492 ON THE ve'das, 



hrasa, uclag gataii : dacsh'uie tau tiparyastau, shati 

 ynuharty^ayanma tu' 



The following is a literal translation of this re- 

 markable passage, whieh occurs in both the trea- 

 tises examined by me. 



* When the sun and moon ascend the sky toge- 

 ther, being in the constellation over which the 

 Vasus preside; then does the cycle begin, and the 

 [season] Mdgha^ and the [month] Tapas, and the 

 bright [fortnight], and the northern path. 



* The sun and moon turn towards the north at 

 the beginning of Sravishflta ; but the sun turns 

 towards the south in the middle of the constella- 

 tion over which the serpents preside; and this 

 [his turn towards the south, and towards the north,] 

 always [happens] in [the months of J Magha and 

 Srdvana. 



' In the northern progress, an increase of day, 

 and decrease of night, take place, amounting to a 

 p'cusCha (oi- 3'2 pnlas) of water; in the southern, 

 both are reversed (i. e. the days decrease, and the 

 nights increase), and [the difi'erence amounts] by 

 the journey, to six muhtirias*.' 



Sravishlliu is given, in all the dictionaries of the 

 Sanscrit language, as another name o{' D'honishfkd ; 

 and is used for it, in more than one passage of the 

 Vtdas, This is the constellation which is sacred to 



* I cannot, as yet, reconcile the lime here stated. Its explana- 

 tion appears to depend on the const ruci ion of the ch'p>ydra, 

 •which 1 do not well unden-timd ; as th('. rule for ils conjlmction 

 is obscure, and involves some diHicullics, which remain yet «u- 

 solved. 



