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The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c22.s1: D. Technical Terms and Symbols

The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c22.s1

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D. Technical Terms and Symbols

D (1). Numerical Notations

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| | Abjad. | Arabic Numerals. | Hindu Numerals. | | Abjad. | Arabic Numerals. | Hindu Numerals. |
| 1 | ا a | 1 | १ | 60 | س s | ٦٠ | ६० |
| 2 | ب b | ٢ | २ | 70 | ع ‘ | ٧٠ | ७० |
| 3 | ج j | ٣ | ३ | 80 | ف f | ٨٠ | ८० |
| 4 | د d | ٤ | ४ | 90 | ص ṣ | ٩٠ | ९० |
| 5 | هـ h | ٥ | ५ | 100 | ق q | ١٠٠ | १०० |
| 6 | و w | ٦ | ६ | 200 | ر r | ٢٠٠ | २०० |
| 7 | ز z | ٧ | ७ | 300 | ش sh | ٣٠٠ | ३०० |
| 8 | ح ḥ | ٨ | ८ | 400 | ت t | ٤٠٠ | ४०० |
| 9 | ط t | ٩ | ९ | 500 | ث th | ٥٠٠ | ५०० |
| 10 | ي i | ١٠ | १० | 600 | خ kh | ٦٠٠ | ६०० |
| 20 | ك k | ٢٠ | २० | 700 | ذ dh | ٧٠٠ | ७०० |
| 30 | ل l | ٣٠ | ३० | 800 | ض ḍ | ٨٠٠ | ८०० |
| 40 | م m | ٤٠ | ४० | 900 | ظ ẓ | ٩٠٠ | ९०० |
| 50 | ن n | ٥٠ | ५० | 1000 | غ gh | ١٠٠٠ | १००० |

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The *abjad* system is indicated by eight *voces memorabiles* *abjad hawwaz ḥuṭṭi kalaman sa‘faṣ qarashat thakhadh ḍaghagh.* But western Mussulmans arrange the last four words thus: *Safad qarasat thakhadh ẓaghash.*

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The Greek system agreed with the *abjad* as far as 80, but the portion from 90 to 300 corresponded with the *abjad* from 100 to 400. The later numbers differed considerably. In deciphering the engraved numbers on the astrolabe there are sometimes apparent ambiguities to be cleared up, owing partly, to the omission of diacritical marks.¹

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¹ See page 97; Nallino's *el-Battāni*, iii *f*; and Peters and Knobel's *Ptolemy's Catalogue of Stars*, p. 13 *f*. Morley made a number of mistakes, particularly in transcribing the symbols for 4 and 7.

D (2). Signs of the Zodiac

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| 0 | ♈ | Aries . . . . . | al-Ḥamal . . | Meshā. |
| 1 | ♉ | Taurus . . . . | al-Thaur . . | Vṛishan. |
| 2 | ♊ | Gemini . . . . | al-Jauzā . . | Mithuna. |
| 3 | ♋ | Cancer . . . . | al-Saraṭān . . | Karka. |
| 4 | ♌ | Leo . . . . . | al-Asad . . | Siṃha. |
| 5 | ♍ | Virgo . . . . | al-Sumbulah . . | Kanyā. |
| 6 | ♎ | Libra . . . . | al-Mīzān . . | Tulā. |
| 7 | ♏ | Scorpio . . . . | al-'Aqrab . . | Vṛischika. |
| 8 | ♐ | Sagittarius . . . | al-Qaus . . | Dhanus. |
| 9 | ♑ | Capricornus . . . | al-Jadī . . | Makara. |
| 10 | ♒ | Aquarius . . . | al-Dalw . . | Kumbha. |
| 11 | ♓ | Pisces . . . . | al-Ḥūt . . | Mīna. |

D (3). The Planets

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| | | | ARABIC.¹ | SANSKRIT.² |
| 1 | ♄ | Saturn . . . . | Zuḥal . . | Ārki. |
| 2 | ♃ | Jupiter . . . . | Mushtarī . . | Bṛihaspati. |
| 3 | ♂ | Mars . . . . | Mirrikh . . | Kuja. |
| 4 | ☉ | Sun . . . . | Shams . . | Sūrya. |
| 5 | ♀ | Venus . . . . | Zuḥrah . . | Śukra. |
| 6 | ☿ | Mercury . . . . | 'Uṭārid . . | Budha. |
| 7 | ☽ | Moon . . . . | Qamar . . | Chandra. |

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¹ The planets, with the exception of the sun, are sometimes (e.g., in the table of Trigons on Jaipur A) denoted by the final letters of the Arabic names *l, i, kh, (sh), h, d, r*: See also Sédillot, *Prol. Tables Astron. d'Ouloug Beg*. p. cxlviii.

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² There are many variants of these names.

D (4). Lunar Mansions

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| Hindu Nakshatras. | Arabic Manzils. |
| 1. Aśvinī (β, γ *Arietis*) . . . . . . | 1. Sharaṭān (β, γ *Arietis*). |
| 2. Bharaṇī (35, 39, 41 *Arietis*) . . . . . | 2. Buṭain (35, 39, 41 *Arietis*). |
| 3. Kṛittikā (*Pleiades*, η *Tauri*, &c.) . . . | 3. Thurayya (*Pleiades*, η *Tauri*, &c.) |
| 4. Rohiṇī (α, θ, γ, δ, ε *Tauri*) . . . | 4. Dabarān (α, θ, γ, δ, ε *Tauri*). |
| 5. Mṛigaśiras (λ, φ, φ₂ *Orionis*) . . . | 5. Haq'ah (λ, φ, φ₂ *Orionis*). |
| 6. Ārdrā (*a Orionis*) . . . . . . . | 6. Han'ah (η, μ, ν, γ, ξ *Geminorum*). |
| 7. Punarvasu (β, α *Geminorum*) . . . | 7. Dhirā (β, α *Geminorum*). |
| 8. Pushya (θ, δ, γ *Cancri*) . . . . | 8. Nathrah (γ, δ *Cancri*). |
| 9. Āśleṣa (ε, δ, σ, η, ρ *Hydræ*) . . | 9. Ṭarfah (ξ *Cancri*, λ *Leonis*). |
| 10. Maghā (α, η, γ, ζ, μ, ε *Leonis*) . . | 10. Jabhah (α, η, γ, ζ *Leonis*). |
| 11. Pūrva-Phalgunī (δ, θ *Leonis*) . . . | 11. Zubrah (δ, θ *Leonis*). |
| 12. Uttara-Phalgunī (β, 93 *Leonis*) . . . | 12. Sarfah (β *Leonis*). |
| 13. Hasta (δ, γ, ε, α, β *Corvi*) . . . | 13. 'Awwā (β, η, γ, δ, ε *Virginis*). |
| 14. Chitrā (α *Virginis*) . . . . . . | 14. Simāk (α *Virginis*). |
| 15. Svāti (α *Bootiæ*) . . . . . . | 15. Ghafr (ι, κ, λ *Virginis*). |
| 16. Viśākhā (ι, γ, β, α *Libræ*) . . . | 16. Zubānān (α, β *Libræ*). |
| 17. Anurādhā (δ, β, π *Scorpii*) . . . | 17. Iklīl (β, δ, π *Scorpii*). |
| 18. Jyeṣṭhā (α, σ, τ *Scorpii*) . . . | 18. Qalb (α *Scorpii*). |
| 19. Mūla (λ, ν, κ, ι, θ, η, ζ, μ, ε *Scorpii*) | 19. Shaulah (λ, ν *Scorpii*). |
| 20. Pūrva-Aṣāḍhā (σ, ε *Sagittarii*) . . | 20. Na'āim (γ - ζ *Sagittarii*). |
| 21. Uttara-Aṣāḍhā (δ, ζ *Sagittarii*) . . | 21. Baldah (*North of* π *Sagittarii*). |
| 22. Abhijit† (α, ε, ζ *Lyræ*) . . . . | 22. Sa'd al-Dhābiḥ (α, β *Capricorni*). |
| 23. Śravaṇa (α β γ *Aquilæ*) . . . . | 23. Sa'd Bula' (ε, μ, ν *Aquarii*). |
| 24. Śraviṣṭhā (β, α, γ, δ *Delphini*) . . | 24. Sa'd al-Su'ūd (β, ζ *Aquarii*). |
| 25. Śatabhiṣaj (λ *Aquarii*, etc.) . . . | 25. Sa'd al-Akhbiyah (α, γ, ζ, η *Aquarii*). |
| 26. Pūrva-Bhādrapadā (α, β *Pegasi*) . . | 26. al-Fargh al-Muqaddam (α, β *Pegasi*). |
| 27. Uttara-Bhādrapadā (γ *Pegasi*, α *Andromedæ*) | 27. al-Fargh al-Muakhkhar (γ *Pegasi*, α *Andromedæ*). |
| 28. Revatī (ζ *Piscium*, etc.) . . . . | 28. Baṭn al-Ḥūt. (β *Andromedæ*, etc.) |

D (5). Obliquity of the Ecliptic

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| B. C. 130 | Hipparchus . . . . . . . . . | 23° 51' 20″. |
| A. D. 150 | Ptolemy . . . . . . . . . . | 23° 51' 15″. |
| 880 | al-Battānī . . . . . . . . . | 23° 35' 0″. |
| 965 | Abdul Raḥmān al-Ṣūfī . . . . . . . | 23° 33' 45″. |
| 1001 | Ibn Yūnus . . . . . . . . . | 23° 34' 52″. |
| 1100 | Sūrya Siddhānta . . . . . . . . | 24° 0' 0″. |
| 1250 | Alphonsine tables . . . . . . . | 23° 32' 39″. |
| 1270 | Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī . . . . . . . | 23° 30' 0″. |
| 1438 | Ulugh Beg . . . . . . . . . | 23° 30' 17″. |
| 1590 | Tycho Brahe . . . . . . . . | 23° 29' 47″. |
| 1690 | Flamsteed . . . . . . . . . | 23° 28' 48″. |
| 1729 | Jai Singh . . . . . . . . . | 23° 28' 0″. |
| 1900 | . . . . . | 2° 27' 28″. |
| 1916 | 1st July . . . . . . . . . | 23° 27' 4.68″. |

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(The secular variation is between 21° 59' and 24° 36', approximately.)

D (6). Length of the year

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| | D. | H. | M. | S. | |
| Hipparchus | 365 | 5 | 55 | 12 | Tropical. |
| Ptolemy | 365 | 5 | 46 | 24 | " |
| | 365 | 6 | 9 | 48·6 | Sidereal. |
| Romaka Siddhānta | 365 | 5 | 55 | 12 | " |
| Paulīśa Siddhānta | 365 | 6 | 12 | 36 | Sidereal. |
| Āryabhaṭa | 365 | 6 | 12 | 30 | " |
| Brahma Gupta | 365 | 6 | 12 | 30·915 | " |
| al-Battānī | 365 | 6 | 12 | — | " |
| Siddhānta Śiromaṇi | 365 | 6 | 12 | 9 | " |
| Astrolabe | 365 | 5 | 50 | 12·4 | Tropical. |
| *Approximately correct values*— | | | | | |
| Tropical year | 365 | 5 | 48 | 45·98. | |
| Sidereal year | 365 | 6 | 9 | 9·5. | |

D (7). Precession of the Equinoxes

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Annual precession.

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| A. D. | 150 Ptolemy. | . | . | 36" a year or 1° in 100 years. |
| | 810 al-Battānī | . | . | 54·55" a year or 1° in 66 years |
| | 1100 Sūrya Siddhānta | . | . | 54" a year. |
| | 1150 Bhāskara | . | . | 59·9" a year. |
| | 1370 Mahendra Sūri | . | . | 54" a year. |
| | 1500 Copernicus | . | . | 50·2" a year. |
| | 1590 Tycho Brahe | . | . | 51" |
| | 1729 Jai Singh | . | . | 51·6" or 4° 8' in 297 Muslim years. |

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[The precession for celestial longitude of all stars is approximately 50" 26" a year or, more correctly, 50·2564"+0·0222" T (where T is the time in centuries reckoned from A.D. 1900). The complete period of precession is approximately 25,696 years.]

D (8). Hindu Measures

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*Divisions of the day.*

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60 prativipalas = 1 vipala = 0·4 seconds. 10 vipalas = 1 praṇa = 4·0 seconds. 60 vipalas = 1 pala or vināḍikā = 24·0 seconds. 60 palas = 1 ghaṭī, nāḍikā, daṇḍa = 24 minutes. 60 ghaṭikās = 1 divasa, dina, vāsara = 1 solar day. Also 2 ghaṭīs = 1 muhūrta = 48 minutes, and 30 muhūrtas = 1 day.

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*Length.*

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⁸ yavas = 1 aṅgula = 1/3 inch. 24 aṅgulas = 1 hasta = 18 inches. 4 hastas = 1 daṇḍa = 6 feet. 2000 daṇḍa = 1 krośa = 4,000 yards. 4 krośa = 1 yojana = 9 1/11 miles.

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