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

XVII. 14 XVII. SAURA: TRUE PLANETS 311 Note 1. This is a peculiar primitive way of finding the latitude of the star-planets. It is not found in the allied Khaṇḍakhādyaka and the quoted part of the Bhaṭṭotpala-quoted Pauliśa. It is found in Āryabhaṭa’s Ārdharātrika-pakṣa given in the Mahābhāskarīya (VII. 28-33). But there are some differ- ences between the two, and we cannot decide which follows the original Saura here, and which has slightly modified the original. They both mention two kinds of latitudes for each star-planet which are to be added algebraically. But there is a difference in the maximum latitudes, and in the ascending nodes to be subtracted from the mean longitudes or śīghras. VM’s Saura implies the max. latitude 90′, 90′, 135′, 135′, and 135′, for Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, respectively, to be multiplied by sine anomaly of conjunction, and 90′, 135′, 90′, 90′, and 135′ to be multiplied by sine anomaly of conjunction, no separate node being given, which means that the apogee itself is the node for one kind of latitude, and the mean planet itself for the other. But the Ārdharātrika gives only one set of maximum latitudes for both, viz., 90′, 120′, 60′, 120′, 120°. It gives the nodes, 20°, 40°, 70°, 260°, and 150° for the former and 20°, nil, 70±, 260° and 150° for the latter. Govindasvāmi's Bhāṣya on the Mahābhāskarīya, being meagre, does not help us. Note 2. By implication, we had better take the arguments of the eq. cent. used in the third step for the former, and the anomaly of conj. used and hypotenuse obtained in the fourth step for the latter. Example: Find the latitude of Mars at 1,20,553 days from epoch. In the third step of the earlier example, the sine of the argument of eq. conj. is 42′ 24″. As it is Mars, deducting quarter of itself, the latitude is 31′ 48″, north, as this argument is between 0° and 180°. In the fourth step, the sine of the argument of conj. is 88′ 20″. For Mars one fourth is to be subtracted. So, the latitude due to this is 66′ 15″, again north, since the argument is from 0° to 180°. Adding, 31′ 48″ + 66′ 15″ = 98′ 3″, north. The hypotenuse obtained there, in the fourth step, is 88′ 52″. 98′ 3″ × 120 ÷ 88′ 52″ = 132″ north, is the true latitude of Mars for the day. (As it is, this is far from the latitude obtained from using the later Siddhāntas.) Note 3. The treatment of Saura is taken up by VM in XVIII. 57-60, where the latitude found here is used to correct the mean elongation given in verse 12, for the heliacal setting and rising. The exposition of these verses is given in XVIII. [इति पञ्चसिद्धान्तिकायां वराहमिहिरविरचितायां ताराग्रहस्फुटीकरणं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ||] Thus ends Chapter Seventeen entitled ‘Saura-Siddhānta – True Planets’ in the Pañcasiddhāntikā composed by Varāhamihira Col.: A.B.D. ताराग्रहस्फुटीकरणं षोडशोऽध्यायः; C. इति ताराग्रहस्फुटीकरणं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः