Indian Antiquary Vol 50

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 53

FEB., 1921 ]
THE NAKSHATRAS AND PRECESSION
numbers 27 and 28 suggest a connexion with the sidereal month, but in the early texts the only month referred to is one of 30 days. The term nakshatra has often been translated by the term lunar mansion and the Taittiriya Sanhita, 19 Kathaka Samhita 30 and the Mahabharata 31 state that the nakshatras were wedded to Soma, but the term itself does not suggest the connexion. No satisfactory explanation of the different numbers has been achieved : Weber thought 27 was the older number, but the authors of the Vedic Index suggest that Abhijit was omitted, and that 27= 3 X3 X3 appealed more strongly as being of a more mystical nature. Finally we must note that the earlier lists are astrological or religious in character rather than astronomical.
8. The early lists all begin with Ksittike, but the Mahabharata puts Sravana first, the Jyotisha Vedanga begins with Sravishtha, the Súryaprajñapti with Abhijit, the Súrya Siddhanta with Asvini. But here Asvini is definitely equated with the vernal equinox, while Abhijit, Sravana and Sravishtha, which are contiguous, are equated with the winter solstice ; and the interval between Asvint and any one of the other three is 90 degrees, if we measure according to the equal division scale of the Jyotisha Vedânga' or the unequal Suryaprajñapti scale as we please. The change of importance is therefore from Kșittika to Asvini, an interval of from about 13} to a possible 40 degrees. Was this change due to precession? The question has been discussed ad nauseam and I shall only briefly give the latest conclusions. According to Tilek," it was stated by Garga that Ksittika was first for purposes of ritual, while for the purpose of the calendar Sravishtha was put first, and Fleet, in one of his latest articles, wrote: 43 I hope to revert to this matter in a paper in which I shall show that the Krittikadi list has no basis in the fact that the sun once came to the vernal equinox in Krittika, but belongs entirely to ritual and astrology."
9. I have put the difficulties of the case before you by way of caution. One would like to come to some simple and definite conclusion like Dikshitis, but that seems hardly possible. My conclusions, except on one point, are rather disappointingly vague and are consequently not quite easy to formulate. Let me recapitulate the prenuises : (a) In very early works we have orderly lists of the nakshatras that are of a ritual
istic nature rather than astronomical. These lists all begin with Kțittika. (6) In these early works the nakshatras are rather vaguely connected with the
heavens. (c) In the Sata patha Brahamana and the Bodhayana Srauta Sútra we have Krittika
definitely connected with the equator. (d) In the Jyotisha Vedanga the nakshatras form a scale of the ecliptic and have no
particular connexion with any constellations. le) There are e few early star myths, e.g. regarding the Seven Rishis, Rohini, Krittika;
but the identifications are somewhat vague. In comparatively modern times the nakshatras were definitely equated with
certain constellations. (9) The Puranas and the Súryaprajñapti speak of the constellations revolving
with reference to the nakshatras. () Certain later lists of nakshatras begin with Asvinf.
* K.S., n, 3
19 T.S., i, 3, 5. # Orion, p. 30
u Moh. ix, 3546.
JRAS, 1916, p. 870.