Jain Journal 1979 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 14

100
antiquity of Surya Siddhänta (200 B.C), the earliest milestone in Siddhantic astronomy, is still controversial. Such views were naturally held in esteem in the absence of any link between Vedanga Jyotisa and Siddhantic astronomy. However our investigations into Ganitanuyoga, a class of Jaina works' chiefly dealing with Jaina astronomical and geographical data, reveal out that Jainas had not merely aquainted themselves with Vedanga Jyotisa, but also advanced the cause of astronomy to a greater extent and had ranked it as an essential part of education of a Jaina priest. Jainas had explicitly developed notions of declination3, celestial latitude, and obliquity of ecliptic.10 Yoga and Karaṇa were added to the incomplete pañcānga of Vedanga Jyotisa11. The zodiacal stretches of nakşatras were first measured by Jainas who later evolved the system of graduating the zodiacal circle into modern degrees 12. The probable course of conversion of 30-fold system of time units (Trigesimal system as we have called it) extant in Atharva Veda Jyotisa into the Sexagesimal system13 was made during Jaina astronomical period and the system was later commonly used in Siddhantic astronomy. Such notions have not been unearthed in Mahabharata so far. It may therefore be strongly emphasized that Mahabharata dates earlier than the Jaina School of astronomy was profoundly established. Evidences are still wanting to prove this view:
a.
b.
C.
d.
JAIN JOURNAL
Mahabharata contains time-units like kala, kaşṭhā etc. resembling with Vedanga Jyotisa units of time, but Jaina texts present an advanced system of time-units like muhurta, truți, kala, lava, and nimeşa etc13.
Mahabharata does not contain any reference to week days1, and we do not find it in Jaina texts' also.
Tilak's interpretation of the 13 days' half month implying the knowledge of very accurate astronomical computations has been refuted by K. L. Daftari14 arguing that the 14th tithi coming on a day on which at the sunrise there was the 13th tithi, was made the 15th tithi by the Rahu i.e. by the eclipse. This view is more authenticated by the fact that the calculated tithi was longer than the actual one and hence the error was rectified through the direct observation of the phenomenon of eclipse formation.
Some western scholars1 agree that astronomical references found in Mahabharata could not have entered it before Hipparchus (C. 150 B.C) and therefore they ascribe Mahabharata to a period near the advent of the Christian era, but such references are related to Jaina