________________
JULY, 1983
Table No. 5
Relative Directions of Vithis of Venus Sr. Name of vithi (lane) Numbers of days Relative directions No.
associated with
the vithi II
III
IV V 1. nāga (snake)
gaja (elephant) airāvata (chief elephant) VỊ jabha (bull) go (cow)
M M jaradgava (old bull)
aja (goat) 8. mrga (deer)
M S S 9. vaisvānara (fire)
24 N=North, M=Middle, S=South
ZEZEZE
Now it is evident from table No. 5 that middle vithi (lane) is associated with number of days lesser (or greater) than number of days associated with northern (or southern) vithi (see column IV). All the nine vithis have verisimilarly been divided into 3 groups of 3 vithis each (see column V). Likewise go vithi (cow lane) happens to be the middle one (see col. VI).
It may be recalled that number of days for which Venus remains heliacally set for a particular latitude of observer mainly depends upon geocentric latitude of Venus. So go vithi (cow lane) alludes to correspond to mean position (almost geocentric zero latitude) of Venus. According to BBS, go vithi (cow lane) is associated with Purvabhadrapada (oc Pegasi), Uttarabhadrapada (y Pegasi) and Revati ( Piscium) nakșatras (asterisms) ; whereas Asvini (B Arietis) was also added to the list by Varahamihira et al (see table No. 3). So go vithi (cow lane) seems to have been used to occur near Spring equinox in those times. But according to Kasyapa and Devala, go vithi (cow lane) used to occur near Autumnal equinox because it is associated according to them, with Hasta (8 Corvi), Citra (a Virginis) and Svati (a Bootis) nak satras (asterisms).
This also suggests that number of days associated with different vithis, according to Kasyapa and Devala, must also differ from those as given according to BBS. Kasyapa and Devala had rearranged the pattern
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