Jain Journal 1983 07

SR No.: 520071
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 47
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 5

Kinematics of Venus in Bhadrabahu Sanhita
SAJJAN SINGH LISHK
Here a simple probe is rendered into the Kinematics of Venus moving in different vithis (lanes) among the stars. It is revealed that Jainas had some trends towards the study of the phenomena of heliacal rising and setting of Venus in different parts of lunar zodiac.
1. Introduction
Long long ago, the phenomena of heliacal rising and setting of stars were known. The Assyrians had a stellar calendar as decoded from the Kultepe texts of the 19th century B.C., which comprised of twelve months including at least two names of these months chosen for astronomical phenomena which occurred every year during the months so named: Tanmatra (heliacal rising) was the month of rising of the constellation Canis Major, the principal star of which, Sirius, played an important part in the Assyrian pantheon; Makhur-ili (meeting of the gods) alludes to the conjunction between the Moon and the Pleiades prior to the heliacal setting of the latter.1 According to Rg Veda (i.105. 11), ancient Hindus had also identified the heliacal rising of the dogstar (Sirius). 2
Apart from the diurnal rising and setting, a star or a planet is said to be heliacally set and risen when it disappears in the Sun's glare before conjunction and returns to visibility thereafter. The inferior planets, Mercury and Venus, become combust twice during their synodic periods. They set in the west a few days before inferior conjunction and rise in the east, and again set in the east some days before superior conjunction and rise in the west. Superior planets like Mars, Jupiter and Saturn always heliacally set in the west and after conjunction the planet moves relatively to the west of Sun and heliacally rises as a morning star in the eastern horizon a little before sunrise.
For heliacal rising of stars and planets on the horizon, Sun must be situated a few degrees below horizon so that the sky illumination due to
1
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 4(1969), p. 623. 2 Tilak, B. G. (1972), Orion, fifth edition, p. 119.