190 



Dr. G. Thihaut — On tlie Suryaprnjnripti. 



[No. 4, 



the following information (X. 11). Six nakshatras, viz., Mrigasiras, i^rdra, 

 Pusbya, A'sleslia, Hasta, Mula always stand to the south of the moon when- 

 ever she enters into conjunction with them. Twelve nakshatras — Abhljit, 

 S'ravaiia, Dhanishtha, S'atabhishaj, Purva-bhadrapada, Uttara-bhadrapada, 

 Kevati, Asviui, Bharani, Piirva-phalguni, Uttara-phalguni, Svati always 

 stand to the north of the moon. Seven nakshatras— Krittika, liohini, 

 Punarvasu, Magha, Chitra, Visakha, Anuradha — sometimes stand to the 

 north of the moon entering into conjunction with them ; sometimes, how- 

 ever, the moon enters into conjunction with them " pramardariipena" viz., 

 in such a manner that she passes right through them. To this class, the 

 commentator remarks, some teachers holding an opinion different from that 

 of the Suryaprajnapti add also Jyeshtha. Two nakshatras, viz., the two 

 Ashadhas stand at the time of conjunction either to the south of the moon 

 or the latter passes right over them. Both these nakshatras consist of 

 four stars each, two of which are situated inside, viz., to the north of the 

 fifteenth circle of the moon, while the two remaining ones are placed out- 

 side, viz., to the south of the same circle. Now whenever the moon enters 

 into conjunction with either of the two nakshatras, she passes right between 

 the former pair of stars and may therefore be said to be in conjunction 

 " pramardariipena." Finally one nakshatra, viz., Jyeshtha, always enters 

 into conjunction with the moon pramardariipena. Kegarding the relation 

 of the nakshatras to the fifteen circles of the moon, the following state- 

 ments are made. Eight circles always are " undeprived" (avirahitani) of 

 nakshatras. The twelve nakshatras mentioned above, beginning with Abhi- 

 jit, are in the first circle ; in the third circle there are Punarvasu and 

 Magha; in the sixth, Krittika ; in the seventh, Eohini and Chitra ; in the 

 eighth, Visakha ; in the tenth, Anuradha ; in the eleventh, Jyeshtha; in the 

 fifteenth, Mrigasiras, Ardra, Pushya, Aslesha, Hasta, Miila and the two 

 Ashadhas. For although the first six of the last mentioned class in reality 

 move outside the fifteenth circle, they are — the commentator says — so near 

 to it that they may«be said to be in it. In order to form a right estimate 

 of the meaning and the value of these statements, we must recall to our 

 mind what has been remarked above about the Suryaprajnapti's theory of 

 the moon's motion. The moon is supposed to proceed alternately towards 

 the south and the north in the same way as the sun does, following — as the 

 Siiryaprajiiapti seems to assume — the same path ; that she in addition to 

 the movement in declination has a movement in latitude, and that the points 

 in which her orbit cuts the ecliptic are continually receding is ignored, 

 theoretically at least, although it had been observed that the position of 

 the moon with regard to some nakshatras is different at different times, 

 that she sometimes passes on the north or south-side of a constellation and 

 at other times moves right through it. Now comparing the particulars 



