Page 68 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

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AQllAHAY~A

~ of the Nak1hatra at the autumnal equinox as divided by the
equinoctial celure. In short, if the year was supposed to have begun
in the month of Magha, the position of the four cardinal points
of the ecliptic as referred to the NaktJhatras, was consistent with,
and so indirectly established the truth of, such a supposition. Let
us see if we can produce similar evidence for establishing the
eo hypothesis .. .( for it is no better at present ) that the year in the
old Vedic days began, as stated in the Brahma~s. with the
PhAlgunt full-moon, and that the winter solstice occurred on that
day. On a rough calculation the vernal equinox, must recede two
divisional Nakshatras to make the seasons fall back by one month.
If the winter solstice, therefore, occurred in the month of PM!-
,
guna, one month in advance of Magha, in the old Vedic da:fS, the
vernal equinox must then have been in Mrigashiras or two NiLk-
lhatras in advance of the Krittikas. Taking the data given in the
Vedanga JyotitJha as his basis, the late KrifJh~a Shastri Go~bole
has thus calculated • the position of the four cardinal points of
the ecliptic, when the winter solstice, as stated in the Brahma~as,
occurred on the full-moon day in the month of Phalguna :-
( 1 ) The winter solstice in Jo 20 of the divisional Uttara
1
Bbadrapada;
( 2) The vernal equinox in the beginning of Ardra;
( 3) The summer solstice in JQo of Uttara Phalguni, and
( 4) The autumnal equinox in the middle of Mula;
or giving up the system of reckoning by the divisional portions
of the Zodiac, we have, roughly speaking, the winter solstice
quite near the asterism ofUttara Bhadrapada, the vernal equinox
between the head and th~· right shoulder of Orion or about 3 o east of
Mrigasbiras, the mmmer solstice at a distance of within 2 o east of
Uttara Phalguni, and the autumnal equinox about 5o east of the
asterism of Mula. If we suppose the vernal equinox to coincide
with M rigashiras, the three other cardinal points are brought
nearer to the fixed asterisms, and this appears to be the more
probable position of the equinoxes and the solstices in those days.
But without entering into these details, it will be evident from
this that when the winter solstice fell on the Phalguni full-moon the
vernal equinox must be very near the asterism of Mrigashiras or

• See his essay on the Antiquity of the Vedas, p. 19.