﻿OP THE HINDUS. 237 



cording to the same Sastra. Its diminution does not 

 appear to have been noticed in any subsequent 

 treatise. In the tables of Macaranda and also in the 

 Grahalaghava, the latter written only 268 years ago, 

 it is expressly stated at twenty-four degrees. 



The motion. of the equinoxes, termed in Sanscrit 

 the Cranti, and spoken of in the Tica, or commen- 

 tary, on the Sutya Siddhanta as the Sun's pata or 

 node, is not noticed in the foregoing passage of that 

 book; and, as the Hindu astronomers seem to en- 

 tertain an idea of the subject different from that of 

 its revolution through the Platonic year I shall far- 

 ther on give a translation of what is mentioned, both 

 in the original and commentary, concerning it. 



The next requisite for the computation of the eclipse 

 is the portion of the Calpa expired to the present 

 time, which is determined in the following manner : 



The Surya Siddhanta is supposed to have been re- 

 ceived, through divine revelation, towards tin close of 

 the Saiya age, at the end of which, 50 of the years 

 of Brahma were expired, and of the next Calpa, or 

 day, 6 Manivanlcras, 27 greater lugs, and the Satya 

 age of the the 28th Yvg % together with the Sandhya 

 or twilight at the beginning of the Calpa ; the aggre- 

 gate of which several periods is 1970784000 years 

 elapsed of the Calpa to the beginning of the last 

 Treta age ; to which add the Tret a and Diva par ages, 

 together with the years elapsed of the present Call 

 age, for the whole amount of sydereal years from the 

 beginning of the Calpa to the present Bengal year. 

 But in the foregoing quotation it is observed, from 

 that amount of years must be made a deduction of 

 47400 divine, or 17064000 human or sydereal years, 

 the term of Brahma's employment in the work of 



