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So it is clear from the table that Nakshatras which occult the Moon from the Southern and the Northern directions, have their latitudes greater than the maximum South and North latitudes of the Moon respectively and the Nakshatras which occult the Moon from both Southern and the Northern Directions lie within the belt of the lunar Zodiac and their direction of occultation depends upon the position of lunar nodes, whereas Pusya, Satabhiş ! and Revati are exceptions. The two Nakshatras i, e. Purvasādha and Uttaraşādha have been dis- tinguished from the others which also occult the Moon from the Southern direction. This is perhaps because the latitudes of these two Nakshatras lie very close to the maximum south latitude of the Moon. There is a slight deviation in the latitude of Uttaraşādha. It strikes that either they may have considered some other conjunction stars of Puşya, Šatabhișa, Revati and uttarasādha Nakshatras or there must have been some later interpolation when these Nakshatras were displaced at the time when Jyeştha occulted the Moon. Ho.
wever we know that Jyestha cannot occult the Moon continuously but the phenomenon repeats after 18-1/2 years, the time period of retrogression of the lunar nodes, just similarly as the Moon pierces through the cart of the Rohini ( a Tauri). Therefore some interpolation at a later stage cannot be ruled out.
But in the light of the fore. going discussion, scholars will accept that there was definitely a notion of latitude of the Moon. Such a notion also becomes clear from the concept that the breadth of the lunar Zodiac is 110 yojnas (Ganitanuyoga ). According to Cunningham's relation between Yojna and the British mile, 1 Yojna is almost equal to 6.7 miles ( Cunningham ) accor. ding to which 110 Yojnas converted into degrees ( One nautical mile being equal to 09.9 miles ) Are almost equal to 10:5, very near to the modern value of the belt of lunar Zodiac (Lishk & Sharma 1974 ) So the latitude of the Moon was determined in Post Vedāng pre-hellenistic period in Indian Astronomy.
Bibliography
Cunningham, A. The Ancient Geography of India. Varanesi. Indo!ogical Book House. Post Box No. 98 D. 38/26 Hauz Katra.
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