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1528, are given, we may as well make choice of that year, because, if the Jata- karnaA)a was the real work of Varaha Mihira, then we would naturally expect they would agree, or at least nearly so, and thereby they would confirm each other ; but if they disagreed considerably in point of time, though passing under the name of the same Digitized by Google OF THE HINDUS. 159 author, we then certainly would have a right to conclude they were not written by one and the same person. The loDgitade of Ctmopmt b A. D. 1760 was S* 11^ 31' l>edactpreceMioofor222 jean (=1750— 1628,)= .. OSS LoogitadeofCajK^Mwin A.D. 1628,a S 8 27 Latitude of ConqpM, s 0 76 61 Obliquity of the ecliptic, •••.. 0 23 30 From which we get the right ascension and decli- nation of Canopus in A.D. 1528 by the following proportions : 1 Af radias nne W> 0" 10. Is to sine of the longitude of CoMpitf ••••• • 81 83 0.9062607 So cot. latitude of ditto 76 61 94016010 Tooot.ofan/ 76 0 9.3968607 Subtract obliquitj of the ecliptic 28 80 Remain 62 80 2 As radius sine 00 0 10. Is to cos. longitude of CaiM|Nw, 81 88 9.1671686 So COS. laUtude. 76 61 9.8882101 To cosine of 87 66 8.6653687 8 Asradiussine 00 0 10. Istocos 62 80 9.7844471 Sotan. 87 66 114426638 To tan 86 86 11.2271109 Which taken from 180 0 Leayes the right ascension of Canopm .... 93 24 in A. D. 1628. 4 Asradiussine 00 0 10. Istosine 62 30 0.8994667 Sosine 87 56 9.9997174 To sine of the declination of CancpuM s . • 62 27 93991841 Digitized by Google 160 THE MODERN ASTRONOMY Now, in the annexed Diagram, Let P be the pole of the equator. PZ = 90O-23o ir=66o 49'=the complement of the Lat. of Ujein, T C the equator. T D the eclip'tic. S place of the star. Then say : 5 As tan. CO. lat. PZ=c ACS G6<^ 49' 10.3682963 Istorad. sine 90 0 10. So tan. of the declination AS 52 27 lO.l 142350 To sine of the ascensional difference AC ... . 33 51 9.7459387 Add right ascension 93 24 The sum is the oblique ascension TC......127 15 Which taken from 180 0 Leaves C ^ (supplementary triangle,) 52 45 6 As COS. of the obliquity of the ecliptic / £^ 23 30 9.9623978 Is to rad. sine •• . . . 90 0 10. Sotan.C^^ 52 45 10.1189478 Totan.B£i: 55 7 10.1565500 Digitized by Google OF THE HINDUS. 161 And I80°— 55° 7 = 124° 53'= r B, the point of the ecliptic B, or the longitude of that point of the equator C, which rises with Canopus. Now the next portion of the ecliptic to be found isBD. 7 Asnditusme 00^ 0' 10. IstoitiieC^k 63 45 9.9000142 SotaikobUqiiitjof tbeedipCk Z£b 2S SO 9.6S8S019 TotamBC 19 6 9:5S92161 8 Asnid.siiie 90 0 10. To sine of the obliqaitj of the ecliptic z £b 28 80 9.6006997 Socoft.C£b 52 45 9.7819664 Tocos.CB£b 76 2 9.8826661 9 A8rad.Biiie 90 0 10. Istooos.BC 19 6 9.9754088 So tan. of the latitude of CTjfem 28 11 9.6317037 Tocot. 67 58 9.6071120 . Which taken from 76<> 2" leaves 8 4 10 Aacos 8 4 9.9956815 latocoa. 67 58 9.5742008 SotaD.CB 19 6 9.5394287 Totan.BD 7 29 9.1179475 To which add tB = 124° 53' we have the longitude of the point D = 132° 22' coascendent with S and C, or the cosmical point of rising of Canopus. The next portion of the ecliptic to be found is DM, depressed 10° 30' below the horizon. 11 AanULsine 90^ 0" 10. Istoco8.BD 7 29 9.9962852 Sotan. 8 4 9.1514543 T0CO8.CDB 82 0 9.1477395 12 AtsineCDB.NDM , 82 0 9.9957528 latoainaBfN 10 30 9.2606330 So is rad. sine • 90 0 10. TosineDM 10 36 9.2648802 Add the point of cosmical lising 182 22 The sum is the heliacal point 142 58 = 4*22<' 58^ or22<58'ofLeo, which is within two minutes of what Varaha states it, he makmg it 23° of Leo, or 7° short of Virgo. In the above calculation, I have taken 10° 30' for the arc of vision, or the depression of the sun below Y Digitized by Google i6iJ THE MODERlsr ASTROKOMY the horizon at the rising of Canopus. Some allow 10°, others 11°; mine is a medium between the two, and agrees best with what Varaha states : but whether we take 10° or 11°, the difference will be inconsiderable, and not exceeding 30' in the sun's longitude either way. Therefore the question re- specting the true time of Varaha Mihira is now finally settled, and all doubts respecting his being the author of the Jatakarnqva proved to be entirely groundless. It may not now be amiss, to show the points in the Hindu sphere, to which the sun must have ccmie at the cosmical and heliacal rising of Canopus at Ujein in A. D. 1628, as it will serve to prevent miscon- ception. This may be done by deducting the differ- ence between the Hindu and tropical spheres for the year A.D. 1528, from the cosmical and heliacal points 4" 12° 22' and 4** 2S° 58' above determined. Bnt as this would req^uire some calculation, I shall •show how it may be done without any trouble, by means of a celestial globe, and that independent al* together of any reference to the tropical sphere. Take a celestial globe, on which the stars are cor- rectly laid down, and rectify it for the latitude of Ujein 23° 1 1' N. bring the star Canopus to the eastern horizon, and mark the point on the ecliptic then in the horizon, with its distance from some fixed star east or west of it, lying^ in or near the ecliptic ; this will be the cosmical ,point, and its longitude in the Hindu sphere, will be known fit)m its distance in degrees east or west of the star. Measure I0J° to- wards the east, perpendicular to the horizon, and mark the point where it falls on the ecliptic, in respect to its distance east or west of some fixed 3t^ whose longitude is given in the Hindu sphere, tMs Digitized by Google OF THE UINDU$. 163 will be the heliacal point, and its longitude in the Hindu sphere will be known from its distance east or west of the star. Thus, the globe being rectified for the latitude, and the star Canopus brought to the eastern horizon, the point of the ecliptic then on the horizon will be found to be about \(f 56' west of Regulus, whose longitude in the Hindu sphere is 4* 9"" ; consequently the longitude of the cosmical point in the Hindu sphere, is 4" 9""— lO'' 56'=3 28^ 4': now measuring 10 J® perpendicular to the horizon towards the east, as directed, the point will fall on the ecliptic about 20' to the west of Regulus ; there- fore the longitude of this point in the Hindu sphere, is 4 9'— 0° 20'=4* 8° 40', to which the sun must m- variably come at the heliacal rising of Canopm at mein. The Hindu sj^ere being sideral, and conse- quently fixed, the cosmical and heliacal points thus shown, are also nearly fixed : they were so in the time of Varaha, and they are the same now. But it is far otherwise in the moveable or tropical sphere, in which the variation is considerable, the longitude of the cosmical and heliacal points increasiug as the time is more modem. Having thus shown the age in which Varaha Mihira wrote, from the data given in both his works, the Varahi Sanhita and Jatakarnava, which com- pletely agree, we shall, in the next section, endeavour to explain the cause of his being thrown back into antiquity by the modems, with the various means that have been employed for that purpose. Digitized by Google 164 THE MODERN ASTRONOMY SECTION V. The cause qf Varaha Mihira being throum back into antiquity by the modems explained^- The reason qf two Varaha Mihiras and two Bhaskaras explained by the imposition on Akber—BhAskMtk thrown back to A. D.IUO-- A num- ber of forgeries to support the impoMitow — Spurious irya Siddhanta — Two Bhasvatis — Pretended ancient commentaries — Interpolations — The Pancha Siddhantika— False positions of the Cotures—Art^icial rules for the cosmieai rising of Canopus by the Bhdvasti — By the Pancha Siddhantiki — By Kesava — By the Graha Laghava — The time to which they refer appears to be about the middle of last century -^The heliacid rising qf Canopus bjf the Brahma Vaivartay and Bhavisya Puranas, when the sun was Z^ short of Virgo — A view of the impositions arising from spurious books — Laksmidasa, a commentator on the Siddhanta Siromani, pretended to be a grandson of Kesava, and to have written in A. D.