History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.1889

v7.c99.1889

Rāśis (signs of Zodiac) : (vide under Constellation, dreskāna, horā, Mahābhārata, Nārāyaṇa, person, Rudra, Zodiac), are twelve, each extending over 2¼ nakṣatras from Aśvinī onwards in order 561, are identified from Meṣa onwards with the limbs of the Kālapuruṣa or of Nārāyaṇa 564n; as lords of the quarters (diśās) and usefulness thereof 568, classifications of r. as male or female, movable and fixed, due to fancy and ideas of symmetry and sequence 635, Chinese names of rāśis are different such as rat, ox, tiger etc 566, 635, colours of the twelve r acc to Bṛhajjātaka 568, description of the appearance of r in Bṛhaj-jātaka, in the Yavanajātaka q. by Utpala and in Vāmanapurāṇa 564; descriptions of seven r. show that they are figures of animals and five are like human beings 564–5, many scholars deny that there is similarity between the majority of the twelve signs in zodiac and the natural appearance of the objects signified by them 565; mentioned by Vṛddha-Garga and Kāśyapa 592, no Greek word corresponding to Mīna (Pisces) mentioned by Bṛhajjātaka in some editions 562n, names of signs among Babylonians, Assyrians and Chaldeans cited by several scholars do not tally 565n, names of r. are purely imaginary 565, 635, no proof that the rāśi system was borrowed by India from the Greeks 594; principles of astronomy based on r. probably established in India in the three centuries before Christ 638, purpose of identification of r with limbs of Kālapuruṣa 561, purpose and astrological indications of the classifications of r. acc. to Utpala 568; Sārāvali mentions no Greek word for Mīna 563n; six items in relation to the r. occupied by a planet called Ṣaḍvarga 583, table of r. as svagṛha, ucca and nīca of the planets 576, table of r. with English and Latin equivalents and synonyms 562, things supposed to be under the influence of the several r. 564; what r. are powerful by day, at night and in twilight 569, when are r. powerful 577