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

360 PAÑCASIDDHĀNTIKĀ XVIII.72 71. In 10 ‘days’ Mercury falls back by 12°, and rises in the east. In 14 ‘days’ more it lags by 9°. Then in 18 ‘days’ it gains 9°. Then it sets, and in 30 ‘days’ gains 25° and rises heliacally. 72. Then in 18 ‘days’ it gains 9°. In 16 ‘days’ it lags 12°, and sets in the west. Then in 8 ‘days’ it lags 9°, and gets into conjunction. Note 1. In verses 71 and 72 my corrections are based on the need to conform as nearly as possible to reality, and they are also, as far as possible, kept close to the text. śarāsviḥ, 25, may also be jalāśviḥ, 24. The values are:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Given degrees	– 12°	– 9°	+ 9°	+ 25°<br>(? + 24)	+ 9°	– 12°	– 9°	0°
	vakrāsta	vakra		asta		vakra	vakrāsta
Given ‘days’	10	14	18	30	18	16	8	114
Correct ‘days’	8	16	18	30 (?28)	18	18	6(?8)	114
In columns 6 and 7 it should be – 9° and – 12°, or atleast – 10° – 11° though the text letters are
unmistakable.
Note 2. The constant for subtraction, 14,681 shows that the planet is in superior conjunction,
since the epoch position of the planet must agree with that given by modern astronomy and other
siddhāntas, atleast within a few degrees. (See table appended). If so, the Table of cycle motions given
should begin and close with superior conjunction. But in the Table given, the cycle begins and
closes with the inferior conj. as can be seen from the retrograde motion with which the Table begins
and ends, and the most rapid motion (aticāra) coming at the middle.
The astronomer of very inferior calibre who has made this interpolation, has been misled by the
two sets of heliacal rising and setting in the case of the inferior planets, Mercury and Venus. He has
wanted to begin the motions with the rising in the east and setting in the west, to fall in line with
others, not realising that this occurs during its retrograde motion which falls at inferior conjunction
coming in the middle. This is another proof that VM cannot be the author of this set of dealing with
the star-planets. (This author has committed the same mistake in the similar case of Venus, where
the mistake can be seen glaringly when the true Venus got is compared with that of the other
siddhāntas or modern astronomy). If he does want to begin with rising in the east and end with set-
ting in the west, he must begin and end his cycle table with the inferior conj. and to this he must
add to the days to be subtracted half the cycle days, equal to 57 3/29 days. (The cycle days = 3312
÷ 29 = 114 6/29).
72a. A. अष्टादभिः नव; B. अष्टादशभिः नवः;
D. अष्टादशभिर्नवः
b. A.B.C.D. षोडशभिश्चाष्टवर्जितो
d. A. निरंस; B. निरंश. A.C.D. बुधोपि याति