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Addendum
1. Measurement of time through eclipses
As noticed by late Sankara Bālkrsna Dikșita in his 'ala salfa: ta' Page 63 (1st edn.), there are references to solar eclipses in five places in the Tāndya Brāhmaṇa which are: (1) IV, 5, 2; (2) IV, 6.13; (3) VI, 6.8; (4) XIV, 11, 14-15 and (5) XXIII, 16,2. In all these references it is stated that Svarbhānu struck the sun with darkness.
A reference to a solar eclipse in the Satapatha Brāhmaṇa (V. 3.2.2 ) and several others in Mahābhārata and other ancient literature including our old seripture-Rg-veda, are mentioned, viz., V, 40, 5-9 V, 33.4; X, 138, 3 and X, 138, 4. etc.
of the five references in Tandya Brāhmaṇa mentioned above, three are the following :(a) 'स्वर्भानुर्वा आसुर : आदित्यन्तमसाऽविध्यत्तं देवाः स्वरैरवस्पृण्वत् स्वरसामानो
भवन्त्यदित्यस्य स्पृत्यै ।' (b) 'स्वर्भानुर्वा आसुर : आदित्यन्तमसाऽविध्यत्तस्य देवा दिवाकीत्यै स्तमोऽपाघ्नन्
यद्दिवाकीानि भवन्ति तम एवास्मादघ्नन्ति रश्मयो वा एत आदित्यस्य यद्दिवा
कीयानि रश्मिभिरेव तदादित्यं साक्षादारभन्ते ।' (c) 'स्वर्भानुर्वा आसुर : सूर्य्य तमसाऽविध्यत्तस्मै देवाः प्रायश्चित्तिमैच्छंस्त एता अविन्दस्ताभिरस्मात्तमोऽपाघ्नान् ।'
-(T, Br. IV. 5. 2, IV. 6.13, XXII. 16.12) —these passages may be translated as under : (a) Svarbhānu born of Asura, struck the sun with darkness, which
was dispelled by gods with Syaras (hymas); hence the Svarasā
mans are for the rescue of the sun. (b) Svrarbhānu, the Asura, struck the sun with darkness. The
gods removed this darkness by singing the Diväkirtya songs. Whatever are known as Diväkirtyas are for the destruction of darkness. These Diväkirtya songs are the rays of the sun. By the rays alone the sun is truly begun. Svarbhānu, the Asura, struck the sun with darkness; for this the gods wanted to purify him and they got these Svarasāmans; by these they removed the darkness from the
sun. These passagəs all indicate that the solar eclipse in question happend on the Vișuant day, which means according to the Taittirīya Saṁhitā as 'the middle day of the sacrificial year begun from spring'.
