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

VI.10 VI. VĀS.-PAUL. SIDDHĀNTA – LUNAR ECLIPSE 167 [चित्र: Fig. VI. 6 - Sun, Earth, Moon, Moon's orbit] Fig. VI. 6 In its nature this phenomenon is similar to the Sun apparently rising earlier and setting later, and appearing red at both times. As for the distinction between red and brown, it can be seen from the figure that there is great illumination at a greater distance, and, so, when nearer, there is less red, which gives a brown colour as mentioned by the author. The redness may vary by other causes, like the dust or water vapour in the atmosphere, and it goes to the credit of the ancients that distance was distinguished as one cause, affecting the redness. When the Moon is partially eclipsed, the glare of the illuminated part dims more or less the red- ness of the eclipsed part, so that it looks almost dark like a rain cloud. Near sunset or sunrise, the red glow from the Moon has again to pass a long distance through the atmosphere, and get filtered out, so that the colour becomes smoky. Verse 8-A is given only by Bhaṭṭotpala, the text manuscripts omitting it. The original of VM must have contained this verse, for it supplies several lacunae. The word evam in verse 9 requires a pre- vious verse mentioning colour. Omission of this verse has compelled TS to emend sarvagrāsiny evam into sarvagrāse pītam. The rule in verse 10, giving when the Moon is at ucca and nīca has a purpose only with 8-A which requires the information. If TS had verse 8-A before them, they would not have misunderstood 10, and declared that it is something pertaining to astrology. It also instructs us how to find the times of the first and last contacts, and when the middle occurs, which instruction we assumed before, in working the examples. NP rightly include this verse in brackets and give it the number 9, the further verses being numbered from 10. We have said that verse 10 gives a rule to find when the Moon is far and when it is near. We shall explain how: The rule says that when the result got by the rule is nine rāśis, the Moon is at the greatest distance, i.e. at ucca, and when the result obtained is three rāśis, it is nearest, i.e. at nīca, as we have explained. Therefore if the rule gives about nine rāśis for the Moon at ucca, i.e. when the Moon is replaced by ucca, then it must be correct. We shall show that it is so. The rule is: Moon − 228 R = ucca − 228 R (where R is the Head of Rāhu at any full-moon). At the full moon just preceding the Epoch, by II.3, taking the reading vasumuninava etc. it can be cal- culated that according to Vāsiṣṭha-Pauliśa, the ucca is rā. 8-14-21.4. (The Siddhānta does not give the ucca direct, but we can find it by the relation, Moon − Moon's kendra = ucca). Every synodic month the ucca increases by 3° 17′.3 according to this Siddhānta. Therefore after m synodic months, the ucca is rā. 8-14-21.4 + m × 3° 17′.3. The corrected Rāhu, R, at the full moon before Epoch is rā. 7-26-45.2. It decreases by 1° 33′.88 every synodic month. Therefore, after m synodic months, R = rā. 7-26-45.2 − m × 1° 33′.88 ∴ ucca − 228 R = rā. 8-14-21.4 + m × 3° 17′.3 − 228 × (rā. 7-26-45.2 − m × 1° 33′.88) = rā. 8-14-21.4 − 228 × rā. 7-26-45.2 + m (3° 17′.2 + 228 × 1° 33′.88) = rā. 8-14-21.4 − rā. 11-9-45.6 + m (3° 17′.3 + 356° 43′.9)