Astronomy and Cosmology

Author(s): L C Jain
Publisher: Rajasthan Prakrit Bharti Sansthan Jaipur

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and one hundred and eighty-four paths of the sun are described in details of their velocities in Yojanas through the asterisms zodiac (cara mahi).97
The orbits of the sun being 184, there are 183 solar days in a single solstice, implying that its continuous motion is in a winding and unwinding spiral, each of which is at an interval of about 2 yojanas. Every day the -yojanas. The first internal orbit of the sun
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last orbit is about 315106 yojanas in
total shift in the path is
is 315089 yojanas, and the
circumference. 98
It is strange, how the measure of length of day is 18 muhurtas when the sun is in first internal orbit, and that of night is 12 muhurtas, if India had its centre of learning at Ujjain or Patliputra99. Reverse is the case when the sun is in the last external orbit, Dixit finds that this increase and decrease mentioned in Vedanga Jyotişa, applies to regions in 340 North latitude of the earth. This place may be near about Kashmir, or Gandhāra. Mathematically he calculates this to lie between 34046' and 34055' of North latitude 100.
97.
by
In the Trilokasara, one finds the mention of Karkaţa (cancer) and makara (capricornus). The motion of the sun in the next spiral orbit is
98.
99.
100.
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Cf. T. P,, II, 7.117 to 7-271. The description of the length of day and night as well as that of bright and dark areas for different roads is given from vv. 7.276 to 7.455.
Cf. T. P., II, vv. 7-254 to 7.263. Cf. also T. S., 4.378.
Cf. T. S., 4.379 and T. P. II, 7.277. In the Babylonian and Egyptian scheme, Neugebauer describes the length & its variation on pp. 116, 159 and 86, 94. However, for India he opines, "This was fully in line with a discovery which had been made by Kugler in 1900, namely, that the ratio 3:2 of longest to shortest day used by both systems in columms C and D of the Babylonian lunar ephemerides also appears in Hindu astronomy, though this ratio is totally incorrect for the main parts of India." Cf. op. cit., p. 162. Cf. also D. Pingree, (1974) Mesopotamian Origin of Ancient Indian Mathematical Astronomy, I. H. A., IV, pp. 1-12.
Cf. op. cit., pp. 125, 126, 131. Cf. also Sharma, S. D., and Lishk, S S., "Length of the Day in Jaina Astronomy," Centaurus 22.3, Andelsbogtrykheriet.
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