Jain Journal 1980 01

SR No.: 520057
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 37
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 2 MB

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JANUARY 1980
85
etc. etc. and the corresponding vithis of Venus were specified among the stars. Thus the phenomena of heliacal rising and setting of Venus seem to have been keenly observed. The relative north-south directions of vithis (lanes) of Venus also imply Jainian trends towards notion of geocentric latitudinal motion of Venus.18 Such kinematical studies of Venus are parallel to those of planetary ephemerides of Seleucid and Menomides periods. Some parallel references have also been found in some Samhitā texts like Samāsa Samhitā etc. However, an exhaustive account of planetary kinematical studies is found in Bhadrabāhu Samhitā 19 which we aim to analyse in full measure.
6. Jaina Calendar
The quinquennial cycle of Vedanga Jyotisa remained in vogue during Jaina astronomical period but with different solstices i.e. winter solstice occurred at Dhanistha (B Delphini) during Vedanga Jyotisa period and at the beginning of Abhijit (a Lyrae) during Jaina astronomical period. Jainas might have strived for the reformation of the five-year cycle as they had conceived some other planetary cycles like twelve-year cycle of Jupiter, twenty-eight-year cycle of Saturn and later a cycle of sixty Jovian years. Besides, the beginning of the five-year cycle had shifted from winter solstice in Vedanga Jyotisa to summer solstice in Jaina astronomical system. Any such change is not unearthed in Mahābhārata period when the winter solstice occurred at Sravana (a Acquilae). 20
Jainas had dealt with nakșatras (asterisms) in much detail. They had classified them into kula (category), upakula (sub-category) and kulopakula (sub-sub-category) nakşatras depending upon their positions with respect to Moon's position among asterisms at syzygies. Thus the
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18 Lishk, S.S. and Sharma, S.D., 'Kinematics of Venus in Jaina Astronomy',
Ganita (to appear). Bhadrabahu Samhita, edited with Hindi commentary by Nemichandra Shastri (1959). Bhadrabahu, the author belongs to a period of about 313 B.C. There was also an earlier Bhadrabahu (468 or 467 B.C.) to whom is ascribed Kalpa Sutra as contained in Dasasrutaskandha, one of the six Cheda Sutras of Jaina canonical literature. For more details see Lishk, S.S. and Sharma, S.D., (1977), 'Sources of Jaina Astronomy', The Jaina Antiquary, Vol 29, Nos. 1-2, pp. 19-32. Here it may be mentioned that Dr. S.S. Lishk has taken up the study of planetary kinematics in Bhadrabahu Samhita in full measure for his post-doctoral research programme. These researches will further pave the way for bridging a big gap between Vedanga Jyotisa and Siddhantic astronomy. Lishk, S.S. and Sharma, S.D., 'A Note on Jaina Calendar (in the press). See also Lishk, S.S. and Sharma, S.D., 'Similarities between Jaina Astronomy and Vedanga Jyotisa', Pracya Pratibha (to appear).