History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.851

v6.c82.851

As the longitudes of heavenly bodies reckoned from the equinox include these *ayanāṁśas* they are called *sāyana* (*sa* + *ayana*). The places of heavenly bodies obtained by the methods of the Sūryasiddhānta and medieval Sanskrit works are distinguished by being called *nirayana* (devoid of taking into account precession). At present according to most almanacs that employ the Sūryasiddhānta values Makarasankrānti (Sun's entrance into Capricorn) falls generally on 14th January, but according to the most accurate modern calculations, it should fall on 21st December, even in calendars that pride themselves on being *śuddha* the Makarasankrānti falls on 9th January i. e. our Makarasankrānti is celebrated¹¹²⁷ about 23 or 18 days later than it should be and the same happens to the vernal equinox, autumnal equinox and the summer solstice and many other observances Aśvinī is still reckoned as the first nakṣatra (in which the vernal equinox is deemed to have occurred about *śaka* 444), although the vernal equinox point has receded to the Uttarā-bhādrapadā group of stars (which should now be treated as the first nakṣatra). Efforts have been made by those familiar with the modern accurate calculations (such as the late Kero L. Chatre) to introduce modrn calculations in our almanacs; but they have met with little response. The late Lokamānya Tilak (who was a great Vedic scholar and mathematician) held several conferences of Indian astronomers and other interested people at Bombay (1904), Poona (1917) and at Sangli (1919). At the last conference several resolutions were passed which without making a total break with the past were calculated to reform our calendar and to prevent furthur deterioration It is unnecessary to set out all the resolutions, but the most important were that the length of the year should be that of the Sūryasiddhānta but subject to necessary corrections, the rate of precession should be accepted at 50 2 *vikalās* a year (as determined by modern astronomical observations), that the Yogatārā¹¹²⁸ of Revatī (corresponding to Zeta Piscium of modern astronomers) should be deemed to be the beginning of the Zodiacal belt (*rāśicakrārambhasthāna*) and that the *ayanāṁśas* calculated from the starting point by actual observation should be accepted for the purpose of a new *Karaṇa* (astronomical manual) to be compiled according to the resolutions. Unfortunately the resolutions did not state where exactly the star Zeta Piscium was in a particular śaka year Dr. K. L. Daftari prepared a Karana-grantha called Karaṇakalpalatā in Sanskrit which was published in 1924. Almanacs based on its data have been published and are sometimes known as 'Tilak Pañcānga' But it must be confessed that our people in general are so much custom-ridden that the popular response to the reformed calendar is poor. People still follow the pañcāngas based on the old siddhāntas. According to the śāstras every religious festival is to be celebrated at the proper time i. e in the right season and on the proper tithi. The tithi depends upon the correct calculation of the movements of the moon, which are most difficult to reduce to rules that will give accurate results. Many people will not observe the *ekādaśī* fast if the eleventh tithi is mixed up with the 10th tithi even for a few ghaṭikās. But what guarantee is there that the 10th tithi has been accurately calculated? The ending moments of tithis do not agree with those given by the Nautical Almanac which are based on modern formula and are verified by actual observation. If tithis be calculated according to different Sanskrit astronomical treatises the moment of a particular tithi may differ by as much as five hours and the same festival (such as Kṛṣṇajanmāṣṭamī or Dussera) may be celebrated on two successive days in the same city.