India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c13.41

c13.41

The astronomical argument is based on the fact that in the list of ten star-names given in *sūtra* IV.3.34 Śravishṭhā begins the list. This points to the astronomical reckoning of the Vedāṅga Jyotisha in which Śravishṭhā was the first of the *nakshatras*. This position of Śravishṭhā continued from B.C. 1372 to about 401 B.C., *i.e.* the close of the fifth century B.C. After this the asterism of Śravaṇa was taken to commence the star-list. This gives us a definite lower limit for Pāṇini's time.