History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.68

v6.c82.68

The usual practice of the Gṛhyasūtras and Dharmaśāstra works was to take their astronomical requirements and knowledge from astronomers. The Gobhila-gṛhyasūtra⁶⁹¹ provides 'the work on this point is separate; one should study it or should obtain information about (the exact time of) the parvan (New moon and Full moon) from those who know it'. The astronomical knowledge of ancient and medieval India has been a subject riddled with acute controversies Somewhat reluctantly I have come to the conclusion that discussions about the theories and practice of astronomy in ancient and medieval India should be omitted from the History of Dharmaśāstra An adequate treatment of ancient and medieval Indian astronomy and discussion of the theories advanced by Western scholars (some of them quite unwarranted) would require a large volume by itself. Here and there I may have to refer to pure astronomical matters for certain purposes. But the two other branches of Jyotiṣa, viz Horā (astrology) and Śākhā have exerted a vast influence on Dharmaśāstra and will have to be discussed within limits. Though Dharmaśāstra writers took their astronomy from astronomers, they did not hold that astronomers had the last word, but they rather held that if there was some conflict or contradiction between strict astronomical theory and Dharmaśāstra, the latter was to prevail An example may be cited for illustrating this: Suppose that a man has resolved to undertake 'ekabhakta-vrata' on 7th tithi The saṅkalpa for a vrata is as a general rule to be made in the morning. Suppose that 7th is mixed with 6th and 8th tithis and that 7th commences about 10 A M. on a certain week-day, then according to Yugmavākya (vide p 75 note 191 above) 7th mixed with 6th is to be preferred for the vrata and the saṅkalpa would have to be repeated in the morning when according to correct astronomical calculation the tithi might be only the 6th at that time Devala declares that a tithi is, for the purposes of religious bath, gifts and vratas, to be regarded as covering the whole day if the Sun sets during the period⁶⁹² of that tithi. Vide Kṛtyaratnākara p. 299 and Smṛti-kaustubha (on tithi p. 12) for other examples.