﻿OF THE HINDU*. 257 



Having the true longitude of the suHr and moon, 

 and the place of the node determined by the methods 

 explained, it is easy to judge, from the position of the 

 latter, *Wiether at the next conjunction or opposition 

 there will be a solar or a lunar eclipse ; in which case 

 the tit'hi, or date of the moon's synodical month, must 

 be computed from thence,, to determine the time 

 counted from midnight oi her full or change; Her dis- 

 tance in longitude from the sun, divided by 720, the 

 minutes contained in a tifhi, or the thirtieth part of 

 360 , the quotient shows the tifhi she has passed, and 

 the fraction, if any, the^eart performed of the next ; 

 ^vhich, if it be the fifteenm, the difference between that 

 ^fraction and 72c' is the distance she has to go to her 

 opposition, which will be in time proportioned to her 

 actual motion ; and that being determined, her lono-i- 

 tude, the longitude of the sun., and place of the node 

 may be known for the instant of full moon, or middle 

 of the lunar eclipse. The Hindu method of comput- 

 ing these particulars is so obvious in the accompanyino 

 instance, as to require nofu;-ths%uescription here ; and 

 the same may be said with respect to the declination 

 of the sun and the latitude of the moon. 



It is evident from what has been explained, that the 

 pandits, learned in the Jyotish Sastfa, have truer no- ' 

 tions of the form of the earth and the economy of the 

 universe, than are ascribed to the Hindus in general: and 

 that they must reject the ridiculous belief of the com- 

 mon Brahmens, that eclipses are occasioned by the in- 

 tervention of the monster Rahu, with many other par- 

 ticulars equally unscientific and absurd. But, as this 

 belief is founded on explicit and positive declarations 

 contained in the Vcdas zwd^Puranas, the divine autho- 

 rity of which writings no devout Hindu can dispute 

 theastronomers have some of them cautiously explained 

 such passages in those writings as disagree with the 



4 • - * * 



