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JAIN JOURNAL
Likewise a similar treatment would hold good for other vithis(lanes) of Venus. Thus it may be contemplated that numbers of days Dn associated with various vithis represent lengths of time for which Venus remains heliacally set in their respective different parts of lunar zodiac. In the absence of an accurate knowledge of motion of Venus, Jainas had developed empirical notion of mean velocity of Venus in heliacal combustion in a particular vithi (lane) among the lunar mansions. Such relative mean velocities of Venus were estimated in a qualitative zigzag manner by comparing them with some conventionally known velocities like those of snake, elephant etc. As there was no notion of sinoscidal functions, such discrete step velocities were likely to be apprehended.
5.
Directions of Vithis
As regards directions of vithis, VS, 7.1-2 states :
“Go vithi (cow lane) is situated at the middle line ; vrşabha (bull), gaja (elephant), airāvata (chief elephant) and nāga (snake) vithis (lanes) occur in the north and jaradgava (old bull), mega (deer), aja (goat) and dahana (fire) vithis (lanes) occur in the south.”
Besides, according to BTS. 9.1, all the nine vithis have been divided into 3 groups of three vithis each, viz.16 North vithis : näga (snake), gaja (elephant) and airāvata (chief elephant); Middle vithis : vşsa (bull), go (cow) and jaradgava (old bull); South vithis : myga (deer), aja (goat) and dahana (fire).
Each group is further divided into three groups of a single vithi each,17 eg.
North vithi
nāga (snake)
Middle vithi
gaja (elephant)
South vithi
airāvata (chief elephant)
Using table No. 2, relative directions of vithis (lanes) may be shown in table No. 5 as below :
16 17
See ref. No.9. Ibid.
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