English
- 18 ,949 Dividing the errors in position at the beginning of the Kali Yuga, by the differences in the mean annual motions, we have from Digitized by Google 126 THE MODJCBF ASTBOWOMY The Moon, .. 5' 56" + (7' 26" the Sec. Eq.) divided by r,187=4288 -Apogee, Tfede, Meronrj, %'eDae, • • Man, •• Japiter, • • Sutoni, •• 99^ 3S 32 12 17 20 11' 25^ I)y25 ,3a9*=42t4 27 31 byW,69d42 25 35 .,,.,... by 29 ,743=4046 43 36 by29,l5=4040 5 42 ••,. .by 9,55 rs4659 2 53 ... by 15 ,517=4032 59 3 , by 18 ,943 =3988 Thesomit * • 33536 Which divided by 9, gives for a mean resolt, ^ 4192 Or the year A.D. 1091 : whence it appears that the system must have been framed a good many years after the observation attributed to Vridha Vasishtha on the star Canopns, above mentioned, We shall now exhibit the errors in the positions of the planets, &c. by the system, compared with LaLande's Tables, at different periods, from the be- ginning of the KaU Yuga down to the year 4192, or A.D. 1091 in the Table following: Planets, &c. KL^Ynga. KaliYoCa 1000. Kali YQCa 2000. Kali Yoga 3000. K.Y.a630, 538 A.D. K.Y,41M. 1001 A.D. Moom* Moon's I Moon*8 ) Node^ Mercury, Veniu, Mars, Jupiter, Satoro, U26 -23 9S6 4^93S7Sl] + 17€9fil + S3 25 S5 ^82 4336 + 12 542 -17 2^ +20 69 3 +26 952 -24 3731 + ^2632 -.12 4416 + 15 4820 - 2® tlT' ^^16 747 +121111 + 16 54 9 -16 3126 -+ 6 4722 — S 25 39 +10 2737 -0<^2^3' -9 558 +7 1 1 + 8 3826 -8 2621 + 4 812 -4 7 2 + 5 1164 — 018'30^ -4 9626 + 3 3819 +3 2140 -3 14 45 + 2 2630 -1 21 47 + 1010 -^ Oil*' -0 48M +0^40 -1 1228 + 114 3 + 0 5829 +0 4114 — 1 425 The above Table serves to show, by mere in*- spection^ the time at, or near which the system wafe framed, by the gradual decrease in the errors dowm to the year A. D 1091, after which they would agait increase. Having already given the Lunar Asterisms in treat- ing of the system of Brahma, it might be considered as altoge^r unnecessary to repeat them over iLgfiin * Inclading the secular equation. Digitized by Google OF TH£ HINDUS. 127 here frcon tke s^nstem of Vanlha^ since from their rery nature being sideral and consequently fixed, they must be tiie same, or nearly so, by all Hindu writers, whether ancient or modem, except where errors may have crept in. But the author of the Sarya SUddhantu haying noticed in that work, certain dermtioiis in the positicms of some of the stars, by which they appear to fall into other Lunar Asterisms, diferent in name from those to which they originally did belong, I am, therefore, induced to give them here a place, for the purpose of ex{^aining the cause of the deviation alluded toi. Table of the Lunar Asteriimi^ according to the Skrya Siddhamta* LongHmdM LoDgitade h ' NaMM. LathndM.* from IBtlM StannppoMdtobv Aiwini* Manuon. iDtended. 1 Anoim, l^ N. 8° O' 8o 0' yor^ Arietif. 86 £ttD. 2 Bkaram, 12 20 0 9 4 Z Krkika, 6 87 80 10 50 Alojoner 4 Rohim, 5 S. 49 fO 9 80 87Taiiri. S Mirigmtirm^ .. 10 68 0 9 49 llS.llO^lirTkMtl 6 Ardrdy .. 9 67 20 0 40 ISSTauri? 6 N. 98 a 19 0 /^GemwonuB. 8 Puskyd, 0 106 0 la 40 ^CallerL 9 AdeMha, 7 9. 109 a 2 20 49, 50 Cantri. 10 Jfaao, It pTphaigum, .. 0 K 120 0 9 9 GocLaont. 12 144 0 10 40 70, 71 Leonii. n U.Phtdgum, .. n 155 0 a 20 /^Laooia. IS Hatta, 11 S. 170 0 10 0 7, 8 Corri. U CJUtm, 2 180 0 ' 9 49 Spfea Virgtnia; 15 SmUi, 87 N. 199 0 12 20 , Acttiixnifcr 16 Visdtka, 1 SOS. 218 0 18 0 24 libne. 17 AnmradUn .. 8 224 0 10 49 C ^ Scorpii. 18 Jyeskt'ha, 4 229 0 2 SO Antavas. ^ MmB, 9 241 0 1 i 84, Si SaOTpia^ 20 p^AshidPka, .. 5 SO 254 0 0 40 ^aagittarii. ai U.A^tiiPha,^ .. 290 9 6 4 ^SagiftaB. • ulftftStI, b .. 60 N. 260 40 ;U 20 \ahym. 28 Sravami, c .. 8tf 280 0 18 20 a Aquille. 2S Dhamiki%i,4 .. 9& 299 9 10 9 • Delfbiiii. i24 Saiabhiska, ., 0 30 S. 320 0 18 20 , X Aquarii. M W, 896. 9 6 0 UlVgasL 26 ir. BhadraptOa, 26 887 0 8 40 vPagaai. Wr Bmmfi, 9t 859 59 1^ 10 fPUoium. r * What are called latitndea and longitudes in this Table, are onlj the distanceSi rfrea^ explaiiied at page 99 hf the Dtagranr. Digitized by Google 128 THE MODERN ASTRONOMY By comparing the above Table with the one given under the system of Brahma, it will appear, that in general they agree, or at least nearly so : they differ, however, in one or two instances, very materially, which must be attributed to errors having crept in by miscopying. In the table of the Brahrna Sid- dhanta, the star Purva Phalgunl, 6 Leonis, stands in 147° from Aswirii ; but by the Surya Siddhanta, it should be 144° : the latter is nearer the truth. Spica Virginis, Chitra, is placed by the Brahma Siddkanta in 6* 3°, or 183° from Aswini ; but the Surya Siddkanta places it in 6% or 180°, making a difference of three degrees. In this respect, the Surya Siddkanta is in error. For, taking the position of Cor Leonis as correctly given, it being the same by all Hindu books, then Spica should be in 6' 3° : for the differ- ence in longitude between Cor Leonis and Spica, by European books, is about 54°; which being added to the longitude of Cor Leonis, 129°, we get 183°, the longitude of Spica, agreeing with the Brakma Sid- dkanta. A few other differences may be observed, but they are of less importance. Now with respect to the passage above alluded to, the author of the Surya Siddkanta states, that the star Uttara Iskad'ka, (No. 21,) falls mto the middle of Purva Ashad'ka, (No. 20) ; that the star Abkijit, (marked in the table with an *,) falls into the end of Purva Askad'ha, (No. 20) ; that the star Sravana, (No. 22,) falls into the end of Uttara Askad'ha, (No. 21); and that the star Dkaniskt'ka, (No. 23,) is in the end of the third quarter of Sravana, (No. 22). All this, though strange in appearance, is very true, and easily accounted for. The star Abkijit is given as the key to the mystery ; for it does not belong to the division of the zodiac into 27 parts, and could Digitized by Google OF THE HINDUS. 129 not, therefore, fell into any Lunar Asterism of its own name. At the commencement of the Hindu astronomy, the zodiac was divided into 28 equal parts, each containing 12° 51'?^, and the first of such divisions was called MuB, thereby to signify that it was the root or origin in the series. This division of the zodiac, was, however, found to be rather incon- venient in the practice of astronomy : therefore it veas changed to 27 equal portions, each containing 13° 20'. The first of these divisions was called Jyesht'ha^ to denote that it was the first or eldest in the series, and began from the same point in the heavens as Muld in the division of 28. The star that belonged to MtUd was Antares, and its longi- tude was about 2° 25' from the beginning of that asterism, and consequently had the same longitude in the I^unar Asterism Jyesht'ha. In this new ar- rangement, Abhijit was thrown out; but the names of all the rest were retained, though not to the same stars that originally belonged to them. The name MuB was given to the second, or next mansion to JyeshihoLy and other changes made to answer the ar- rangement. The foUpwing short Table will explain flie cause of the deviations : — DiYisian of Twenty-eight Bf ansions of \%^ 51' 3-7 each. Division of Twenty-seren Mansions of 130 20' each. intended. Names. Longitude. Names. Longitude. IH^ 2P.i',WfA, 3 V. Ashdd^ha, x3 U.Isha^ha, xAAhh^U, x5 Sraoana, x6Damsheha, 20 25' I 28 4-7 1 37 1-7 7 37 1-7 1 25 5-7 1 54 2-7 0 0 1 /yeai'W, 2 NiriH a P. lihad^ha, a P. AthatPha, 3 . . . • 4 U.Ishii^ha, 5 Sravam, 20 25' 1 0 0 40 6 40 13 20 13 20 10 57 Antares. dSagittarii. ^ SagitUrii. aLjre. a Aqnilae.^ a Delphini. This Table, as far as it has been thought necessary to carry it, contains the corresponding positions of Digitized by Google 130 THE MODERX ASTRONOMY the stars in both divisions. Thus the longitude of the star in Mutd 2"" 25' in the division of 28, is the same in Jyesht'ha in the division of 27.