Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v1.c6.s5.t2.2

v1.c6.s5.t2.2

According to Weber, the time of Kṛttikā being first nakṣatra comes to be somewhere between 2780 to 1820 B.C. Dr. Thibhaut has a fairly good knowledge of Indian astronomy. His opinion about this point has recently been published. The gist of his arguments is as follows:—There is no support to show that Kṛttikās were regarded as the first nakṣatra because equinox used to occur in that nakṣatra. We do not come across any description in the Vedic literature about planetary positions signifying a time prior to the one given by the solstitial positions described by Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa. The statement of winter solstice occurring in the beginning of Dhaniṣṭhā nakṣatra is very ambiguous; because the stars in the nakṣatra division** occupied by the sun is never visible; it can not be said with certainty at which point of the ecliptic the sun must have been for the occurrence of the winter solstice given by Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa. Hence, the time calculated by the above method is liable to be mistaken even by 1000 years.