English
191 is said by Vishnu Chandra, at the beginning of the chapter on the Yuga of the solstice {the revolutions, though the asterisms are here in 4320000000 years a hundred and eighty nine thousand four hundred and eleven (189411), which is termed a Yuga (revolution) of the solstice y as of old admitted by Brahma, Area, and the rest^y is wrong ; for the very fewest hours of night to us occur when the suns place is at the end of Mithuna (Gemini), and of course the very utmost hours of day are at the same period. From that limitary point, the sun's progress regulates the seasons, namely, the cold season (Sisira), and the rest, comprising two months each, reckoned from Macara (Capricorn) : therefore what has been said concerning the motion of the limitary paint is wrong, being contradicted by actual observation of days and nights.'' This is precisely the same as stated by Brahma Gupta, and has no relation what- ever to the precession of the equinoxes in respect of the fixed stars, which is Vishnu Chandra's meaning. They are both right according to the sense in which they themselves meant. Then comes an interpolation contradicting Prithu* daca Swami, which I have every reason to believe, from the nature of the questions put to me on the subject of the colures by a certain astrologer, was surreptitiously inserted by him, by which he makes the commentator contradict what he said just before; for there is no other person mentioned. " The objection, however, is not valid; for now the greatest decrease and increase of night and day do not happen when the sun is in the end of Mi- thuna" (Gemini). * By this artful interpolation, he thought to overturn the opinion I had given him, * Notes and IUastratioii9> xxxvi. Digitized by Google 192 THE MODERN ASTRONOMY which was, that the solstices were naWj and at all times, in the beginning of Cancer and Capricorn. He has shown by it, not only his own ignorance of the Hindu astronomy, but also his propensity to forgery; for there is hardly a work on astronomy that would not expose the imposition. The matter of fact is this : — The Hindu astronomers, as I have stated in another place, employ two spheres, the sideral or fixed, which commences from the begin- ning of the Lunar Asterism Aswini : the other sphere is moveable, and is precisely the same with what is called the European or Tropical sphere, in which the signs begin from the vernal equinoctial point. In the former, the signs are merely numerically ex- pressed ; but in the latter, to distinguish them from the former, they are named as in Europe, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, &c.; therefore they can never be confounded, except through ignorance, inadvertence, or for the sake of imposition, as done in the above quoted passage, where the third Hindu sign is falsely called Mithuna (Gemini), as will be fully and satis- factorily proved in the next section. With respect to Vishnu Chandra's number of re- volutions of the equinoxes in 4320000000 years, being stated at 1 894 1 1 , it is certainly wrong, when ap- plied to any of the known Kalpas. Mr. Colebrooke at one time was of the same opinion*: but in a note which he has added to his paper, in the twelfth volume of the Asiatic Researches, on the precession of the equinoxes, he has altered that opinion, and states the numbet as right f; which, however, on the principles of the Hindu astronomy, it cannot possibly be so, because, if tried with the years now ♦ As. Res. Vol. XII. p. 215. f Note after p. 250. Digitized by VjOOQ IC OF THE HINDUS. 193 elapsed of any of the known Kalpasy it wUl not give the quantity of the precession for the present time, which is the only mode of proving whether the number be true or otherwise; for if it does not answer the purpose for which it was intended, of course it must be considered as either incorrect, or an imposition. In the second section (page 131), I have showii that the number of years elapsed of the system of Brahma to the year 4900 of the Kali Yuga, was 1972948900, and that the precession of the equi- noxes then amounted to 0* 21° 9' 34\ If we now try Vishnu Chandra's nmnber 189411 for the same period, we shall have by the formula, ^5^^^^^^= (86504 Revol.) 2* 18° 40' 29, differing from the truth by upwards of 57° ; and in like manner it is found to differ in all the other known systems. But Brahma Gupta is made to speak of this Vishnu Chandra {Brahma Siddhanta, C. 11 and 14), stating, that he was the author of the Vasishtha Siddhanta, and that he took the mean motions of the sun and moon, with the lunar apogee and nodes, and other specified particulars, from Aryabhatta : * then, if so, the system of Vishnu Chandra must be the same with that of Aryabhatta; for the numbers must be always framed to answer the system of years, and will not agree with any oth^. The object here, as may be easily seen, is to throw Aryabhatta back into antiquity ; for if Vishnu Chao? dra borrows his system from Aiyabhatta, and Brahma Gupta mentions the circumstance, then it is evident bodi the one and the other must have been anterior to him, that is to sky, provided it is not a mere ficticm. * At Res. Vol. XII. Note after p. 250. \ C C Digitized by Google 194 THE MODERN ASTRONOMY inveated for the purpose. We shall now try Visfanu Cbandra's number above given, with the system of Aiyabhatta, in which tfie time elapsed to the year 4900 of the KmH Fg-r= 1969924900 years, from which the precession of the equinoxes will be =s'^i;^i>;Sr^= (86371 Revol.) 7" \r & wWch diflFers greatly from the truth : therefore this cannot be the £^ystem supposed ix> be employed. Let us^ there- fore, try the system of the spurious Arya Siddhcmta- By this system, the number of years elapsed of die Xaipa to the year 4900 of the irfl/Fttgr= 1986 124900: therefore the precession will be =^2^1^^^ =(87081 Revol.) 1 1* V S7', and which also differs widely from die truth : therefore, I say the nimiber is an imposi- Idon. But even if the number had been right, it would not have ^Itared the JBstct of the passage being an imposition, in respect of Brahma Ghipta who is thus made to ispeak of persons thalt Uved many cen- turies after hk own time. All this, atnd pediaps a great deal nuco'e not y^ I^ought to light, is^ lam satisfied, tbeSabricationof the &strol<^CT already alluded to. He offered his services tome before he was in the employ of Mr.Coiebrooke; but when lie told me that his profesi^km was book- making, and that he could forge any book whatever, to answer any purpose that mi^t be inquired, I re- plied, I wamted no forged books — diat there were too imany of ikstt description already -^th^t I was exdnemely glad he was so ^candid, and mrust 4ecline his services in any way whatever, in the course of the jeonversation that >pasBed, ^e made himself ae- quainted widi Mr. Golebrooke's opinions that were in opposition to mine, which it seems he oajieiy ly treasured up in his mind. He went directly to Mr. Colebrooke's from my iuwisf^ and there got into Digitized by Google OF THE HINDUS. 195 immediate employ, as he himself afterwards informed me. This will serve to explain the circumstance of the forged book (the Brahma Siddhanta SphtUa), being found by Mr. Colebrooke on the shelf in his library, without knowing that he had it ; as also the various forgeries of names and quotations in the spurious Brahma Siddhanta, TaB.de up on purpose, to throw the persons named back into antiquity to answer the end in view; but in so doing, he was de- tected and foiled by the very books of the authors themselves, which showed the times ia which theiy lived and wrote, beyond the power erf forgery to per- vert or contradict. More^ I think, need not be said; and I hope this will put an end to the subject for ever, particularly as the forgeries are incontestibly proved, independent of all other considerations aod circumstances whatever. Digitized by Google 196 THE MODERN ASTRONOMY SECTION VI.