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Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.s1.t4: Works

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.s1.t4

Language
English

Works

v1.c6.s1.t4.1

Kai Yuan Zhan Jing

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Kai Yuan Zhan Jing is a Chinese ancient astronomy and astrology work. With the full name as *Da Tang* *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing* was compiled by Gautama Siddhartha between 718-726 CE. *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing* was once lost after the Tang Dynasty but was rediscovered at the end of the Ming Dynasty and then handed down up to now.

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*A picture of the book Kaiyuan Zhanjing*

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*Kai Yuan Zhan Jing* totally includes 120 volumes wherein the cosmic theories of various scholars are collected and recorded in volumes 1 and 2. Various phenomena related to the sky and earth and the corresponding divinations were collected and recorded in volumes 3 & 4. Phenomena related to the sun and divinations thereof are collected and recorded in volumes 5-10. The astronomical phenomena related to the moon and the divinations thereof were collected and recorded in volumes 11-17. The treatises pertaining to the astronomical phenomena, such as condition of the five planets, apparent motion, planet-occulting/ approaching-fixed star, mutual occulting/ approaching of planets and divinations thereof were collected and recorded in volumes 18-59. The astronomical phenomena pertaining to the fixed stars including 28 constellations and three asterisms and the divinations thereof were collected and recorded in volumes 60-70. The descriptions pertaining to the occasional astronomical phenomena such as shooting star, guest star, comet etc and the corresponding divinations were collected and recorded in volumes 71-90. The descriptions pertaining to various climatic phenomena and the corresponding divinations were collected and recorded in volumes 91-102. *Lin De Li Jing* written by Li Chunfeng of Tang Dynasty has been copied in volume 103. Jiuzhi Calendar was recorded in volume 104. Shang Yuan Ji Nian and other basic constants of 29 calendars from 6^th Pre-Qin period to Shenlong Calender of Tang Dynasty were collected and recorded in volume 105. The ancient fixed star map provided with an introduction for the position difference between currently measured positions and the old star map was collected and recorded in volumes 106-110. The descriptions pertaining to various vegetation, birds, beasts, humans, ghosts, implements, etc and the corresponding divinations were collected and recorded in volumes 111-120.

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On the whole, *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing* is a classic Chinese ancient astrological pandect. Such Chinese traditional astrological pandect was organised for compilation by an Indian astronomer who came and took a post in Tang. So this work fully reflected the depth and width of Chinese and Indian astronomy exchange – undoubtedly Gautama Siddhartha well mastered these Chinese traditional astronomical and astrological contents. Jiuzhi Calendar collected and recorded in volume 104 was an only exception for the Chinese traditional astronomical astrology. Jiuzhi Calendar is an Indian calendar which was translated by Gautama Siddhartha in Kaiyuan sixth year (718 CE) according to the imperial order and it has also not been recorded in other Chinese ancient historical materials. So *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing* is the only resource for it. Jiuzhi Calendar is the first to introduce the writing symbol for zero (refer to the entry on “zero”) and the arithmetic for sine function and sine function table in trigonometry. It also distinguished perigee and winter solstice as well as apogee and summer solstice via ecliptic system of coordinates and geometrical method and introduced the method for calculating the visible diameter change of the moon (refer to the entry on “Jiuzhi Calendar”) etc. All the above-mentioned were the newly introduced materials for Chinese mathematics and astronomy in those times. Moreover, Jiuzhi Calendar is an important exhibit historically for the scientific communication between India and China and has been well preserved till now by virtue of *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing*.

v1.c6.s1.t4.6

(Niu Weixing)

v1.c6.s1.t4.7

Jiuzhi Calendar

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Jiuzhi Calendar is the only Chinese translation for Indian calendar preserved till now which was translated by Indian astronomer Gautama Siddhartha in Emperor Xuanzong the sixth Year of Emperor Kaiyuan (718 CE) in the Tang Dynasty according to the imperial order (refer to entry on “Gautama Siddhartha”) and was collected and recorded in Volume 104 of *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing* compiled by himself (refer to entry on *Kai Yuan Zhan Jing*).

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Currently, there is no conclusive proof on the existence of a Sanskrit original manuscript for Jiuzhi Calendar. However, according to the researches of scholars, the contents thereof are closely related to the Indian astronomical work *Pancasidhantika* (about 550 CE which to a large extent relates to *Khandakhadyka*, 665 CE).

v1.c6.s1.t4.10

The Jiuzhi Calendar was the carrier for the spread of many mathematical astronomical contents into China. For example, the Indian mathematical concept for zero (refer to the entry on “zero”) entered China produces some unfocussed impacts on date calendar and divination. A saying of “Seven Luminaries Are Directly Used for Prediction, this Divination Is Special” is included therein. Additionally, “Seven Luminaries Are Directly Used for Prediction” herein refers to a method for selecting auspicious days and fortune telling on the basis of seven luminaries – namely “Week” as stated by later generations (refer to entry on *Sutra on Taking Auspices by Celestial Constellations and Bodies*). Meanwhile, this record in *Jiuzhi Calendar* indicates to the first reference of the appearance of week calendar mode known till now.

v1.c6.s1.t4.11

Jiu yao in Guangsheng xiasi frescoes/mural paintings (Yuan Dynasty). It is now preserved in Horatio Nelson's museum.

v1.c6.s1.t4.12

(*Li Hui*)

v1.c6.s1.t4.13

Sardulakarnavadana

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Modengjia Scripture (Śārdūlakarṇāvadāna) is a Chinese translation of Buddhist metaphor scripture involving knowledge of Indian astronomy. It was translated by Zhiqiangong and Zhuluyan in the period of Three Kingdoms. There are two versions of this translation in volumes 2 and 3. It narrates a story that a Chandala girl picked up Ananda but she was finally converted by Buddha. The story includes rich content on constellation and divination. Besides Chinese, there are Tibetan, Sanskrit and more than 10 different versions.

v1.c6.s1.t4.15

The name of the original Sanskrit version is *Śārdūlakarṇāvadāna* while for Chinese, it is *Modenjia*. Tibetan version’s is called *sTag rNa’i rTogs pa brJod pa* and its free translation is *Tiger Ear Metaphor Scripture* abbreviated as *Tiger Ear Scripture*. *Modengjia* in *Modengjia Scripture* is the transliteration of *Mātaṅga* in Sanskrit. It is the name of Chandala girl’s mother in the story. The part of pre-life story in the metaphor scripture’s Sanskrit version narrates that Brahman the Great Puspakārin questioned the King of Chandala Triśaṅku in the ancient time. The latter gained appreciation of Brahman the Great by his erudition, reinterpretation of caste, retrospect of Vaishya’s root and listing of horoscope prediction. The conversation between Brahman the Great and King of Chandala involved all kinds of discussion on horoscope and early Indian calendar etc including names and features of constellations; degrees of day and night, seasons of long and short, degrees of instant; units of length, units of gold’s weight and units of grain’s bulk. They also discussed fate of those who are born under each of the constellations; prediction about cities constructed under constellations; prediction about rain in the last month in summer under constellations; prediction about lunar eclipse under constellations; suitable and unsuitable things under constellations; degrees of syzygy and day and night, length of shadow, changing of seasons; prediction about earthquakes’ result; prediction about releasing of

v1.c6.s1.t4.16

for the first time via this Indian calendar. In terms of astronomical calculation, Jiuzhi Calendar, at least, introduces six western astronomical elements to China: 1. 360°circumference division 2. Counting method for 60 binary 3. Ecliptic coordinates system 4. Definition of distinctions between perigee and winter as well as between apogee and summer solstice 5. Method for calculating the visible diameter change of the Moon 6. Sine function calculation method and sine function table.

v1.c6.s1.t4.17

The translated contents of Jiuzhi Calendar include the motions of the Sun and the Moon and the eclipse portion but are not related to planetary motion, so it is difficult to speculate whether the Sanskrit original manuscript includes planetary theory or not. However, as far as the eclipse part is concerned as the Chinese ancient astronomy does not include any geometrical method, it always lacked in terms of eclipse calculation. The appearance of Jiuzhi Calendar accordingly provides a totally new technical reference for Chinese ancient calendar compilation.

v1.c6.s1.t4.18

As far as the impact of Jiuzhi Calendar on Chinese calendar is concerned, there is a “Public Record” in Chinese astronomy history in *New Book of Tang* that informs that “Taien Calendar is an incomplete copy of Jiuzhi Calendar”. Taien Calendar is one of the important calendars in the history of China, created by Buddhist astronomer Yi Xing (refer to the entry on “Yi Xing”). In consideration of the Buddhist identification, generally, the most subsequent Chinese ancient astronomers and modern researchers for astronomical history believe that Taien Calendar refers to or adapts some contents of Jiuzhi Calendar.

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Jiuzhi Calendar not only greatly influences Chinese mathematical astronomy but also probably prisoners and features of good and evil occurred under constellations, among others.

v1.c6.s1.t4.20

Illustration of 'Leng Yan Jing Shujie Meng Chao'

v1.c6.s1.t4.21

Among so many Chinese versions of *Tiger Ear Metaphor Scripture*, the most complete and most closest to the original version is *Modengjia Scripture*. *Modengjia Scripture* consists of seven collections: *Women Collection of Conversion*, *Karma Collection of Going*, *Actual Collection of Truth Showing*, *Question Collection of All Human*, *Picture Collection of Constellation*, *Auspicious Collection of Calamity Perceiving* and *Discern Collection of Lightening*. The content of the last three collections are about horoscope and take up 50 per cent of the whole scripture. They depict all kinds of predictions that occurr in light of the moon's position in different constellations by themes. When *Modengjia Scripture* depicts horoscope, its depiction method is that of gathering a certain number of prediction themes into one collection with the translator adding the name of the collection. But the Sanskrit version of *Tiger Ear Metaphor Scripture*'s depiction method is according to chapters, its division method is same as the Indian classical divination book, *Guangji* (Bṛhatsaṃhitā) which is divided into chapters (Adhyāya). In *Book of Sui History and Confucian Classics*, there is the earliest recording about the names of seven Indian astronomy books that came to China and *Modengjia Scripture*, *Picture Collection of Constellation* were recorded as a separate document of *Picture Collection of Constellation* from *Modengjia Scripture*.

v1.c6.s1.t4.22

Historically, materials on horoscopy is included in Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures. These are referred in *Constellation Divination Method of Esoteric Buddhism*, which primarily have been discussed in *Constellation Scripture of Auspicious and Inauspicioul, Day and Time, Kind and Wick Talked by Manjusri Bodhisattva and other Immortals*, *Modengjia Scripture*, and *Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian*. *Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* is another translated version of *Modengjia Scripture*. This includes rich material on horoscopy and the translation date of *Twenty-eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* can be identified to the Western Jin Dynasty by Zhufahu. Therefore, the Chinese versions series of *Tiger Ear Scripture* can be counted as early Chinese translation copies of Buddhist horoscopy material. In the area of Dunhuang and Turpan, fragmentary transcript of *Modengjia Scripture* (S.3374 etc), fragmentary transcripts of Sanskrit version (Or.15010/6 and Or.15010/20 etc) and also the relevant *Twenty-Eight (seven) Constellation Horoscopy Book* were unearthed. The documents can prove that there are basis for mixed explanation of divinations of lunar eclipse, interfluves and earthquake in *Tiger Ear Scripture*'s Sanskrit version. Meanwhile, it also illustrates that *Tiger Ear Scripture* influenced people's lives in the Western Regions.

v1.c6.s1.t4.23

After *Tiger Ear Scripture* came into China, the emotional entanglements between Ananda and Modeng girl (Chandala girl) sparked a lot of interest among the people. Generally speaking, the *Surangama Sutra* written by Buddhists in the Tang Dynasty set their story as the rallying cause. In the pictures for *Surangama Sutra*, Modeng girl and Ananda could be frequently seen. There were many works in the the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty that took this story as the prototype. In Republican Period, Shang Xiaoyun's drama *Mengdengjia Girl* and Zhang Daqian's picture *Modeng Girl* copied from the grotto provided the Modeng girl as a plump artistic image and the word "Modeng" (modern) became famous in Shanghai, spread over by people. But in India, this story was buried in the dust of history for a long time. Between 1933 to 1938, Rabindranath Tagore adapted the story into a drama *Chandalika* (Chandala Girl), hence the Indian literary and art circles paid attention to this interesting story again, and the drama was played all over the world from time to time until today.

v1.c6.s1.t4.24

(Zhou Liqun)

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Sardulakarnavadana, Pictures of Constellations

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Sardulakarnavadana, picture collection of constellation, is an ancient horoscopy book that came to China from India. The astronomy division in *Book of Sui History, Confucian Classics* recorded this book's name, set the section of *Picture Collection of Constellation Fifth* in volume of *Modengjia Scripture* as a separate document. *Picture Collection of Constellation* had never appeared as a separate document before that. Probably because of its special content, the ancient directory editors put it under astronomy content separately. This collection mainly depicts 28 constellations' number of stars, shape of stars, time of running, names of the stars' gods, sacrifice items, and the distribution of four-direction's constellations, etc this collection has an important value for advancing Indian horoscopy knowledge that spread in China (refer to *Modengjia Scripture*).

v1.c6.s1.t4.27

Prince Shetoujian's Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture

v1.c6.s1.t4.28

*Twenty-eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* is a Chinese translation of a Buddhist scripture that discusses ancient Indian astronomy. The translator is Zhufahu in Western Jin Dynasty. This scripture was handed on for thousands of years and is an interesting combination of a vivid story and knowledge of ancient horoscope. This scripture has several parallel versions such as Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan and Uighurs, from 4th-19th centuries CE. Its Sanskrit version is known as *Śārdūlakarṇāvadāna* and the one in Tibetan is *sTag rNa'i rTogs pa brJod pa*. This can be simply be translated as *Tiger Ear Metaphor Scripture* in accordance with its Sanskrit and Tibetan titles. *Shetoujian* in the title *Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* is the transliteration of *Chandala* prince's Sanskrit name *Śārdūlakarṇa* in his pre-life story, its meaning is "tiger ear".

v1.c6.s1.t4.29

There are two kinds of Sanskrit fragmentary transcript of *Twenty-eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* unearthed in Western Region: (i) Sanskrit fragmentary transcript StP: SI_1942 stored up in St Petersburg which was written in about 4th century in Brahmi script with its content mostly related to horoscopy (ii) Weber transcript MS. Sansk.e.23 (P) is stored in Oxford library,

v1.c6.s1.t4.30

[Figure: Twenty eight constellations mirrored/ reflected in the Tang Dynasty stone tablets]

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it appears that it contains the previous part to the St Petersburg's transcript by script, paper and content. There are three fragmentary transcripts of its Chinese version unearthed in Dunhuang, ie S.6024, S.1648, Russian Дх0059, they can be joined together.

v1.c6.s1.t4.32

*Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* is the earliest extant document with rich content on horoscopy and a complete story. Its horoscopy involves number of stars and width of each constellation, two equinoxes and two solstices, names of Muhurta (units of time), weights and measures, divination for birth time in certain constellation days, divination for building a city in which certain constellation days, divination for raining in certain constellation days and constellations interfluves, etc. Different from that the Indian astronomy terminologies in *Modengjia Scripture* were translated with corresponding Chinese native vocabularies, the terminologies in *Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* were translated by the more direct free translation, the names of 28 constellations were translated as *Name*, *Araise*, *Deer's Head* etc but not the common vocabularies in Chinese such as Mao Xiu, Bi Xiu, Zi Xiu etc this was a trait when the scripture was translated.

v1.c6.s1.t4.33

Among the transcripts of Chinese, Sanskrit, Tibetan, the most important copies are the *Sanskrit Fragmentary Transcript in Western Region*. A copy of the similar transcript appeared in Nepal in the 17th century. The latter is not only of a later period but also includes many later additions. But the *Sanskrit Fragmentary Transcript in Western Region* transcribed in about the 4th century is slightly later than the Chinese translation *Twenty-Eight Constellations Scripture of Prince Shetoujian* and earlier than that of the Tibetan translation in the 9th century. Therefore, the Sanskrit Fragmentary Transcript in Western Region possesses important value for understanding Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan version of this scripture. As far as comparison between the Sanskrit and Chinese versions is concerned, it may be noted that the early Sanskrit version of *Tiger Ear Metaphor Scripture* came to China by the Silk Route in the western part in China. It coincided with the main transmission route of early Buddhism.

v1.c6.s1.t4.34

(Zhou Liqun)

v1.c6.s1.t4.35

Constellation Scripture

v1.c6.s1.t4.36

The full name is *Constellation Scripture of Auspicious and Inauspicious, Day and Time, Kind and Wick Talked by Manjusri Bodhisattva and other Immortals* and it includes two scrolls. It was translated in 759 CE by the eminent Esoteric Buddhist monk Amoghavajra (705-774), one of the four great scripture translators in Tang Dynasty. According to its content, *Constellation Scripture* is believed to consist of Amoghavajra's oral account in light of his understanding about Indian horoscopy as well as records and annotation of his students Shi Yao and Yang Jingfeng. The second scroll is the version of Amoghavajra's translation with the help of Shi Yao, and the first scroll is the annotation version of Shi Yao's translation annotated by Yang Jingfeng.

v1.c6.s1.t4.37

27 Xiu's Duty Table in Constellation Scripture

v1.c6.s1.t4.38

| Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Day | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Can | Gui | Zhang | Jiao | Di | Xin | Dou | Xu |
| 2 | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Yi | Kang | Fang | Wei | Nv | Wei |
| 3 | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Zhen | Di | Xin | Ji | Xu | Shi |
| 4 | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Jiao | Fang | Wei | Dou | Wei | Bi |
| 5 | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Kang | Xin | Ji | Nv | Shi | Kui |
| 6 | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Di | Wei | Dou | Xu | Bi | Lou |
| 7 | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Fang | Ji | Nv | Wei | Kui | Wei |
| 8 | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Xin | Dou | Xu | Shi | Lou | Mao |
| 9 | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Wei | Nv | Wei | Bi | Wei | Bi |
| 10 | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Ji | Xu | Shi | Kui | Mao | Zi |
| 11 | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Dou | Wei | Bi | Lou | Bi | Shen |
| 12 | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Nv | Shi | Kui | Wei | Zi | Jing |
| 13 | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Xu | Bi | Lou | Mao | Shen | Gui |
| 14 | Zhang | Zhen | kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Wei | Kui | Wei | Bi | Jing | Liu |
| 15 | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Nv | Shi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Gui | Xing |
| 16 | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Xu | Bi | Wei | Bi | Shen | Liu | Zhang |
| 17 | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Nv | We | Kui | Mao | Zi | Jing | Xing | Yi |
| 18 | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Xu | Shi | Lou | Bi | Shen | Gui | Zhang | Zhen |
| 19 | Di | Xin | Ji | Nv | We | Bi | Wei | Zi | Jing | Liu | Yi | Jiao |
| 20 | Fang | Wei | Dou | Xu | Shi | Kui | Mao | Shen | Gui | Xing | Zhen | kang |
| 21 | Xin | Ji | Nv | We | Bi | Lou | Bi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Jiao | Di |
| 22 | Wei | Dou | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Zi | Gui | Xing | Yi | Kang | Fang |
| 23 | Ji | Nv | We | Bi | Lou | Mao | Shen | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Di | Xin |
| 24 | Dou | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Jing | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Fang | Wei |
| 25 | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Gui | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Xin | Ji |
| 26 | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Liu | Yi | Jiao | Di | Wei | Dou |
| 27 | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Xing | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Ji | Nv |
| 28 | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Zhang | Jiao | Di | Xin | Dou | Xu |
| 29 | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Yi | Kang | Fang | Wei | Nv | Wei |
| 30 | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Zhen | Di | Xin | Ji | Xu | Shi |

v1.c6.s1.t4.39

*Constellation Scripture*’s main content can be summed up in two parts: Xiu Duty’s Divination and Yao Duty’s Divination. Constellations (Xiu Yao) features good and evil so there is the distinction between lucky and evil when different constellations on duty. The fortune-telling method that the *Constellation Scripture* provides is to predict one’s life according to the relationship between one’s birthday and Xiu Duty and Yao Duty. The method for picking an auspicious day that the *Constellation Scripture* provides is to predict one day’s luck, evil, woe and blessing, according to the good and evil of Xiu and Yao which is on duty that day. These contents belonged to an Indian native horoscopy before the influence of Greece.

v1.c6.s1.t4.40

Xiu’s Duty and Yao’s Duty’s timing system is the key to these two divinations.

v1.c6.s1.t4.41

Xiu’s Duty: Twenty-seven Xius are on duty by turns that go round and begin again. But there are some special cases. The time cycle of 27 Xius in the ideal Indian year cycle – 360 lunar days included in

v1.c6.s1.t4.42

Twenty-eight Xius’s Duty Table as Annotation in Constellation Scripture

v1.c6.s1.t4.43

| Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Day | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin |
| 2 | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei |
| 3 | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji |
| 4 | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou |
| 5 | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu |
| 6 | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv |
| 7 | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu |
| 8 | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | We |
| 9 | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi |
| 10 | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | We | Bi |
| 11 | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui |
| 12 | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou |
| 13 | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei |
| 14 | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | We | Bi | Lou | Mou |
| 15 | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi |
| 16 | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi |
| 17 | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen |
| 18 | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing |
| 19 | Jiao | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui |
| 20 | Kang | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu |
| 21 | Di | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing |
| 22 | Fang | Wei | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang |
| 23 | Xin | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi |
| 24 | Wei | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen |
| 25 | Ji | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao |
| 26 | Dou | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang |
| 27 | Niu | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di |
| 28 | Nv | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang |
| 29 | Xu | Shi | Kui | Wei | Bi | Shen | Gui | Xing | Yi | Jiao | Di | Xin |
| 30 | Wei | Bi | Lou | Mao | Zi | Jing | Liu | Zhang | Zhen | Kang | Fang | Wei |

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one year. After 13 cycles of 27 Xius, 351 days are taken and nine days are left so this ephemeris sets: January 30 and February 1, February 30 and March 1, March 30 and April 1, April 30 and May 1, May 30 and June 1, August 30 and September 1, September 30 and October 1, November 30 and December 1, December 30 and January 1, these nine consecutive two days (last day of this month and first day of the next month) share one Xiu. Yao Duty: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn are on duty turns, that go round and begin again. Yao’s Duty appeared in *Navagrahe* before *Constellation Scripture* was translated (ref. clause *Navagrahe*), but the fortunetelling method and method for picking an auspicious day according to Yao’s Duty appeared completely in *Constellation Scripture* first.

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Due to that, the Chinese adopt the 28 Xius’ system but *Constellation Scripture* adopts the Indian 27 Xius system. So Yang Jingfeng added one new table when he annotated it according to Chinese 28 Xius.

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*Picture of the Chi sheng guang fo and the five planetary deities, painted by the Tang Dynasty artist Zhang Huai Xing in the 4th year of the Qian ning period (897). The text in tough silk fabric is preserved in London museum. The painting has zhisheng guangfo as the central figure with the five constellations surrounding it. These constellations have been painted as human forms/figures. They are the eastern (year) star represented as the lotus in their hands; the planet Mars represented as weapons from all four directions; the planet Venus represented as the music flowing in from the direction of the Tibet Autonomous Region; the northern morning star represented as the paper and painting brush held in the hand; and the planet Saturn represented by the monk’s staff in his hand.*

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and *Flowing Pearl Magic Arts* and a table same as 27 Xius’ Duty Table in its scroll XXI *Twenty-eight Xius Delivery Magic from Evil by Looking Constellations’ Status*. Obviously, Taoism adopted 27 Xius’ Duty system in *Constellation Scripture* completely and built its own math and magic system on the former’s foundation. And calendar system like Xiu’s Duty often appeared in the latter calendars.

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Seven Yaos’ Duty diffused into Chinese folk culture widely. There are a large number of contents about Yao’s Duty’s astrology in the books in Dunhuang. In the calendar books in Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, the Honey day’s (day of Sun) calendar annotation can be seen; its origin might be the method for picking an auspicious day in *Constellation Scripture*.

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In the Heian period in Japan, Monk Kukai brought *Constellation Scripture* into Japan. Xiuyaoism and Xiuyao Horoscope were developed on this foundation in Japan.

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(*Li Hui*)

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Brahman Siddhanta

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Brahman Siddhanta (*Brahmasphuṭasiddhānta*) is a classical Indian astronomy book. Its Sanskrit name is *Brahmasphuṭasiddhānta* which can be freely translated as *Brahman Clear Siddhanta*. This book was written by Brahmagupta (597–668 CE) in 628 and had a great influence on subsequent Indian astronomy and even on Islam and western astronomy.

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Brahmagupta spent most of his life in Bhillamala (ie Bhinmal in India), Rajasthan, therefore he was called “the teacher of Bhillamala” (Bhillamalācārya). There are many unique traits of the book he wrote include understanding about “zero’s” mathematical role, algorithms of positive and negative numbers, method for calculating square root, solutions for linear and quadratic equation, rules of addition series, Brahmagupta theorem etc. This book was composed of poetic verses but not math symbols.

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Traditionally, the ancient Indian astronomers were divided into five sects, *Brahman Siddhanta* belonged to the classical books of *Brahman Sect* (*Brahmapakṣa*). *Brahman Sect* was the oldest one among the five sects in the “Greek Period” of ancient Indian astronomy, it originated from Western India ruled by Gupta Dynasty in about 5th century, and then spread to northern India. According to D. Pingree’s opinion, the origin of *Brahman Sect’s* astronomical knowledge was a non-Ptolemaic traditional astronomy school under the influence of Aristotle’s philosophy in ancient Greece. The Indian astronomy books spread into China in the period of the Six Dynasties, Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty may relate to this school. *Book of Sui History, Confucian Classics*, seven astronomy documents,

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Twenty-Eight Xius’s Duty Table as Annotation in *Constellation Scripture*

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Fortune-telling method and method for picking an auspicious day of *Constellation Scripture* diffused into Chinese native religion Taoism. *Taoist Sutra* recorded a math and magic book named *Golden Lock* ie 21 volumes of *Brahman Astronomy Scripture* (Original name: *Talks of Brahman Immortal She*), 30 volumes of *Astronomical Talks of Brahman Immortal Jiejia*, one volume of *Brahman Astronomy*, one volume of *Brahman Astronomy, Picture Collection of Constellation*, three volumes of *Brahman Arithmetic*, one volume of *Brahman Calendar*, three volumes of *Brahman Arithmetic Scripture*. There is, however, only *Modengjia Scripture, Picture of Constellation* that exists in the world now, (ie *Picture Collection of Constellation the Five of Modengjia Scripture in Buddhist Library*). Some scholars think that all the other six documents have Brahmin in title which probably indicates that these books belonged to the Brahmin School in India. The Indian Brahmin astronomical knowledge that appeared in the contents of *Book of Sui History* was just a flash in the pan. After two *Books of Tang History*, there were no references of astronomical books originating from India recorded in any historical books.

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*'Da Sui requesting for the Dharani Sutra' (Song engravings). Also depicting the zodiac chart of 28 constellations and stars.*

Cites (9)