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JOURNAL, R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. V1L, Pt. L 



III. — According to Hindu mythology, the earth is said to be 

 motionless, and the day and night are caused by the sun moving 

 round the earth ; but Ariya Siddhdntam says that the earth 

 moves round on its axis, and that thereby the day and night are 

 caused. This verse of Ariya Siddhdntam is quoted by Professor 

 Colebrook in his Essays, Vol. II., page 392. 



IV. — The mythology states that the sun is nearer the earth 

 than the moon; but the 2nd verse of the 3rd chapter oiSiddhdnta 

 Siromani, read before, says that the earth is encompassed by 

 the orbits of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter 

 and Saturn. By the order of the planets, as given here, it will be 

 seen that the moon is nearer than the sun. The order is the 

 very same as that given in the European science, except that 

 the sun and the earth have been transposed. 



Besides, the 5th verse of the 10th chapter of the same work 

 says that the distance of the moon from the earth is 51,566 

 yojanas, and that of the sun 689,377, shewing that the moon 

 is much nearer to the earth than the sun. 



V. — The diameter of the moon's disc is said in the 1st verse 

 of the 4th chapter of Suriya Siddhdntam to be 480 yojanas or 

 2,400 miles, whereas according to European science it is 

 2,162 miles, shewing only a slight difference. 



VI. — The common idea of the people and the poetical ex- 

 pression in almost all the Tamil epic poems are that the clouds 

 go to the sea, drink its water, and then pour the rain on the 

 earth. But a verse in Rdku Vamsam says : " The sun 

 evaporates the waters and moisture of the earth, and then 

 gives it back" — L it rains. 



European science is the same. 



VIL— According to the European science, a year is caused 

 by the earth revolving once round the sun in 365 days, 5 hours, 

 48 minutes, and 48 seconds ; and according to the Hindu science, 



