﻿Or THE HINDUS. 239 



creation ; for, as the universe was not completed, the 

 planetary motions did not commence until that por- 

 tion of the Culpa was elapsed. 



This deduction appears to have been intended as a 

 correction, which, without altering the date of the 

 Calpa as settled, probably, by yet more ancient astro- 

 nomers, might (joined perhaps with other regulations) 

 bring the computed places of the planets to an agree- 

 ment with their observed places, when the Surya Sidd- 

 hanta was written ; and, as the arguments of its com- 

 mentator in support of the propriety of it, without 

 prejudice to other authors, contain some curious par- 

 ticulars, I hope I may be excused for departing from 

 my immediate object to insert a translation of them. 



" In the Surya Siddhanta, Soma Siddhanta, Praja- 

 " peti t Vasishfha, and other Sastras, this deduction 

 " is required to be made from the Calpa, because at 

 <f the end of that term the planetary motions com- 

 <c menced. The son of Jisfaui, who understood four 

 <e Vedas, and Bhascaracharya, considered these mo- 

 " tions as commencing with the Calpa. It may seem 

 <e strange that there should be such a disagreement. 

 " Some men say, As it is written that the Calpa is 

 " the day of Brahma, and as a day is dependent on 

 " the rising and setting of the sun, the motion of the 

 " sun and planets must have begun with the Calpa ; 

 " and therefore Brahmagupta should be followed ; 

 ** but I think otherwise. The Calpa or Brahma's day 

 " is not to be understood as analogous to the solar day 

 " otherwise than as containing a determined portion 

 " of time ; neither is it at all dependent on the corn- 

 " mencement ofthe Calpa ; but, beingcomposed of the 

 " same periods as the latter, it will not end until the 

 " term of years here deducted shall be expired of trie 

 • next Calpa. The motions of the Grahas must 



