294 



HINDOO ASTRONOMY. 



ELEMENTS OF THE PLANETS ACCORDING TO THE SURYA 

 SIDDHANTA.*' 



The longitude of the sun's apogee, reckoned according 

 to the Hindoo account, at this time differs from modem 

 observations 1° 20'. But there is much greater disagree- 

 ment with respect to the aphelia and nodes of the other 

 planets. 



It has been supposed that the days during which Brama 

 is said to have been employed in the creation, and which 

 the Surya Siddhanta directs to be subtracted to have the 

 time since the planets began their motions, are merely a 

 correction introduced to compensate the errors which have 

 been discovered since the composition of the work. This 

 is probably a true explanation ; and hence we see the utter 

 tmcertainty that pervades the whole system of astronomy 

 delivered in the treatise. 



We have now, according to the Hindoo system, the mean 

 motions of the planets, their nodes and apsides, and the 

 time since they were in conjunction in the beginning of 

 Mesha (Aries). From these their mean longitude may be 

 found for any proposed time. The S^^rya Siddhanta, however, 



* The periods are reckoned in davs and dandas. palas, vicalas, of 

 which each denomination contains siity of the ne.\t lower. 



