[ 53 ] Star Longitude in Reduced Difference. Saka 1816. Longitude Chitra 202° 22 181' 13 21° g' Višákhá + Anuradha 241° 45' 224 31 17" 14" Jyeshyhá 248° 17' 230° 41' Párvásháðhá 273° 6 254° 30' Uttaráshádhá 278° 43' 260° 18 18° 25' Satatárá 340° 5 319° 41 20*24 Revati 373° 34' 359° 50% 18° 34' The mean of the differences is 19° 18', carrying us back to about 433 S'aka. If it were possible to hit upon the stars that were taken as fundamental stars for the measurement of the Dhruvas, we could have arrived at the correct result. We might fairly take the star Maghá as one of them, since it is a star of the first magnitude, situated on the ecliptic, and otherwise im- portant in Sanskrit astronomy. It would be seen from the precession of the star, that the S'aka year 430 is reached. As has been already pointed out, an allowance must be made in the amount of precession deduced from the recorded Dhruvas of stars. Still, the mean general precession furnishes approxi- matily the date of their messurement. Dr. Thibaut has employed the method to determine the "beginning of the scientific period of Hindu astronomy." From Prof. Whitney's discussion of the star-longitudes given in the modern Súrya-Siddhanta, Dr.
- Bhaakara's Dhruva of the star is sagomed.
+ I am not certain of Vibákhe. If it be ideptified with # Libra, the difference amounts to 22° 46'. Digitized by Google
