﻿OF THE HINDU*. 235 



Bija, is explained in a passage Tica, or Com- 



mentary, on the Surya Siddhanfa, wherein is main- 

 tained the priority of that Sastra in p >int of time 

 to all others. The translation of that passage, together 

 with the text it illustrates, is as follows : 



(Surya Siddhanta J. " Area (the Sun) addressing 

 li Meya, who attended with reverence, said, Let your 

 " attention, abstracted from human concerns., be wholly 

 " applied to what I shall relate. Surya in every for- 

 " mer Yug revealed to the Munis the invariable science 

 « { of astronomy. The planetary motions may alter % 

 " but the principles of that science are always the 

 " same." 



The Commentary. — " Hence it appears, that the 

 " Surya Siddhanta was prior to the Brahma Siddhanta 

 " and every other Sastra ; because this Saftra must be 

 '* the same that was revealed in every former Yug, al- 

 * l though the motions of the planets might have been 

 <c different. This variation in the planetary motions 

 " is mentioned in the Vishnu Dhermotter, which di- 

 " rects that the planets be observed with an instru- 

 " ment, whereby their agreement or disagreement 

 " may be determined in regard to their computed 

 i( places ; and in case of the latter, an allowance of 

 <f Bija accordingly made. Vasisht'ha in his Siddhanta 

 6i also recommends this occasional correction ot Bija, 

 " saying to the Muni Mandavya," I have shown you 

 " how to determine some matters in astronomy ; but 

 Cl the mean motion of Surya and the other planets 

 " will be found to differ in each Yug.'* Accordingly 

 " jiryabhatta, Brabnagupta, and others, having ob- 

 " served the heavens, formed rules on the principles 

 " of former Sajlras, but which differed from each 

 " other in proportion to the disagreements which 

 " they severally observed of the planets, with re- 

 " spect to their computed places. 



