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

332 PAÑCASIDDHĀNTIKĀ XVIII.27
conjunction to rising (given as type VIII), 146° is left for type I. This segment extends upto the
point where retrogression begins. As the planet is stationary, here a small error of observation can
make this lesser or greater than the actuals. The text seems to give it as 18°. Types III and IV form
the retrograde motion. III is called vakra (retrograde) and IV ativakra (faster retrograde). The text
is defective here, and we cannot fix the exact extent of the two segments separately. But III and IV
seem to be divided in the ratio 5:7 of the total. V is anuvakra (follow up after vakra). In the detailed
motions given this is the sum of III and IV but direct motion. This anuvakra must be the counter-
part of II. Type VI is śīghra and so the counterpart of I. Its extent is given as 150°. Type VII is the
very quick motion from setting to conjunction and given as 43° in 60 days. Type VIII is the counter-
part of VII from conjunction to rising. These divisions are mostly based on convention. But as these
are given only in the case of Mars and classical astronomy does not give them, we have only to guess
regarding them. To add to the difficulty the text is corrupt in the places giving the numbers.
TS have expressed inability to understand verse 25. Still, they have made some emendations
which do not give any cogent meaning. No translation is given. There is only a question mark. In
verse 26, they give 20° motion from conjunction to rising. This can give only 26 days, as against the
60 days given by the text. By this the elongation for heliacal rising would be 7 ½°, so absurdly low.
As for NP, in both verses, they have needlessly emended correct forms, wrongly emended the
corrupt ones, some in faulty Sanskrit and given an untenable scheme. The following is their
scheme: Rising east / 186° motion / 18° retrograde motion / 180° motion / setting / 30° motion /
Conj. / 30° motion / rising east. They have made the emendations and substitutions with their eye
on the total motion of 409° in the synodic period. They make the total 408°, nearly correct. But they
do not identify the vestiges of the different types of motion found in these verses. Further, 30°
motion from setting to conj. and then from conj. to rising, is short by 12 ½° from the actual 42 ½°. The
time required to move 30° is 42.2 days and the Sun would move 41.5° during this time, giving an
elongation of 11.5° for heliacal rising, far short of the actual, especially for such high latitudes as
the Vāsiṣṭha-Pauliśa envisages.
चत्वारिश (शच्छ)शि-न(ग)-[मु] (न्य)-ष्ट-यमान्विता वि‘पक्षा’ च ।
प्रथमगतौ (क्रमदि)वसा मीनाद्राशिद्वयसमानाः ॥ २७ ॥
27. In the I type motion, there are 40 + 1 (= 41), 40 + 7 (= 47), 40 + 7 (=
47), 40 + 8 (= 48), 40 + 2 (= 42), 40 – 2 (= 38), days per motion of 30° each
respectively in each month of the diad of rāśis beginning from Mīna, (i.e.
Pisces).
The above means, that for 30° of motion, the time taken is 41 days in the rāśis Mīna (Pisces) and
Meṣa (Aries), 47 days in Ṛṣabha (Taurus) and Mithuna (Gemini), 47 days in Kaṭaka (Cancer) and
Siṃha (Leo), 48 days in Kanyā (Virgo) and Tulā (Libra), 42 days in Vṛścika (Scorpio) and Dhanus
(Saggittarius) and 38 days in Makara (Capricorn) and Kumbha (Aquarius).
27a-b. A.B.C.चत्वारिशशिन (B.नु) मध्य (B. om. ध्य) ष्ट० c. A.B. प्रथमगतौ कुर्याद्दिवसा
D. चत्वारि श[शत द्वयमष्ट] ० D. यमान्वितं विपक्षांशं C.D. प्रथमगतौ कुर्याद् दिवसा; (D. दिवसान्)
d. D. समान्