गुप्त अभिलेख संग्रह (जे. एफ. फ्लीट - गुप्त सम्राटों एवं परवर्ती नरेशों के ऐतिहासिक पाषाण व ताम्रलेख)

164 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
in Table IX. on page 165 below. And generally, whenever we meet with a nakshatra
spoken of with reference to the place of a heavenly body, that nakshatra is to be taken in
the above sense.
There is, however, a second method of determining the nakshatras with refer-
ence to the places of heavenly bodies. And, though it has now gone almost out of use,
yet it was undoubtedly prevalent to a great extent in early times, and was much made use
of, on important religious occasions at least. The chief feature of it is, that the space
on the ecliptic allotted to each nakshatra is not equal. Fifteen nakshatras are held to
be of an equal average space; but six, of one and a half times the average; and six
others, of only half the average.
One system of unequal spaces, according to this method, is referred to in some of
the verses from the Garga-Saṁhitâ, which are quoted by Utpala in his commentary on the
Bṛihat-Saṁhitâ. The commentary, with the passages quoted in it, runs — tathâ cha
Gargaḥ। Uttarâś cha tath=Âdityaṁ Viśâkhâ .ch=aiva Rôhiṇî। êtâni shaṭ adhyardha-
bhôgâni॥ Paushṇ-Âśvi-Kṛittikâ-Sôma-Tishya-Pitrya-Bhag-âhvayâḥ Sâvitra-Chitr-Ânûrâdhâ
Mûlaṁ Tôyaṁ cha Vaishṇavaṁ Dhanishṭh=Âjaikapâch ch=aiva sama-vargaḥ prakîrtitaḥ।
êtâni pañchadaśa sama-bhôgâni॥ Yâmy-Aindra-Raudra-Vâyavya-Sârpa-Vâruṇa-saṁjñitâḥ।
êtâni shaṭ ardha-bhôgâni॥,—"and so Garga (says), 'the Uttarâs (i.e. Uttarâ-Phalgunî,
Uttarâ-Ashâḍhâ, and Uttarâ-Bhâdrapadâ), and Âditya (Punarvasu), Viśâkhâ, and also
Rôhiṇî;' these six (are) of one-and-a-half times (the average) longitude. '(The naksha-
tras) of which the names are Paushṇa (Rêvatî), Aśvi (Aśvinî), Kṛittikâ, Sôma (Mṛiga),
Tishya (Pushya), Pitrya (Maghâ), and Bhaga (Pûrvâ-Phalgunî), (and also) Sâvitra (Hasta),
Chitrâ, Anûrâdhâ, Mûla, Tôya (Pûrvâ-Ashâḍhâ), and Vaishṇava (Śravaṇa), (and) Dha-
nishṭhâ, and also Ajaikapâd (Pûrvâ-Bhâdrapadâ); (this class of nakshatras) is called the
equal class;' these fifteen (are) of equal (average) longitude. '(The nakshatras) which
have the appellations of Yâmya (Bharaṇî), Aindra (Jyêshṭhâ), Raudra (Ârdrâ), Vâyavya
(Svâti), Sârpa (Âślêshâ), and Vâruṇa (Śatatârakâ);' these six (are) of half (the average)
longitude." In this system, which I would name the Garga system of unequal spaces,
the number of the nakshatras is twenty-seven, as usual. The average space of a nakshatra,
therefore, is 13 degrees, 20 minutes; a one-and-a-half space is 20 degrees; and a half
space is 6 degrees, 40 minutes. The longitudes of the ending-points of all the nakshatras,
according to this system, are given in the last column but one in Table IX. on
page 165 below; and the entries of ½ and 1½ in the sub-column, mark the spaces which
differ from the average space. Nârada and Vasishṭha give this system in the same way
as Garga. It seems to have originated in the fact that the distances between the chief
stars, called yôga-târâ, of the different nakshatras, are not equal. The distance is natur-
ally expected to be 13 degrees, 20 minutes. But, in some cases it is less than 7 degrees;
while in others it is more than 20 degrees. However, be the reason of the system what it
may, there is no doubt that it was extensively in use in ancient times. And, that either it,