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

III.20 III. PAULIŚA-SIDDHĀNTA 61
longitudes are reckoned from the starting point of the Uttarāyaṇa (winter solstice), as in the Vedāṅga
Jyotiṣa and the Paitāmaha from Śraviṣṭhā. The two being at equal distances on both sides of the zero
point means that the sum of their longitudes is equal to one full revolution, i.e. twelve rāśis. It is this
that the Paitāmaha gives by its rule, ‘Multiply the days by twelve and divide by 305.’ But, because the
true declination of the Moon will generally differ from that of the Sun at this time, on account of
its latitude, the time given is only approximate and the Paitāmaha intends that the actual time
should be found by observation.
If we reckon the longitude not from Śraviṣṭhā as the zero point but from Aśvinī, then the longitudes
will each be five nakṣatras less, because Aśvinī is five nakṣatras forward, and the sum will be ten
nakṣatras less. Therefore, if ten nakṣatras are added to the sum of the longitudes (as the author asks
us to do) we have the condition fulfilled, and therefore the Vyatīpāta. But in course of time, on
account of the precession of the equinoxes, the winter solstice had moved to the beginning of
Makara at the time of the author, and now still more backward so that conformity to definition is
growing less and less. But on account of respect for the old Śāstras, the 17th continued and still
continues to be the Vyatīpāta, just as we continue to observe Uttarāyaṇa rites still when the Sun
enters Makara because Uttarāyaṇa was once there, though now it has come down into Mūla. A new
type of Vyatīpāta called the Mahāvyatīpāta came into existence to satisfy the definition. This is
mentioned by the author in the next two verses.
The memory of a sacred day at the sum being a full revolution resulted in the creation of a new
sacred day, even when reckoned from Aśvinī, and it was called Vaidhṛta, because the old Vyatīpāta
was ‘sustained’ (dhṛta), as it were, by this. Because it has grown in the place of the Vyatīpāta, this
Vaidhṛta itself is sometimes called Vyatīpāta. For e.g. the Sūrya-Siddhānta says, “This is another well
known Vyatīpāta, called by the different name of Vaidhṛti” (XI. 8) and “The three fearsome Vyatīpātas”
(XI. 22). Govindasvāmi also says this: “When the sun plus Moon is equal to six signs, there is Vyatīpāta.
When it is equal to twelve signs it is Vaidhṛta and this is also called Vyatīpāta; for it is said ‘The sum
of the revolutions of the Sun and those of the Moon are the Vyatīpātas (in the yuga)’ (ABh. Kāla, 3).”
How does this mean that? This is how: The sūtra primarily gives only the Vaidhṛtas that come at the
end of full revolutions, which are called Vyatīpātas because both have the same characteristics. The
effect of both being the same, Vaidhṛta is called Vyatīpāta. So the vyatīpātas characterised by full
revolutions and half revolutions are both given by the sūtra. (Govindasvāmi’s Bhāṣya, Mahābhās-
karīya IV.35). Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa too, by saying “Āryabhaṭa mentions the two types of vyatīpātas”, in
his commentary on Laghubhāskarīya, II. 29, understands Vaidhṛta also by the word Vyatīpāta.
आश्लेषार्धादासीद् यदा निवृत्तिः किलोष्णकिरणस्य ।
युक्तमयनं तदाऽऽसीत् सांप्रतमयनं पुनर्वसुतः ॥ २१ ॥
21. When the Sun began to turn south, i.e. when the summer solstice was at
the middle of the asterism, Āśleṣā, the requirement of the definition that the
Sun and the Moon should be in different ayanas was satisfied. But now the
turning south takes place at three quarters of Punarvasu. Therefore the
definition has become faulty.
From this we can infer that the author knew the precession of the equinoxes. In the Bṛhatsaṃhitā
also he says the same thing, “Certainly at one time, the summer and winter solstices were at the
middle of Āśleṣā and the beginning of Dhaniṣṭhā, respectively, because such has been mentioned in