1877.] 
explanation of the Jyotisha-Vedanga. 429 
1 . 
asvini. 
15. 
anuradha. 
2 . 
ardra. 
16. 
sravana. 
8 . 
purvaphalg. 
17. 
re vatl. 
4. 
visakha. 
18. 
mrigasiras. 
5 
uttarashadha. 
19. 
maglia. 
6 . 
uttarabhadrap. . 
20 . 
svati. 
7. 
rohini. 
21 . 
piirvashadha. 
8 . 
aslesha. 
22 . 
purvabhadrap. 
9. 
chitra. 
23. 
krittika. 
10 . 
mula. 
24. 
pushya. 
11 . 
satabhishaj. 
25. 
hasta. 
12 . 
bharani. 
26. 
jyeshtha. 
13. 
punarvasu. 
27. 
sravishtha. 
14. 
uttaraphalg. 
For 
what purpose now are 
the twenty. 
-seven nakshatras enumerated in 
the above order ? Somakara’s commentary on the verse is in all manu¬ 
scripts so corrupt that it is impossible to give it in extenso or indeed even 
to make out its drift in many places ; it is however apparent what was his 
view concerning the order of succession of the nakshatras. He supposes that 
the author of the Jyotisha intended to indicate in what nakshatras the full 
moons during the quinquennial cycle take place, but, instead of giving the 
nakshatras for all, only named those of every second full moon. Thus the 
six first mentioned nakshatras are said to represent six out of the twelve 
full moons of the first year, the five following ones five of the full moons of 
the second year, etc. Several of the difficulties arising from this expla¬ 
nation have already been pointed out by the editor of the Jyotisha ; the 
most important is that the number of the full moons of a yuga is sixty-two 
or at least, if no account be taken of the two intercalary lunar months, sixty, 
and that we should therefore expect to see the nakshatras of at least thirty 
full moons stated. But there are other objections of a graver character. 
' For if we compare the places of the full moons which would result from 
Somakara’s explanation with the places as given in the list printed above, 
we find that they agree only for a part. The first full moon-nakshatra of 
Somakara, viz. asvini (asvayujau), belonging to the month asvina agrees 
with that given in the list (the ninth) ; but the second one does not agree, the 
full moon of the eleventh month margasirsha taking place not, as Somakara 
says, in ardra but in mrigasiras. In the same way the full moon of Phalguna 
takes place not in purvaplialguni (bhaga) but in uttaraphalguni, the full 
moon of vaisakha not in visakha but in anuradha, and so on through the 
whole list. If somebody should object in favour of Somakara, that the 
fault of this discrepancy lies with my list, I should answer him that the 
onus probandi lies with him ; the list is in strict accordance with the recog- 
