne through the hereditary system in the north of India. Only recently in India, a certain queen wanted to install her son as king. This is possible in northern India but not in Bengal. In Bengal, the monarchy was not a hereditary institution. That is, whenever a king was found to be not properly discharging his royal duties, then those six ethnic Bengali communities would revolt against him. The Kaevarttas of Midnapur created tremendous problems for the kings of Orissa and the nawabs of Bengal, and Kaevarttas of central Bengal organized a rebellion during the reign of Devapála II during the Buddhist period. That is why when the kings of Bengal installed their heirs on the throne as crown princes, they requested their subjects to extend support to their (the kings) decision. The kings of northern India, however, when installing their princely heirs on the throne, used to request their subjects to accept them as the new kings, and to ratify the new directives. Actually this was not a request, but a virtual order. This is how the social system of Bengal evolved, as a result of which many discrepancies with other parts of India occurred during the historical battles.

During the war between the Kaoravas and the Pandavas, the kings of Bengal did not take part. “The war will do no good to Bengal,” they thought, and hence they did not want to engage themselves in unnecessary spilling of blood. “Why should thousands of soldiers die for nothing,” they argued. So they remained neutral. Due to this psychology, the kings of Bengal have always fought against the emperors of Delhi, from the Hindu era through the Moghul and Pathan eras. They have always waged war against Delhi. There has been a constant ideological conflict between Delhi and Bengal.

An interesting thing about North India is that the year is calculated according to the lunar calendar. It was supposed that the earth is stationary and the moon revolves around it. Of course, in reality the earth is not fixed but revolves around the sun. The moon also rotates, and it takes about 28 to 31 days for the moon to complete one rotation (lunar month). If we multiply the lunar month by 12 we get a lunar year of 354 or 355 days. In northern India this system of calculation is prevalent. The 11th or 12th day of the fortnight is determined according to the zodiac. In northern India ekádashii means the 11th day of the month and dvádashii means the 12th day of the month and trayodashii means the 13th day. On the 11th day, if there is tryáhasparsha (the meeting of three tithiis or lunar days in one 24-hour span) – that is, if the moon touches the three constellations – then the eleventh day will be followed by the thirteenth day in North India. So the dvádashii or twelfth day will not occur. Obviously there are many disadvantages in this calculation. You might have noticed on many occasions during the Durgá Pújá festival, the seventh day (saptamii) is followed by the ninth day (navamii). This happens due to this very reason. This is highly disadvantageous because people will not be able to utilize the intervening day. The astrologers of Bengal pondered deeply on this problem. The viḿshottariiya system of astrological calculation, followed by the Varanasi astrologers, is different from that of the calculations of the astrologers of Bengal. Let me state this fact more concisely. Let us suppose that if a person lives an average of 120 years, and if the calculation is made accordingly, the system is called viḿshottariiya, and if a person lives for an average of 108 years, the system is called aśt́ottariiya.

Now the question is, whether human beings can survive for 120 years or not: usually they do not. Whatever that may be, their system of calculation is different. The authorities of ayurveda in northern India act according to the ayurveda of the Vedas, and the Vaedyas (physicians) of Bengal follow the vaedyak shástra [Tantra]. There is a vast difference between the two. In vaedyak shástra there is a provision for the dissection of dead bodies; but in northern India, there is no such provision. Anyone doing so will run the risk of becoming an outcast. And so there is a standing rule in northern India that the Vaedyas of Bengal are not recognized as Brahmans, although, according to the liberal social system of Bengal, the Vaedyas should be recognized as Brahmans. I do not believe in casteism; I am just trying to point out the facts.

So it is seen that the systems of astrological calculation are different in Bengal and northern India. There is a clear difference in the systems of the lunar calendar and the solar calendar. I will try now to explain briefly the system of the solar calendar. Let us suppose that the earth is stationary and the sun is moving around the earth. Of course, the reality is different; the sun is stationary, and the earth is moving around the sun. In actuality, the sun is also not fixed. The sun, together with the planets, satellites, etc. is moving in its orbit in the galaxy.

A father, mother and their children sit close together in a railway compartment, talking among themselves and eating dainties and delicacies. Are they motionless or static? They are not motionless: they are also moving along with the train, and they also reach Delhi from Kolkata. In the same manner, the sun, together with the planets and satellites, is also moving, although the mutual distance between them appears to always be the same. It seems that the sun is fixed, but actually the sun is moving.

Now, if the earth is taken to be fixed, the sun takes about 365 or 366 days to complete one round of movement around the earth: this is one solar year. In the case of the moon, there is the month first, and if those months are multiplied by 12, this is the lunar year. In the case of the sun, first there is the year. By dividing the number of days in the year by 12, we get the months. How do we divide? The void containing the sun and the moon is a 360 degree void. In this path of movement lie the different stellar constellations, each one of which resembles a certain figure. There is one constellation that looks like a goat (Aries, or Meśa in Sanskrit); another looks like a bull (Taurus, or Vrśa in Sanskrit). Thus we get the 12 signs of the zodiac covering 360 degrees – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. These are the Roman names. The corresponding Arabic names are Barak, Toŕá, Dopáttar, Kalaktor, Shushk, Kárádum, Gárádum, Nimak, Bahik, Dul, Mahik, etc. Each one forms an angle of 30 degrees at the centre. So the 12 signs make 360 degrees. The time taken by the sun to cross a particular arc opposite the 30 degree angle comprises one solar month. So, if we divide the year by 12 we also get one month. According to the Bengali calendar, the first part of the arc does not enter the calculation, only the last part. The first part of an arc is added to the previous arc; this is the system of reckoning in Bengal. But in Punjab or Kashmir the first part of the arc and not the last part is taken into the calculation. That is why yesterday [the day before the Bengali New Year’s day] was New Year’s Day in the Punjab, because they calculate on the basis of the first part of the arc. The Bengali month thus ends one day after the Punjabi month. And what has the Punjab done? They have calculated the time according to the last part of the arc. This is the system of the solar calendar.

Regarding the solar calendar, I would like to add something more here, because there is only one similarity between North India and Bengal. Ancient Bengal rejected the North Indian system of calculating time a long time ago – about 3500 years ago. So we see that the Bengali culture is at least 3500 years old, perhaps even older. The northern system of calculation is the lunar system, which centres [[around]] the full moons. The full moon has to take place in the moon of that particular planet. So the moon has to move along a similar orbit.

So a Bengalee month is named after the Zodiac sign within which the full moon takes place. For instance, to cross the area of Aries (Meśa) it takes 31 days (this Zodiac sign is not very big). There are Zodiac signs which are even larger, and it takes 32 days for the sun to cross them. The Bengali months Áśáŕh and Shrávań are as long as 32 days. Of the two calendars, Bengalee and English, the Bengalee calendar is more scientific. The Bengalee calendar mentions the exact number of days which a planet takes to cross the area of the zodiac concerned, but ordinary people do not realize exactly how many days takes – 30, 31 or 32. So although the English is unscientific, still it has one practical advantage: the number of days of each month is fixed. The sun exists in a thirty degree arc-centre for the whole Bengali month. The full moon takes place within the constellation of Vishákhá; so the name of the Bengali month is Vaeshákh (Vishákháyah puttrah ityarthe]. In the next month, the full moon takes place within the Jyaeśt́ha constellation. So the name of the month has become Jyaeśt́ha. But in Kerala, this month is called Meśa because it is in the zodiac sign of Meśa.

The people of Bengal noted that if 354 days make up a year according to the lunar calendar, then the year will advance by twelve or thirteen days in one year and by one month in three years. So while people harvest in the month of Agraháyń this year; after three years the time of harvesting will fall in the Mágha month. But that is not actually the time for harvesting. So harvesting time would have to be adjusted with the months. However, if we follow the solar calendar, then sowing, harvesting, etc. will maintain adjustment with the seasons. So the lunar calendar is impractical and we should not follow it; rather we should follow the solar calendar. Only the religious worship of deities, shráddha [last rite] ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, etc. may be conducted according the lunar calendar in the North Indian style, for these social ceremonies must be performed within a particular auspicious period, and this cannot be determined by the solar calendar.

Now, while adjusting with the people of North India, some practical difficulties arose. The people of northern India suggested, “All right, every three years, one month will have to be increased.” But how can the extra month be adjusted? It was determined that every third year would comprise 13 months, after which there would be some sort of adjustment with North India. Since then North India has declared that every third year consists of 13 months. Suppose that the additional month comes after the month of Kárttik (because that additional month will come after 30 days); the people of northern India will call it “Adhik Kártiik”. After this Adhik Kárttik comes the Agráhayań month. This additional Kárttik is called “Malmás” in Bengal.

This system of astrological calculation was first introduced in Bengal by King Sháliváhan of southern Bengal. Here southern Bengal means the area from the point where the Suvarnarekha River flows into the Bay of Bengal – that is, from Ramnagar Police Station, Bhográi-Káṋkśai, Bhográi, and Baleshvar – to the point where the Náf River in the west of Bengal meets the Bay of Bengal (up to the Chittagong-Arakan border). This was the area of southern Bengal which was once part of the Sundarban Forest. Now the Sundarban Forest has been cleared in many districts; only some forest is left, about 4000 square miles. Out of this total area 3400 square miles of forest are in Khulna and 600 square miles are in 24 Parganas. Formerly it was a vast forest area.

In olden days southern Bengal was known as Samatat́. Later on, the Samatat́ area meant Murshidabad, Nadia, Jessore, Khulna, 24 Parganas and Kolkata. The area lying on the west of the Bhagirathii was called Ráŕh. The area on the north of the river Padma was called Borin (in Sanskrit it was called Barendra) and the area east of Padma was called Vauṋga. Then Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Barishal, and the further eastern part which was known as Cattal or Shriibhúmi (Sylhet or Shriihat́t́a). Bengal comprises of these five parts.

King Sháliváhan was the king of this Samatat́. He said that the lunar system would not suit Bengal. These days the Persian word sál is used in the sense of year; the adjective form is sálána, but actually the original word is sál. It is sál because king Sháliváhan introduced this system of astrological calculation. The calculations of the solar year were performed in ancient India according to the reckoner (ephemeris) called Sárańii in Bengali. This gave the idea of táká (rupee), ánná (1/16 of a rupee) and pái (1/192 of a rupee) in Bengal. The astrologers used to calculate the degree of angular position of the sun in detail with the help of this reckoner (Surya Siddhánta Sárańii). Even today, the reckoner is used.

Now the sun is changing its course, and the stars and planets are also changing their courses; the solar and lunar calendars are prepared according to the changing course of the stars and planets. Similarly the sidereal calendar (Nakśatra Varśa or Nakśatra Paiṋjiká) may also be adjusted. So the reckoner system will not suffice at all times. Suppose it is indicated in the almanac that a lunar eclipse will take place at 6:30. Now, if you follow the almanac, that is, the reckoner, you will not see the lunar eclipse, for the eclipse will take place 100 minutes later. So almanacs are now outdated and incorrect. This defect in the system of calculation will be easily discovered by common people. It may be in the almanac that an eclipse will be at 6:40 P.M., but actually it takes place at 7:40; then people blame the astrologer. Just to avoid this predicament, astrologers consult the marine almanac and follow the course of the flow-tide and ebb-tide. Thus they write the exact time of eclipse in the reckoner according to marine almanac. But in reality, the calendar is wrong.

About 600 years ago, a great scholar was born at Vikrampur, who with much effort prepared a new reckoner. He was very young – about twenty or twenty-three years old – but he was very intelligent and active. He showed his new reckoner to the scholars of Navadwip.⁽²⁾ It gave the exact calculations, avoiding all mistakes. The Brahman scholars of Navadwip grew extremely jealous of him. That evening at 7:00 o’clock, an eclipse was to take place; but according to that young man the eclipse would be seen at 7:30. He challenged the Navadwip astrologers to verify whose calculation was correct. That night at 7:00 sharp, the young man took a jug of water and squatted down to urinate. The elderly scholars objected, saying, “What a sacrilege! You dare to take a jug of water⁽³⁾ and urinate at the time of an eclipse!”

The young man replied, “No, no, I am not doing as you say.” Then he said, Ámi Nader mate muti. This latter utterance may be interpreted in two ways: 1) “I am urinating [at the eclipse time] according to the Nadia system of calculation;” 2) “The Nadia system of calculation is so defective that I am urinating on that system.” According to some people, the young astrologer was murdered. If that brilliant man had been allowed to survive, he could have introduced remarkable changes in the system of astrological calculation.

Another great scholar, Jayanta Páńigráhii, was born in the Contai area in Midnapore. As a result of his great effort, he also introduced a new reckoner. His views on astrological calculation remain true even today. But many more changes have since occurred, so the present reckoner should also be revised. Perhaps you know that the same Bengali calendar is prevalent in a vast area – Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Bangladesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Chotanagpur, Santhal Pargana and Purnia.

In Orissa, another great scholar was born, whose name was [Chandrasekhar Samanta]. He prepared a new almanac with great pains. Generally speaking, that almanac is still popular, but that, too, has to be revised. The astrologers of Siddhánta Paiṋjiká are trying to submit a correct calculation. I cannot say which one is perfect; but surely we will have to calculate accurately.

Thus in the path of movement through various changes, we now enter the year 1386 (Bengalee year). The sun enters the zodiac Aries. As long as the sun is in Aries, the month of Vaeshákh will last. Thus time moves on, it knows no end.

I have given you a brief survey of Bengal’s history and also the highlights of Bengal’s astrological calculation. The scholars who used to do astrological calculations in Bengal were called ácárya Bráhmań. They had a powerful centre at Bali (Howrah District). Prior to that, they used to live in Kolkata. But following the execution of Maharaj Nandakumar [by the British Government], the reputed Brahmans deserted Kolkata. They thought that the killing of a Brahman was an extremely heinous act and that had been committed on the soil of Kolkata. Most of them settled at Bali, for Kolkata was then considered an unholy land. The pandits of Bali do calculations even today as is done by Navadwip (Nadia District) and Bhát́páŕá (North 24 Parganas) scholars.

Thus I have given you at least a brief summary of Bengal’s history.

Footnotes

(1) [[Since in ancient times Mongolia was an empire, and symbolized all of north and northeast Asia, “Mongolian” here means the Oriental, or yellow, race. –Trans.]]

(2) [[Navadwip is located in Bengal’s Nadia District. –Trans.]]

(3) [[It was the custom to wash with water after urination in order to ensure cleanliness. –Trans.]]