HINDU ECLIPTICK,

AS EXPLAINED BY MR. DAVIS.

Its origin is confidered as distant 180 degrees in longitude from Spica; a star, which feerns to have been of great ufe in regulating their aftronomy, and to which the Hindu Tables of the helt authority, although they differ in other particulars, agree in affigning fix figns of longitude wanted from the beginning of Afwini their firft Nacfhatra. From the beginning of Afwini, (acco ling to Hindu preceffion, now 19° 22′ but which is in reality fomething further diftant from the vernaquinox the Ecliptick is divided into twenty-feven equal parts, or Nachatras of 13° 20' each; the twenty-eighth, named Abhijit, being formed out of the last quarter of Uttarahara, and as much of Sravanà as is necellary to complete the moon's periodical month. The years of Jupiter's cycle are expreffed in their order with numerals: a is the former pofition of the colures as explained in vol. II. (of the Refearches) and b, c, mark the limits of the preceffion refulting from the Hindu method of computing it. The outer dotted circle is the European Ecliptick, in which is noted the beginning of the Hindu, and likewife of the European year; for want of room the figns are diftinguifhed in both with the ufual characters.

Without prefuming to encroach in the leaft upon the Diagram explained above, I have ventured from their intimate connection and reciprocal utility to blend the fubftance of anther with it, and which Mr. H. T. Colebrooke obligingly fent me under the fellowing title, with permiffion to publish it, if I thought proper to do so, and this convenient opportunity of the plate I could not refilt.

Suns true motion in anomaly delineated to ferve for the comparison of dates on the Hindu and

European Calendars.

In the inner circle, note the longitude of the Apogee, on the Hindu fphere, for the year propofed; from that point, which is the origin of the Hindu Zodiack, note every thirtieth degree: the corref ponding days, in the outer circle, fhow the duration of each month; and thefe are compared to the European Calendar by afcertaining the time of the Apogee, which at prefent falls on the 30th June.

(The months of the Bengal year 1201 are thus noted by the 12 concentrick lines of the circle, and compared with the years of Chrift 1794-5, as may be feen in the plate.)

For a mechanical method of comparing dates to the fiderial year of the Hindus, the anomaliftical year may be employed, as it only exceeds the fiderial year by three minutes of time; on this the following micthod is founded.

Delineate the funs true daily motion in anomaly on this figure, from the place of the apogee fet off its longitude or diftance from the firit point of Méha in the Hindu fphere. From this point, which will be the commencement of the folar fiderial year, mark every thirtieth degree for the figns, or which is the fame thing, for the months from Vaijacha to Chitra. The correfponding days or duration of the fun in the fign for each month will be fhewn by the inner dotted circle of the Diagram, fubdivided into the concurrent days of the English months April, &c. for the years of Chrift 1794-5, and contrafted with the Hindu months of the Bengal year 1201. The next exteriour ring exhibits the 30 degrees of the Hindu Months or felar figns, which appear together in the outermoft circle but one, and are bounded by their interfecting chords, near the extremities of which, the whole 360 degrees are noted in fucceflion, in fuch a manner as will I hope render the fcheme here perfectly evident. The year on the European Calendar, and the propofed folar year of the Hindus, having been first marked on the figure, the correfpondent lunar year alfo may be easily divided thereon by computing the days of full and change, from practical rules, contained in memorial verfes, and which ufe the golden number and epact. Thefe days may be marked on the figure, and the lunar month will be named from the folar month, in which the conjunction happens, and when two conjunctions occur in the fame folar month, the name will be repeated.

• To compute the longitude of the ants, according to the Hindu afronomy, fee the rule in the second Vol. of the Afiatick Researches.

*

cafe, in the interiour parts of Hindooftan.-It is by no means an easy task to reconcile so many various modes of Chronology, and I fufpect, that the different fpaces of a month as denominated from one new moon to another, and from one full to the next, must add confiderably to the confufion, and from this circumstance, according to Mr. Cavendish, the first half of Chyt, falls in one year, and the last half in another, which actually appears fo in Burrow's Almanack for 1784, 4, q. v. [e] I really cannot fatisfactorily accounor the difagreements, that occur on this head in feveral authors, who have probabranged the months of the year by its three feveral forms as lunar, luni-folar, or folar indefinitely. Mr. Cavendish speaking of the Nude,a Putra obferves. "The lunar months begin, not at the full as in the Banaris patra, but at the new moon, and are called by the name of that folar month which ends during the course of them; for example, the lunar month during which the folar month Vifakha (Byfakh) ends, is called Chandra (or lunar) Vifak,ha, so that each month begins a fortnight later than by the Banaris Patra."

Was

As the folar months in civil reckoning are made nominally fubfervient to the lunar, the latter are adjusted to the former, as often as two conjunctions occur, while the fun does not enter any new fign, and the whole of tnis second lunar month, continues of courfe under the fame folar name, with the epithet udhik additional, the complete intercalary lunation being termed Lound, [f] or udhik mas, which fome writers

[e] On a careful examination of this laudable performance, I became apprehensive of some errours in italfo, and wrote to a friend of the deceafed,' whofe anfwer was what follows:-"To the beft of my knowledge and belief, Burrow never published but one Almanac in this country, viz. that for 1784-Very foon after that came out, he fet about calculating another with additions, corrections, and other improvements; but the firft fold fo ill, and the expence of Printing was fo great, that he gave it up, when nearly compleated. He was aware of the errors in his first production, and mentioned them to me, but I do not immediately recollect what they were." It is much to be regretted, that the fcientifie researches of a man eminent in this noble profeffion, may thus in a few years be configned unfeen to the ruthlefs fangs of time for ever, as I have fince learned from another quarter, that the greatest part of Mr. Burrow's valuable MSS. paffed under the hammer, and that confequently many of them muft foon perifh, unless speedily refcued by fome liberal scholar from their impending annihilation. [f] This embolism occurs only in the months, from Chyt to Koonar inclufively, and the year being Junar every third year of 354-5 days; but when vulgar, mean time is counted, no embolism is requifite, because they have no fuch era, though this year of 360 or 30 natural days to the month, certainly is ufeful in the computation of intereft, the duration of mourning, and many other popular concerns. 4 I

conformably

-conformably to the putra are willing to place between the budce and feedee femilunations of a month, thus: Nija fawun budce, the dark half of fawun proper; udbik fawun foodee, the intercalary bright half of fawun; udhik fawun budee, the interca-lary dark half of fawun; nija fawun foodee, the bright half of fawun proper. Others contend agreeably to the popular method, that the whole udbik mas or lound, as an intercalary period must be the last portion of that folar month in which two new moons appear whener this may be the cafe, and which we might here diftinguish as Byfakh I. and c. fine thefe lunar months take their denomination, from the folar month in which the change falls; whence the lunifolar year by having 13 occafionally instead of 12 months on a medium of two or three years, thus brings them back to that general coincidence, which pure folar months preferve with the feveral feafons of the year, and from this they cannot deviate widely, nor like the Moofulman lunar months can thofe belong to fummer and winter, fpring and autumn, by the conftant periodical preceffions, to which thefe laft are neceffarily fubjected. The Seafons (root or rit) in India may be divided either into fix, three, or two periods, and in the following order.

I.

dpoepkal |

or

gurmee, burk hakal,

or

burfat,

feetkal,

or

jara

II.
the rains.

III.

the cold weather.

Oodkaen is applied, to that half of the folar year in which the fun
is in his northern declination (outra,en); and the other Dukhna,en when
in his fouthern declination.

bun, is term

ed Khureef,

the autum

al or rice crop; and from Poos to Jeth, Rubee,

the vernal

or wheat

crop.

Having now examined the whole fubdivifions of the year, it is time to advert to the feveral modern Eras, which are used at prefent in Hindooftan, and in doing this we shall take the Mŏŏfulman or Hijru (in the adjective form properly Hijree) year firft, paffing thence to the others, which are all probably derived from it, viz. the Fuflee, Umlee, Bungalce, Wila etee, &c. although it be well known that the former is lunar entirely, while the latter are lunifolar and folar years. From these, and the

cycles

cycles connected with them, I fhall proceed to the ancient or Hinduwee Eras, and cycle of 60 years, of which also a lift fhall be exhibited in the fubfequent notes below, that the scholar may acquire a tolerably correct idea of Indian Chronology, fo far as it is fubfervient to the ordinary and civil concerns of this country.

[g] Hijrut, bijru, mcöhajurui, departure, receffion, abfence, feparation, &c. being applied by the faithful to the retirement of Močhummud from Mukku to Mudeenu,

[g] To find correfpondent dates in the Chriftian and Mahommedan eras, a role may grounded in the chronological mode of computation ufed by the Moofulmans, this was communicated by Mr. Colebrooke. RULE.

Before the change of the ftyle from the years expired ift deduct the years and one day for every century; 2dly. for the fame period add one day for every twelfth year; 3dly.. for every palt year above the century, deduct ten days and feven eighths; 4thly. to the remainder add 622 years, 6 months and 16 days; which will give the date on which the first day of Mčohurrum falls.

Years expired,

EXAMPLE ON THE HIJRU YEAR 841.

1

ft.-8 Centuries, at 3 Y. and I D. each,

... ft Moohurrum 841-5 July 1437 or

Since the change of the ftyle from the years expired 1ft. deduct 3 years for every century; 2dly. for the fame period add one day for every twelfth year; 3dly. for every past year above the century, deduct 10 days and seven eighths; 4thly. to the remainder add 622-y. 6 m. and 16 d.

... 1ft Mo hurrum 1209-29 July 1794 or

1794 6

29

1172
622

32

96

The first Moshurrum for the year propofed being found, the propofed date is afcertained by attending to the rule of Ulugh Beg.

If the date be

Mochurrum has 30 days, Sufur 29, and fo on alternately to the end of the year. propofed on the vulgar reckoning in which the month commences from the day when the moon actually becomes visible, the new moon may be found by practical rules grounded on the cycle of 19 years, and the month will commence on the 1st or 2d day after the conjunction.

is