ZODIAC. The following are the Sanskrit Ilall1CS of tho signs of the zodiac, with the months and the corresponding astronomical periods :— sign. Mum month. d. h. la.
Mesha Aries), Vaisakh, 30 22 12'8 Vrisha Taurus), Jyesht, 31 9 40.8 Mithuna Gemini), 1 Ashadh, 31 14 39'2 Karkata Cancer), Sravan, 31 11 16'8 Sinha Leo), Madre, 31 0 52'0 Kenya (Virgo), Aswin, 30 10 56'8 Tula (Libra), Kartik, 29 21 38'8 Vrishika (Scorpio), Margashirsh or V 12 9'6 Agrahayan, Dhanus (Saggitarius), Paush, 29 8 21'2 Makara (Capricornus), Magba, 29 10 54'4 Kumbha (Aquarius), Phalgun, 29 19 21'6 5lina (Pisces), Chaitr, 30 8 S'4 Total (according to the Paramus.
Siddhanta), . . 365 6 12'54 The Hindu astronomers know the Greek namea of the signs, which, however, have never been brought into ordinary use, viz. Kriya, Jituma, Kulira, Leya, Parthona, Juka, Korpya, Tauxika, Akokero, Hridoga, Isthusi.
Hindu astronomers have divided tho zodiac into 27 equal parts, called lunar mansions, of 13° 20' each. Their names are- Aswini. Mula.
Ilharani. P. l'halguni. P. Ashadha.
Krittika. U. Phalguni. Ashadha.
ltohini. Basta. Sravana.
Mrigasiras. Chant. Dhanishtha.
Ardra. Swati. Sata-bhisha.
Punarvasu. Visakha. Bhadrapada.
Pushya. Anuradha. U. Bhadrapada.
Aslesha. Jyeshtha. ltevati.
According to Mr. Colebrooke, at the epoch of the Vedas the summer solstice was in the niiddle of Aslesha, the 9th lunar mansion ; therefore Regulus was half a lunar mansion 9°, that is 15° 40', east of the summer solstice at that time. On 1st January 1859, the long. of Regulus was 147° 52' 30". Hence Regulus was at that date 57° 52' 30" east of the summer solstice. The summer solstice had therefore retrograded through 42° 12' 30" = 42°.208 since the epoch of the Vedas. And as the equinoxes and solstices move backward on the ecliptic at the rate of 1° in 72 years, it must have occupied 70 x 42°.208 = 30:39 years to effect the change. Hence the age of the Vedas was ;3039 on 1st January 1859, or their date is n.c. 1181, i.e. the early part of the 12th century before the Christian era.—Arelidencon Pratt in Beng. As. Soc. Journ. No. 1 of 1862.