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JAIN JOURNAL
astronomy agree on this point that the lunar eclipse occurs at full Moon and the solar eclipse takes place at new Moon. Besides, it should be noted, according to Jaina Astronomy, that the Rahu extends into the space of the sky in a direction always opposite to the Moon or the Sun like a black shadow, as it is stated that when the Rahu passes into the west from the east, it is visible in the west and the Moon and the Sun in the east and so on.31 It extends into the space by covering partially the moonlight or the sunlight, consequently partial, lunar or solar, eclipse takes place. When it stays in its celestial journey presumably for a short duration by covering the moon-light or the sun light from all sides, there occurs the total lunar or solar eclipse.
The Phases of the Moon
It is explained in Jaina Astronomy that there are two Rahus, viz. Dhruva Rahu and Parva Rahu. 32 Dhruva Rahu stays by covering the fifteen divisions of the moonlight with its own fifteen divisions of black or dark rays since the pratipada of kr$napakşa, i.e. the first division of the former is covered by the first division of the latter, the second of the former by the second division of the latter and so on upto the fifteenth division of the former by the fifteenth division of the latter. Thus at last the Moon becomes completely covered, 33 except its two parts out of its 62 parts which always remain uncovered, for Dhruva Rahu is smaller in size than the Moon.
Again the Moon becomes partly covered (rakta) and partly uncovered (virakta), showing gradually itself in the sky in śuklapaksa, when Dhruva Rahu stays by uncovering the first division of the moonlight by its first division upto the fifteenth division of the former by its fifteenth division.
31 Bhagavati Vyakhyaprajnapti, 12. 6.
Suriyapannati, pahuda 20 ; Camdapanntti, pahuda 20. 32 duvihe pa tam.-dhuva rahu yapovya rahu ya 1,
Bhagavati Vvyakhyaprajnapati, 12.6. 453-5. Suriyapannatti, pahuda 20. Camdapannatti, pahuda 20. The Rahu which always moves below the vimana of Candra is Dhruva Rahu, Ibid.,
Comm. 33 tattha je se dhuva rahu se nam bahulapakkhassa padivae pannarasi bhagenam bha
gam camdassa lesam avaremane citthati tam padhamae padhamam bhagam 'java pannarasamam bhagam, carame samae camde ratte bhavati I. Bhagavati, 12.6 453-5. Suriyapannatti, pahuda 20. Camdapannatti, pahuda 20.
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