Solar Year and Lunar Year in Vedas

We know that one year consist of 364/365 days, divided in 12 months of 30/31 days (one month of 28/29 days). In Rigveda, it is mentioned that one year consists of 360 days which are split in 12 months of 30 days each. The Vedic year is a solar year not a lunar year. It is nearly 5 and 1/4 days shorter than the scientific solar year. Even in Rigveda, detection of discrepancy in calculation has been attempted.


Rigveda 1.25.8

वेद मासो धृतव्रतो द्वादश प्रजावत∶І वेदा ये उपजायते ІІ
प्रजा के उपयोगी बारह मासों को जानने वाला नियम-नियंता वरुण, तेरहवें अधिमास को भी जानने वालेІ

Varuna knows the twelve Moons. He also knows the Moon of later birth. This is referred to twelve 29.5 days month (period of full/new moon to next full/new moon) of a normal lunar year of 354 days and thirteenth intercalated month added periodically to the lunar year with solar year of 365 days.




Rigveda 1.164.11
द्वादशारं नहि तज्जराय वर्वर्ति चक्रं परि द्यामृतस्य І
आ पुत्रा अग्ने मिथुनासो अत्र सप्त शतानि विंशतिश्च तस्थुःІІ  
सूर्य की बारह राशियों वाला रथ आकाश में चारों ओर विचरण करता हैІ वह कभी जीर्ण अथवा अवरुद्ध नहीं होताІ संयुक्त रूप से रहने वाले सात सौ बीस पुत्र इसमें निवास करते हैІ
Rigveda 1.164.48
द्वादश प्रधयश्चक्रमेकं त्रीणि नभ्यानि क उ तच्चिकेत І   
तस्मिन् त्साकं त्रिशता न शंकवोऽपिंताः षष्टिर्न चलाचलासःІІ 
बारह अरे रथ के एक चक्र को घेरे हुए है, उसकी तीन नाभियां है था उसमें 360 चलायमान कीलें ठुकी हुई हैंІ मेधावीजन यह अअच्छी तरह जानते हैंІ           

Wheel of time has twelve parts and 360 spokes or 720 pairs of days and nights with a remainder of about five days. This is referred as solar calender of twenty thirty-day months and the luni-solar scheme. 


In Samhitās, year was named of 12 months spread over 6 seasons. The Vedic ritual of cāturmāsya or "four-monthly" festival divides year was divided into 3 seasons of 4 months each. Although in Brāshmanas mention 12 months named after 12 naksatras i.e.12 Constellations(बारह राशियों).

12 months named after 12 naksatras

In
sūtras, it is mentioned that months of different length occur. The solar year of 366 days is known as Jyotisa. There are number of references in Vedic texts, where it is mentioned about year having either 12 or 13 month. The Yajurveda gives the names of months clearly.


The Vedic texts recognized 5 types of years - solar, lunar, sāvana (360 days), naksatra and bārhaspatya. Bārhaspatya is formulated on the basis of movement of planet Jupiter and in vogue from time of Varāhamihira.