1877.] explanation of the Jyotisha-Veddnga. 417 
“ upavasatha”). Being, however, unable to replace Somakara’s explanation 
by a better one, I should not wish to express more than a doubt. 
I now proceed to point out the right meaning o£ some verses which 
have not been understood up to the present, preparing my way by shortly 
recapitulating the fundamental doctrines of the Jyotisha. 
The author of the Jyotisha intends to propound in his treatise the 
doctrine of the cycle consisting of five years. Y. 5 : 
“ They teach (in this treatise) the knowledge of the time of the cycle 
consisting of five years which begins with the white half of the month 
Magha and terminates with the dark half of the month Pausha.” 
Compare also v. 1 : 
“ Prajapati, the lord of the cycle, him who consists of five years, &c.” 
The first question presenting itself, viz. the question about the nature 
of the year which constitutes the fifth part of the yuga, is answered in v. 28 : 
“ Three hundred and sixty-six days, one year, six seasons, two ayanas 
(the northern and the southern progress of the sun), twelve months are to 
he considered as solar ; this taken five times is a cycle.” 
The year meant is therefore the tropical solar year (of course I do not 
wish to intimate thereby that the author of the Jyotisha was able to dis¬ 
tinguish between the sidereal solar year and the tropical solar year). I 
add Garga’s description of the same year as quoted by Somakara in his com¬ 
ment on v. 11 of the Jyotisha : 
*JT3rrr <firei 31^1 3I^frT II 
*c<t ^T*ri ii 
The above translated verse of the Jyotisha and this passage of Garga 
clearly refer to the same kind of year. There appears at first sight to be a 
difference in their way of subdividing the year, Garga making it to consist 
of 360 days, while the Jyotisha attributes to it 366. But this is only ap¬ 
parent. The day of which Garga speaks is the solar day of Indian astro¬ 
nomy, i. e., simply the three hundred and sixtieth part of a solar year, no 
account being taken of the natural succession of day and night. Garga 
had, before he defined the solar measure, described the savana measure and 
remarked that one yuga consists of 1,830 savana days ; he could therefore 
afterwards adopt any subdivision of the solar year without the risk of being 
misunderstood. The Jyotisha on the other hand not having stated before 
