How many days were counted as a year during Mahabharata period?

Question

The following narration is from the episode of regaining of ear rings by Utanka from Mahabharata (Kisari Mohan Ganguli version).

148 तस्मिंश च तन्त्रे कृष्णाः सिताश च तन्तवः चक्रं चापश्यत षड्भिः कुमारैः परिवर्त्यमानम पुरुषं चापश्यद दर्शनीयम

149 स तान सर्वास तुष्टावैभिर मन्त्रवादश्लॊकैः

150 तरीण्य अर्पितान्य अत्र शतानि मध्ये; षष्टिश च नित्यं चरति धरुवे ऽसमिन चक्रे चतुर्विंशतिपर्व यॊगे षड; यत कुमाराः परिवर्तयन्ति

148 tasmiṃś ca tantre kṛṣṇāḥ sitāś ca tantavaḥ cakraṃ cāpaśyat ṣaḍbhiḥ kumāraiḥ parivartyamānam puruṣaṃ cāpaśyad darśanīyam

149 sa tān sarvās tuṣṭāvaibhir mantravādaślokaiḥ

150 trīṇy arpitāny atra śatāni madhye; ṣaṣṭiś ca nityaṃ carati dhruve 'smin cakre caturviṃśatiparva yoge ṣaḍ; yat kumārāḥ parivartayanti

Translation

and in the loom were black and white threads. And he likewise saw a wheel, with twelve spokes, turned by six boys. And he also saw a man with a handsome horse. And he began to address them the following mantras:

"This wheel whose circumference is marked by twenty-four divisions representing as many lunar changes is furnished with three hundred spokes! It is set in continual motion by six boys (the seasons)!

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My question is why was it mentioned about the wheel whose circumference is marked by twenty-four divisions representing as many lunar changes is furnished with three hundred spokes?

Do the words three hundred spokes indicate 300 days or something else?

Answer 1

First of all, let's cover the explanation that is given in the same chapter, which I believe you should've mentioned, for better understanding.

ये ते स्त्रियौ धाता विधाता च ये च ते कृष्णाः सितास्तन्तवस्ते रात्र्यहनी। यदपि तच्चक्रं द्वादशारं षट्कुमाराः परिवर्तयन्ति तेपि षड्ऋतवः द्वादशारा द्वादश मासाः संवत्सरश्चक्रम्॥ 1-3-166 Mahabharata, Kumbhaghonam Samskarana

The two women were Dhaataa and Vidhaataa, the Black and White looms were the night and day. The 6 boys spinning the chakra with 12 spokes were the 6 seasons, the 12 spokes were the 12 months and the whole Chakra was the year.

Now, let's address the faulty sanskrit and the faulty translation provided by you.

त्रीण्यर्पितान्यत्र शतानि मध्ये षष्टिश्च नित्यं चरति ध्रुवेऽस्मिन्। चक्रे चतुर्विंशतिपर्वयोगे षड्वै कुमाराः परिवर्तयन्ति॥ 1-3-146

Meaning:Situated in between this (chakra) is (3*100)+60 [sections] that is moving without stop. In the Chakra, there are 24 Parvas (festivals/shifts/pakshas of the moon consisting of Shukla and Krshna) and 6 boys are rotating it.

The text CLEARLY says त्रीणि (3) शतानि (100) षष्टि (60).

Now, there's another possible issue, which you may bring up. The year has 365 days not 360 right? Yes, you're right. However, this is not mentioning the number of days at all, it is mentioned 360 sections in a year. What are those sections? They are the 360 degrees of the zodiac that Surya Bhagavaan takes 365.(whatever amount) to cross and come back to the same point.

Just as the moon stays in one of 27 Nakshatras which take 27.3 days in one cycle, the sun stays in 360 divisions, which take 365.25(or was it 26) days.

In Mahabahrata times, or Vedic or whatever other times, the year has always been 365 days, consisting of 360 divisions of the ecliptic for the sun to pass through in a whole year before returning to the same point.

Hope that answers the question, also be careful of faulty translations.

Answer 2

MBH 12:231.11-13:

“Vyasa said, ‘Only Brahman, which is without beginning and without end, unborn, blazing with effulgence, above decay, immutable, indestructible, inconceivable, and transcending knowledge, exists before the Creation. The Rishis, measuring time, have named particular portions by particular names. Five and ten winks of the eye make what is called a Kashtha. Thirty Kashthas would make what is called a Kala.Thirty Kalas, with the tenth part of a Kala added, make what is known as a Muhurta. Thirty Muhurtas make up one day and night. Thirty days and nights are called a month, and twelve months are called a year.

So, 1 year = 12 × 30 = 360 days.

For more you can see this answer of mine.

I hope this clarifies all your queries. Prd..