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The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c15.s1.t5: Hindu Star Lists

The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c15.s1.t5

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Hindu Star Lists

c15.s1.t5.1

72. The determination of the position of the stars with exactitude does not seem to have interested the ancient Hindu astronomers.¹ In early works the brief lists of stars with celestial co-ordinates are given in connexion with the path of the sun and moon through the nakshatras. In each nakshatra the position of a junction star or *yogatārā* was determined. The *Pañcha Siddhāntikā* mentions seven of these while the *Sūrya Siddhānta* gives the position of 28, one for each nakshatra, and also of seven other stars. The *Siddhānta Śiromani* and *Brahma Siddhānta* mention only Canopus and Sirius. After these, such lists as Mahendra Suri's (given in Appendix A) sometimes occur.

c15.s1.t5.2

¹ Albirūni writes (II, 83): "The Hindus are very little informed regarding the fixed stars. I never came across any one of them who knew the single stars of the lunar stations from eyesight, and was able to point them out to me with his fingers."

c15.s1.t5.3

2. The *Pañcha Siddhāntikā* record is as follows:—

c15.s1.t5.4

"The *yogatārā* of Kṛittikā is at the end of the sixth degree and three and a half *hastas* to the north of the ecliptic; that of Rohiṇī is at the end of the eighth degree, and five and a half *hastas* to the south of the ecliptic." (XIV, 34)
"The two stars of Punarvasu are at the eighth degree, and to the north and south of the ecliptic at an interval of eight *hastas*. The star of Pushya is at the fourth degree, three and a half *hastas* to the north." (35)
"Of Āśleṣhā the southern star is at the first degree one *hasta* (south); so also the northern star of Maghā the conjunction takes place in its own field,² at the sixth degree. Of Chitrā at seven and a half degrees, three *hastas* to the south."³

c15.s1.t5.5

² i.e., on the ecliptic.

c15.s1.t5.6

³ Since 24 *aṅgulas*=1 *hasta* and the diameter of the moon was reckoned as 15 *aṅgulas*, and its mean diameter as 32 minutes (SS. IV, 1) we have approximately 1 *aṅgula*=2' 8" and 1 *hasta*=51' 12" roughly; but possibly 1 *aṅgula* was meant to measure 2 minutes. Also 27 *nakshatras* occupy 360° and one therefore occupies 13⅓ degrees.

c15.s1.t5.7

The *Sūrya Siddhānta* gives the positions of the chief stars of the nakshatras in terms of polar latitude and longitude.⁴ The *Sūrya Siddhānta* stars and their position are given in appendix A.

c15.s1.t5.8

⁴ See also p. 8.

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