ON THE EQUINOXES*. SIE 



gC3 which place the fouthern and northern fol (lice refpcclively in the 

 middle of Aslejnd,, and beginning of Dhaniftit'bd; and proceeds to re- 

 mark i this ouiy proves a fhifting of the fol ft ice, not numerous revo- 

 * Unions of it through the ecliptic. * His notion appears then to have 

 been, that his author was aware of the fact of a change in the pofi-; 

 tions of, the foltlitial arid] equinoctial points, but did not admit the in- 

 ference that the motion muft be periodical. 



From all that has- been faid, it appears; that feme of' the mo ft 

 celebrated aftronomers, as Brakmegupta, have been filent on the fub- 

 je6t of a change in the places of the colures, or have denied their re- 

 gular periodical motion. That others, as Munjala and Bha'scara* 

 (we may add VisiWu Chandra) have affertej a periodical revolution 

 of the places of the colures. But that the greater number of celebrated 

 writers, and all the modern Hindu aftronomers^ have affirmed a libra- 

 tion of the equinoctial points*. 



The earlieft known author, who rs cited for the fupport of this- 

 do&rine, as far as prefent refearch has gone, is Aryabhat Va, who is 

 undoubtedly more ancient than Brahmegupta, for he is repeatedly- 

 quoted in the Brahme Sphuta-fiddhdnta which is afcribed to Brahme- 

 gupta; and which, there is every reafon to confider genuine, fierce 

 the text of the book accords with the quotations from that celebrated 

 ailronomer to be found in treatifes of various dates. 



I purposely omit in this place the Surya-jiddhdnta, Soma, Sdcdya, 

 Vdfijht'ha and Pdrdfjra, becaufe their authenticity and age arc fubjeefs 

 of queftion or of cont rover fy. 



