226 Of the Indian Cycle 



but which is in reality fornething farther diflant from the vernal eqirnox) 

 the ecliptick is divided into twenty-feven equal parts, or NacJJiatrar, of 

 1 3 2o'each; the twenty-eighth, named Abbijit, being formed o.xt of the 

 laft quarter of ' Utfarafhdra, ; and as much of Sravana as is neceffary to com- 

 plete the moon's periodical month. The years of Jupiter's cycle are ex- 

 prefled in their order with numerals : a is the former pofltion of the co^ 

 lures as explained in Vol. II, and b y c, mark the limits of theprecefEon re« 

 fulting from the Hindu method of computing k. 'The outer dotted circle 

 is the European ecliptick, in which >is noted the beginning of the Hindis 

 and like-wife of the European, vyears for want of room the iigns are diflin- 

 guilhed in both with the ufual characters. SPhe two fears, pointed out by 

 ■the- molt fkilful Pandit I have .yet met with, as diftinguifhing Afwini, are 

 3 and y Arietis, which diftinguiih alfo a! Jharatan, the flrft Arabian menzil, 

 and the latter is faid to be the yoga t whofe longitude and latitude are ftated 

 certainly with great incorreclnefs, as 8°, and ioS north, j but the error, if if 

 be not owing to tranfcriberSj, is .inexplicable. 



The folar months, it maybe obferved, correfpond in name with the like 

 number of Nac/hatr/is : this is afcribed to the months having been origi- 

 nally lunar, and their names derived from the Nacjhatras, .in which the 

 moon, departing from a particular point, was obferved to be at the fullj 

 for, although the full moon did not always happen in thofe particular Nac- 

 fidtta's, yet the deviation never exceeded the preceding or the fucceeding 

 Nacfhatra; and whether it fell in Hdfta, Cbitra, or Swdti, ftill that month 

 was named Chaitrai and fo of the re(L This is the explanation of the 

 -month given by Nrisinha, who -in the fame manner explains Jupiter's 

 cycle of twelve years, the names of which could not always correfpond with 

 thjofe of the Nacfiatras^ in which Jie/rofe heli.acally. 



