पञ्चसिद्धान्तिका (आचार्य वराहमिहिर - सूर्य, रोमक, पौलिश, वासिष्ठ एवं पितामह सिद्धान्त)

274 PAÑCASIDDHĀNTIKĀ XIV.30
[कालमानयंत्राणि]
गुणसलिलपांशुभिर्योजितानि बीजानि सर्वयंत्राणाम् ।
तैः फलके कूर्ममानवयथेष्टरूपाणि कार्याणि ॥ २७ ॥
गुरुरचपलाय दद्याच्छिष्यायैतान्यवाप्य शिष्योऽपि ।
पुत्रेणाऽप्यज्ञातं बीजं संयोजयेद् यंत्रे ॥२८ ॥
Instruments for measuring time
27. The bījas (i.e. seeds or basic necessities) of all instruments (for measuring
time) are furnished by string, water and sand¹. By means of them one may
construct instruments resembling a tortoise, a man, or any other desired
shape, and mount them on a wooden board.
28. The teacher should impart (this knowledge) only to a devoted (lit. steadfast)
pupil, and the pupil too, after having learnt it, should apply the bījas (string,
water and sand) to his instruments, keeping the secret unknown to his son
even.
Varāhamihira has not described these instruments here only to keep their mystery a secret. But
these instruments have been described in some of the later works. For example, see the chapter on
astronomical instruments in the works of Lalla and Śrīpati. But there too the description is not very
explicit.
[देशान्तरम्]
अभिमतदेशाक्षवशात् कृतवेधेनेन्दुपूर्णिमाकर्म ।
दृष्टिघटिकोदयांशानधिकल्पत्वे वियुतयुतम् ॥ २९ ॥
तिथिवद्द्विभज्य लब्धं चरकालेनान्वितं क्रियाद्येषु ।
जूकादिषु च विहीनं विषुवति देशान्तरं स्पष्टम् ॥ ३० ॥
Local longitude in terms of time
29. By means of observation at the desired place in a given latitude, perform
the Moon’s pūrṇimāntakarma (i.e. find out how much time after or before local
sunset the Moon rises at the local place). The degrees of the ecliptic which rise
during that time should be subtracted from or added to the Moon’s longitude
according as the Moon rises later or earlier than sunset.
28a-b. A. चपालाय; B. गुरुञ्चपल (B2. ०पदेले)—दद्या०
27a. A.B.गुणं A. दद्याच्छि०
b. A.बीजानि B. योजातानि c. A1.०प्यज्ञानं
c. B1.3.कूर्म; B2.कूर्य d. A.वीजं
d. A2.०ष्टरू । पाणि B.संयोज्ये-नो ||

1. When a heavier substance than sand was required, Mercury was used.