Jaganmohanlal Pandita Sadhuwad Granth

Author(s): Sudarshanlal Jain
Publisher: Jaganmohanlal Shastri Sadhuwad Samiti Jabalpur

Page 445

२९६ पं० जगन्मोहनलाल शास्त्री साधुवाद ग्रन्थ
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Astronomy in the Development of Siddhantic Astronomy. Indian Journal of History of Science, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 106-113) has firstever exposed in a compact manner.
Now we may have a little recourse to the absence of certain elements of Siddhantic astronomy in Jaina astronomical texts, which are given as below :
i. The use of Siddhantic rasis (ecliptic signs) has not been made in Jaina astronomy. ii. Jainas have used algebraic methods instead of geometrical methods used in
Siddhantic astronomy. iv. No signs of epicyclic theory have so far been traced. But still it is our con
jecture that Jainas might have strived for arriving at better methods to computing longitudinal and latitudinal positions of astral bodies as is evidenced by their trends towards kinematical studies of sun, moon and venus etc. However comparison of Surya Siddhanta radii of epicycles with those of Ptolemy shows origination of Surya Siddhanta constants. Constants of Surya Siddhanta epicycles radii may be generatable. Relevant texts of Bhadrabahu Samhita etc. are yet
to be analysed in this connection.
It is worthy of note that the above mentioned astronomical notions of Siddhantic astronomy are traditionally ascribed to the Greek influence upon ancient Indian astronoiny. It is however to be emphasized that the pre-Siddhantic Jaina School of astronomy has been chiefly characterised by its own symbolism, terminology and other peculiar notions; and it is still in want of exposition of all compendimum of Jaina astronomical knowledge before the extent of link between Siddhantic astronomy and Western astronomy can properly be discerned. It is of course easily discernible that Jaina astronomical system does not show any distinct indications of influences of Western systems of astronomy. The most disputable in this context, is the origination of the ratio 3:2 of the greatest and the shortest lengths of daylight. This ratio holds equally good for both Gandhara and Babylon. Gandhara, an ancient seat of learning might have been used for purposes like those of a standard place for the purposes of time reckoning for the whole of ancient India. So this ratio has no sublimity in attributing the provenance of Jaina astronomical system to Mesopotamia. In this context, it is however worthy of note that by applying Bernoulli's theorem for rectifying error due to rate of flow of water through an orifice of a cylindrical water clepsydra, it is revealed that the ratio 3:2 is actually the ratio of amounts of water to be poured into the water clepsydra on the maximum and the minimum lengths of daylight and the corresponding ratio of actual time lengths comes to be v3: 72 which suits for a place near to that of Ujjaini, a renowned seat of learning in ancient Indian culture. The present author (Length of the Day in Jaina Astronomy, Centaurus, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 165, Aarhus University, Denmark) opines that it is however yet to be ascertained who borrowed this ratio 3:2 from whom. Besides Jaina astronomical system incorporates no fringe of any non-explicit helio-centric hypothesis as is dimly said to have been postulated by Aristarchus of Samos in c. 280 B. C. Absence of week days, rasis (ecliptic signs) and