S24 ^n the- Indian Cycle 



when the call yug began, or 4892 years ago, will probably never be known 3 

 but the latter muft certainly have undergone confiderable improvement, 

 fince the laft quoted Jloca of Vara'hamihira was received as a rule,' for 

 it fuppofes the mean motion of Jupiter to be to that of the fun, as 60 to 

 fome integer; apparently to 7 20; as 5 to 6o, or as 1 to 12; without 

 which, the beginning and fucceflive returns of the cycle of fixty could 

 never be denoted by the heliacal riling of Jupiter in Dbanjjliv'ha, or in any 

 conftaht point of the zodiack ; and, at a. time when the mean motion of 

 Jupiter was fo much miftaken, it may reafonably hi fuppofed, that the 

 more difficult parts of afironomy were very imperfectly underftooJ. If the 

 ratio were as 1 to 12, which is implied by the yug'a of twelve, (for the 

 term yuga means conjunction, or coincidence,) then, a conjunction of the 

 fun and Jupiter would happen at the end of every period of 12 years in the 

 fame point of the zodiack, and the cycle of fixty might begin in the man- 

 ner defcribed ; but this muil long fince have ceafed to be the rule, or at 

 lead fince the time of A'ryabhatta ; for, if the cycle be fuppofed to 

 begin with the fun and Jupiter in Dhanijlit'ha, then, in fixty of Jupiter's 

 years that planet will again be mDbaniJJjti'ha ; but, in fixty of fuch years 

 there are, -by the data aferibed to A'ryabhatta, only 59 years, 3 months, 

 and fomejdays of folar time ; the next cycle, therefore, could not have the 

 fame beginning, becaufe the fun would be found more than go degrees 

 diflant from Jupiter's mean place, and in 60 years more that diftance would 

 be doubled. As this difagreement with the rule could not have been un- 

 known to Vara'hamihira, who gives the bhaganas from Aryabhatta 

 as 364224 in 4320000 folar years, he may be fuppofed to have only cited 



fixed by retrcfpecYive computation ; which might (lilt have happened although ailronomy bad originated, 



which is not ax all improbable, in much higher antiquity. 



