Indian Antiquary Vol 50

SR No.: 032542
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1985
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 52

46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
6. For details regarding the names and positions of the nakshatras as established in comparatively modern times I must refer you to Colebrooke's and Whitney's works and to the Vedic Index. We may, however, briefly mention one or two points in connexion with these investigations. (a) Most of the names of the nakshatras not only cannot be connected with stars but in some cases are distinctly discordant with the equated constellations. Six of them, however, are fairly appropriate and these six are Rohini, Asleshâ, Hasta, Chitra, Asvini, Krittika. Of these Rohini means 'reddish' and is particularly applicable to Aldebaran; but it is disconcerting to find that in some lists it is applied to Jyeshtha (? Antares) also. Asleshâ means embracer and appears appropriate when applied to e, 8, 6, n, p, Hydrae. Hasta, 'hand,' is applied to five stars in Corvus; but on a Hindu astrolabe of the end of the seventeenth century I find Hasta applied to a star in Orion. Chitrâ 'bright' might be appropriately applied to any of the first magnitude stars, and is generally suitable for Spica, to which it is usually equated. The Asvins have been often connected with the Dioscuri, and with the morning and evening star, by several writers of note; but as a nakshatra Asvinî is equated with 8 and 7 Arietis, which strains the imagination. almost to the limit. The identification of Krittika with the Pleiades is extremely curious. According to the editors of the Vedic Index it seems to depend on a passage in the Yajur Veda which mentions abhrayanti forming clouds,' meghayant 'making cloudy', varshayanti 'causing rain,' as constituents of the nakshatra.8 The rain-forming Pleiades naturally come into view, but in the Brihat Samhita" we are told that Garga and others do not support this idea. (b) Many of the lists of the nakshatres, it will be noticed, contain only twenty-four different names; there being three pairs of double nakshatras, viz., Phalguni, Ashadha, and Bhadrapadâ. The number 24 is very suggestive, but at present we need not pursue the suggestion. (c) Twelve of the names are also utilised as the names of the months. The traditional explanation of this nomenclature is as follows: The full moon which occurred when the moon was in conjunction with Chitra was termed Chaitri, and the lunar month which contained the Chaitri full moon was named Chaitra. But, since full moon is likely to occur at all points of the ecliptic, this explanation is not satisfactory, unless it indicates either an original division of the ecliptic into twelve divisions, or an attempt to equate the nakshatras and the signs of the zodiac.
7. The Rig Veda gives no list of the nakshatras, but it mentions three probable asterismsTishya, 10 Aghâs and Arjunî, 11 and it has been suggested that there is a reference to the 27 nakshatras in book I.12 Complete lists are given in the Atharva Veda, 13 Taittiriya Samhita,14 Kathaka Samhita,15 Maîtrayant Samhita, 16 Sath patha Brahmana,11 etc. The lists agree generally, but the number of nakshatras is variously given as 27 and 28. The Atharva Veda and Maitrayani Samhitâ lists have 28 while the Taittirtya Samhitâ and Satapatha Brahmana give 27; and of the more modern texts the Jyotisha Vedanga and the Sarya Siddhanta imply 27, while the Sûryaprajñapti, the Brahmasphuta Siddhânta, and the Surya Suddhanta (in another place) give or imply 28. Abhijit is the extra nakshatra and there is a legend that it dropped out, although the Taittiriya Brahmana18 marks it as a new-comer. The
[FEB., 1921
8. Vedic Indes, i, 415; but the curious point is that the identification is made to depend upon the elements of a Greek myth: the fact that Hindu works provide no independent identification is thus emphasized. Note that I do not question the identification of Krittika with the Pleiades so much as the somewhat loose argumentation employed.
10 V, 54 13; X, 648.
13 A.V., xix, 7.
14 M.S. ii, 13 30.
11 X, 853.
14 T.S. IV, 4, 101-3 17 S.B., x, 5, 4.
⚫ xxi, 5.
12 I, 16218.
16 K.S. xxxix 13.
18 T.S., i, 5, 33.