312 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. |N.S., XIX, 
(or 30 degrees as according to some) will thus be found to be the 
outstanding speciality of the Hindu conception. Some scholars 
suspect Ganesa Satanada and even Bhaskara as not being 
believers in the Libration theory ; since they have given 
instructions for adding the precession degrees (or minutes or 
seconds) to the Nirayana longitude of planets. But. this is at 
best but a guess; since, at least two of these three authors are 
professed followers of the Suryya-Siddhanta—the great up- 
holder of the Libration theorv—and also because argument- 
um ex silentio is not a very sound principle to be followed 
everywhere, as it proves very little although it promises much 
Even Pandit Chandrasekhara follows this method of argument 
and suspects Bhaskaracharyya to be a revolution theorist. 
H 
assigns two reasons for his being a believer in the Libration 
theory: (1) since Brahma and Saura Siddhantas are Libration 
theorists and (2) since his own reasoning is in favour of the 
Libration theory. (Cf. awifa AMMO AAAS Bafeay | ITA 
aaa... Ch. 6, v. 101.) ; 
o far by way of enunciating the radical difference between 
the Indian and the Western conceptions and thus giving @ 
sort of resumé of the whole paper. Now, we would begin with 
one of our hoariest documents—viz. Stryya-Siddhanta. 
Stryya-Siddhanta :—This is avowedly a very ancient 
and authentic work on Indian Astronomy. It puts the libra- 
tion rate thus :-— 
famqaet yi wrat wa ory ufeea | 
Acs ~ 
aaqare afeaaare qaary Aza | 
athena cummin: fasat saatfaat | 
(Ch. 3, verses 9 and 10). 
According to this work, therefore, the equinoctial points 
move along ecliptic, so as to reach the farthest point eastward 
from the first points of Aries and Libra respectively, 600 times 
in a ‘Maha-yuga,’ ie. 43,20,000 years. This motion is both 
eastward and westward (ie. both forward and backward) as 1s 
implied by the verses. 
The commentator Ranganatha clearly says :— 
“gatea afasd sam ufgan anfaaei 
> * £ , 
aafadaiad aa: qise ear ana aqeatd Wt 
5 xy 
anata wa ataag |” 
i.e., Through Divine will the plane of the equator proceed- 
ing westward on its own path 27 degrees along the ecliptic 
by gradual gliding movement again recedes and reaches the 
~ 
ee em oi 
Se 
SS Se ae | 
a lll ee. 
