The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas c7.72

c7.72

accurately if the vernal equinox coincided with the asterism of the Krittikâs, the equinoctial colure falls out of the divisional Vishâkas by 40, but it is nearly 60 behind the asterism of Anurâdhâ. Of these two asterisms Vishâkhâ would therefore be nearer to the colure. But we might as well ask what ground there is for holding that the Nakshatra divisions of the Zodiac, at the time when the vernal equinox was in the Krittikâs (supposing such divisions to have then existed), were the same as those which we now use and which commence with Revati. Bentley appears to have altogether overlooked this objection. I have already stated my view regarding the existence of the divisional Nakshatras in old times, and I would reject Bentley's etymological speculation on the mere ground that it requires us to assume the existence of such divisional Nakshatras and their bisection by colures.