Acharya Hasti Mala
Formula for Conversion
| To calculate Vīra Nirvāṇa year | = | Vikram Year + 470 |
| = | Christian Year + 527 | |
| = | Śaka Year + 605 | |
| To calculate Christian year | = | Śaka Year + 78 |
| To calculate Vikram year | = | Christian Year + 57 |
| = | Śaka Year + 135 |
A solar year has about 365 ¼ days and a lunar year about 354 days. Seven months would have to be increased, to compensate the difference of 213 ¾ days occurring in a span of 19 years. Of the above two, the Christian calendar follows the solar year, whereas the other four follow the lunar year. Hence a particular Jain Tithi and the Christian calendar date coincide after 19 years. As there is no provision for increasing the month in Islamic calendar, according to their calculation, there will be a difference of one year for a span of every 32 ½ years.
V.N. (Vīra Nirvāṇa Year) started on the first day of Kārtika Śuklā (about November 1st). After 469 years 5 months, Vikram Year started from Caitra Śuklā (about 1st April - V.N. 470). 526 years 2 months after V.N. i.e. in V.N. Year 527, Christian calendar started on January 1 (Pauṣa Śuklā 1st). This is about 56 years 9 months from Vikram year, i.e. in the Vikram year 57. The Śaka Year started 135 years after Caitra Śuklā 1 (around 1st of April). Hence Śaka Year started 604 years 5 months after Vīra Nirvāṇa, (i.e. 605th V.N.), 77 years 3 months after Christian year (i.e. 78th Christian Year).
The Islamic year emerged during V.N. 1149, Vikram Year 672, Christian Year 622 and Śaka Year 544 as 7 lunar months exceed in every 19 solar years.
