By Swami Harshananda
Vikramāditya literally means ‘Sun of Valor’.
Tradition and old legends describe a great and heroic king named Vikramāditya who drove away foreigners,[1] built an empire and ruled from Ujjayini as his capital. There were nine great men of learning, generally called the Navaratnas,[2] including Kālidāsa, Dhanvantari, Varāhamihira and Vararuci, in his court under his patronage. Later a few kings of the historical period assumed this name as a title. The Vikramaśaka is reckoned from the year 57 B. C., probably the year of his coronation. This śaka is commonly observed and used in North India.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore