Jain Journal 1983 07

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

Page 8

JAIN JOURNAL
(Sthānānga) Sūtra (TSS), a Jaina canonical work of about 300 B.C. TSS 9.699 states as :
“There are nine vithis (lanes) of Venus, viz. haya vithi (horse lane), gaja vithi (elephant lane), nāga vithi, (snake lane), vìşabha vithi (bull lane), go vithi (cow lane), uraga vithi (reptile lane), aja vithi (goat lane), mīga vithi (deer lane), vaiśvānara vithi (fire lane)."
The word 'vithi' literally means a lane. Thus for instance, haya vithi alludes to the notion that it denotes the zodiacal lane among the stars where Venus moves like a haya (horse). We shall later come to this point again.
But slightly a different nomenclature of vithis is found in Bhadrabāhu Sanhitā (BBS. 15.45-49) as :?
'nāga vithi, gaja vithi, airāvata vithi (chief elephant lane), vrşa vithi, go vithi, jaradgava vithi (old bull lane), aja. vithi, mrga vithi, and vaiśvānara vithi'.
According to Vāśiştha Sanhitā8 (VS 7.1-2), mțga vithi and aja vithi interchange their positions and vaiśvānara vithi is replaced by dahana vithi (fire lane) which is merely a name variant of the former. A similar account of vithis (lanes) is found in Bịhat Sanhita' (BTS 9.1) also. The mode of revision in the nomenclature of vithis (lanes) in due time from TSS to BTS suggests that the phenomena of heliacal rising and setting of Venus might have been studied continuously during this period. However, Varahamihira (505 A.D.) the celebrated author of the BTS,
Thananga Sutram (TSS), Edited with Hindi translation by Kamal, K.L. (1972), Agamanuyoga Prakashan, Sanderao (Rajasthan). The TSS is the third Anga (limb) of Jaina canion of the present recension which is generally ascribed to the council of Valabhi which met under the presidency of Devardhi Gani in fifth or sixth century A.D. For more details, see our paper Sources of Jaina Astronomy', The Jaina Antiquary, Vol. 29, Nos 1-2, pp. 19-32. Cf. Bhadrabahu Sanhita, 15.45-49, Hindi translation by Nemichandra Jain (1959), p. 212. Bhadrabahu, the author, belongs to a period of about 313 B.C. See Srinivasiengar, C. N. (1967), A History of Ancient Indian Mathematics, p. 20. There was also an earlier Bhadrabahu (468 or 467 B.C.) to whom is ascribed Kalpa Sutra as contained in the Dasasrutaskandha, one of the six Cheda Sutras (See Winternitz, M. (1972); A History of Indian Literature, Vol. II, p. 462). Cf. Vasistha Sanhita (VS), 7.1-2, (Bombay 1915). Cf. Brhat Sanhita (BTS), 9.1. Hindi commentary by Acyutanand Jha (1959), pp. 80-81.