TIME OF APPARENT CONJUNCTION OF THE SUN AND MooN
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them to the time of geocentric conjunction of the Sun and
Moon. (Then is obtained the first approximation to the time
of apparent conjunction).
The lambama computed for the middle of the day is
subtracted from the time of geocentric conjunction when the
Moon's udg¢jya is north and added when south.
Repeat this process until the nearest approximation (to
the lambama for the time of apparent conjunction) is arrived at:
The corresponding displacements should be given by the learned to (the longitudes of) the Sun and the Moon, as in the case of the tithi (i.e., the time of conjunction of the Sun and the Moon ). The term lambama is the technical term for “parallax in longitude". When used alone in connection with a solar eclipse it generally stands for the difference between the parallaxes in longitude of the Sun and the Moon. The above stanzas aim at finding out the time of apparent conjunc tion of the Sun and Moon. This involves a knowledge of the lambana for that timeFor, time of apparent conjunction = time of geocentric conjunction + lambama in time for the time of apparent conjunction, where + or – sign is taken according as the Sun and the Moon at the time of apparent conjunction lie to the west or east of the central ecliptic point. The lambama for the time of apparent conjunction depends on the time of apparent conjunction itself. But as the time of apparent conjune tion is unknown, the corresponding lambama cannot be obtained directly and recourse is taken to the method of successive approximations stated in the text. 1 The literal translation would run as follows: Repeat this process until the time of apparent conjunction is fixed. A What is meant is that after the first approximation to the time of apparent conjunction is obtained, the corresponding longitudes of the Sun and the Moon should be calculated and the process repeated.
