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JUL Y, 1983
15 days to Cancer and Leo 44 days to Sagittarius 1 day to Capricorn and Aquarius 2 days to Pisces
According to Neugebauer,22 the remaining data are lost and all dates of this type are subject to arbitrary interpretations, whether day is included or excluded, because intervals of invisibility of Venus in inferior combustion (evening setting and morning rising) by definition cannot amount to integer days. It is however worthy of note that these fragmentary data seem to have no similarities with the Jainian concept of vithis (lanes), respective nakşatras (and not ecliptic signs) associated with them, their respective numbers of days for which Venus remains heliacally invisible. However a detailed discussion of these fragmentary data is out of scope of their exposition.
However such kinematical notions about the motion of Venus did play an important role in the development of astronomy in post-Jaina early Siddhantic period in the history of ancient Indian astronomy. The BBS system of vithis (lanes) has been first elucidated. The synodic period of Venus might have also been known as it is simply the periodic time between any two consecutive heliacal inferior (or superior) combustions of Venus. All these gradual progresses in planetary kinematical studies extant in Jaina canonical and allied works are the studies parallel to those of old planetary ephemerides of menomides and seleucid periods. Such kinematical studies of Venus have left an everlasting effect on social activities of the Hindus who still observe heliocentric rising and setting of Venus in their laturgical performances.
[Some of the results contained in this paper were reported at the Sixth Session of Jaina Vidya Parisad, JVB, Ladnun, Jaipur session, October, 1975 and some at First Session of IAHPS, Waltair session, January, 1976.]
22
Ibid.
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