Astronomy and Cosmology

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

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either accelerated or retarded, rather the sun is in retarded motion every instant while moving out, and is in accelerated motion every instant while moving towards inner side. 101 This also signifies the Kinematic motion for covering of unequal distances in equal time for a mean solar day. The ranges of vision and the rise stations also find place in these texts. The calendrical details of the ayanas, parvas, tithis, vişupas have been given in great details, along with charts in the Candraprajñapti in dialogue style. 102
RELATIVE MOTION OF THE MOON
Kinematically, all the astral bodies have been regarded hemispherical, with spherical side towards the earth, the diameter of the moon being yojanas and that of the sun being 23yojanas. 103
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Two types of rāhus are described for the moon, dina rāhu and parva rāhu. The former causes the phases of the moon, the latter causes lunar eclipses. 104
Regarding the relative motion of the moon with respect to the nakşatras, the moon travels 67 celestial parts, kinematically less, than those traversed by the nakşatras, covering the strip of 54900 celestial parts in 27 solar days or 27.313 days, the modern value for the lunar sidereal month being 27.32166 days. The relative motion of the moon with respect 101. Cf. T. S., 4.380. Cf. Needham and Ling, p. 292 for Chinese discovery of
tropic of cancer in +349. Cf, also T. S., 4.381 to 4.386. Cf. T. P., II, 7.291 to 7.420 for bright and dark areas. For acceleration etc., cf. ibid., 7 265, and T. S., 4.388. According to Chou Pei, the sun could illuminate an area only 167000 li in diameter; people outside this would be said to be in dark. Cf. Needham and Ling, p. 211. The Jaina
School, due to its discoidal maps, gave these areas projected on a plane. 102. Cf. C. P., T. P. and T. S. at proper places. 103. Cf. T. P. 7.37, 7.218, 7.39, 7.68, 7.91, 7.95, 7.98, 7.100 and 7:108 for
planets and consellations as well. In China only the sun's diameter is described. Cf. Needham & Ling, pp. 300, 332, 573 (c). Similarly no
record is available in Babylon, Egypt and Greece. 104. Cf. C, P., pp. 693–702; T. S., 4.340, 4.342, T. P., 7.202, and 7.205 to
7.216. Cf, also G. A., pp. 279-288. For Chinese conception, cf. Needham and Ling, pp. 175, 228, 252 (c), 416, where the idea of monster and colours appears to be imported from India, or a work from the west, "Kieou-tche."
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