1880.] 



G. Tliibaut — On the Sdryaprajnapti. 



123 



amount of space illuminated on each day (the tapaksheti-a), expressed as arc 

 of the diurnal circle of the sun, they calculated in the same manner as the 

 author of the Suryaprajnapti, viz., by multiplying the amount of motion 

 in one muhiirta by the number of the muhurtas of the day. Thus the 

 tapakshetra on the longest day would amount to 108,000 yojanas, that oa 

 the shortest day to 72,000 yojanas. According to the opinions of two other 

 scliools, the motion of the sun in one muhiirta amounts to 5,000 yojanas or 

 4,000 yojanas. Here too nothing is said about any variation in the sun's 

 speed at different times of the year. The tapakshetra is calculated in the 

 manner stated above. The last opinion mentioned is that of some teachers 

 who held the rate of speed of the sun to be different during different 

 periods of the day. Accoi-ding to them, the sun passes over six thousand 

 yojanas in the muhiirta after his rising and in the muhiirta preceding his 

 setting, over four thousand yojanas during the muhiirta in the middle of 

 the day and over five thousand yojanas in all other muhurtas. 



Tlie various opinions prevailing with regard to the rising and setting 

 of the sun are detailed in the first chapter of the second book. The opinion 

 I of the author clearly appears from what has ah-eady been stated. There is 

 ! no real sunrise or sunset ; the sun or rather the two suns revolving round 

 t Mount Meru appear to rise to the inhabitants of some particular place at 

 the moment when they enter their field of vision, and they appear to set 

 I when they leave it. In reality they always move above the Jambudvipa at 

 the same height, estimated by the Siiryaprajuapti to amount to eight hun- 

 dred yojanas. At the beginning of the yuga at sunrise on the first of 

 S'ravaiia the Bharata sun becomes visible to the Bliarata-varsha having 

 reached the south-east point of his diurnal circle ; diametricallj'- opposite to 

 it, viz., in the north-west point of the same circle the Airavata sun appears 

 to rise to the inhabitants of the tracts north of Mount Meru. During the 

 course of this day the Bharata sun therefore illuminates the countries to 

 the south ; the Airavata sun those to the north of Meru. At the time of 

 sunset the Bharata sun having passed through the southern segment of his 

 circle disappears from the view of the people south of Meru and enters the 

 view of those west of Meru ; these latter tlierefore have their day while it 

 is night in Bharata-varsha. At the same time the Airavata sun appears to 

 have set to the people north of Meru and to have risen to those east of 

 Meru. On the second day the Bharata sun rises to the countries north of 

 ' Meru and the Airavata sun to the Bharata-varsha. On the third morning 

 the Bharata syn has comj^leted a full circle and therefore again rises to the 

 Bharata-varsha while the Airavata sun again rises to the regions north of 

 Meru. And so on ad infinitum. We may recall liere a parallel passage 

 j from the Vishnupurana (II, 8), tending to illustrate how sunrise and sun- 

 set were conceived to take place on the hypothesis of the sun (the Purdnas 



