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Vaidika Kala Mapana (वैदिककालमापनम्) (view source)
Revision as of 23:40, 2 April 2020
, 23:40, 2 April 2020Adding content with reference - to be edited
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{{ToBeEdited}}The culture of astronomy in vedic times was motivated by the need of fixing time for the various religious sacrifices which were performed at different times in different seasons.
The Kauṣītaki-brāhmaṇa records the occurrence of the winter solstice on the new moon day of Māgha.2 (2Kauṣītaki-brāhmaṇa, xi. 3.)
It is also stated there that the year ended with the full moon at the Pūrva-Phālgunī,3 (3Ibid, v. 1.) and that the spring commenced one day after the new moon of Caitra.4 (4Ibid, xix. 3.)
This shows that the beginning of the year under the amānta reckoning synchronised with the beginning of the seasons.
The year of vedic astronomy seems to have been a tropical one. The months were lunar and measured from full moon to full moon and also from new moon to new moon. There is evidence to show that to make the lunar year correspond to the solar year 12 days were intercalated after every lunar year and one month was dropped after every 40 years.5 (5Law, N. N., Age of the Ṛgveda, pp. 20, 28–29.) At a later stage this correspondence was established by evolving a cycle of five solar years with 62 lunar months. This cycle was called a yuga.
The Vedāṅgajyotiṣa is the earliest Hindu work dealing exclusively with astronomy. The Vedāṅgajyotiṣa has come down to us in two recensions, viz. the Ṛgvedic recension (called Ārca-jyotiṣa) and the Yajurvedic recension (called Yājuṣa-jyotiṣa). Both the recensions are thus practically the same and give an account of months, years, days and day-divisions, nakṣatras, new moons and full moons, solstices, and seasons occurring in the cycle of five solar years.
lay down rules for determining
(i) the beginning of a season, (vi) the length of a day.<ref>K. S. Shukla, [https://www.insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol04_1And2_11_KSShukla.pdf Astronomy in ancient and medieval India], Indian Journal of History of Science, Vol.4, Nos. 1-2 (1969), pp.99-106.</ref>
The day, called vāsara or ahan in the vedic literature, was reckoned from sunrise to sunrise. The variability of its length was known. The Ṛgveda (8. 48. 7) invoking Somarāja says: “O Somarāja, prolong thou our lives just as the Sun increases the length of the days.” <blockquote>सोम राजन्प्र ण आयूंषि तारीरहानीव सूर्यो वासराणि ॥७॥<ref>Rgveda, Mandala 8, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82_%E0%A5%AE.%E0%A5%AA%E0%A5%AE Sukta 48].</ref></blockquote>Six days were taken to form a ṣaḍaha (six-day week); 5 ṣaḍahas, a month; and 12 months, a year. As to the names of the six days of a ṣaḍaha, there is no reference in the vedic literature. However, the six-day week was later replaced by the present seven day week (saptāha) which had attained popularity and was in general use at the time of composition of the Atharva-jyautiṣa.
The day, called vāsara or ahan in the vedic literature, was reckoned from sunrise to sunrise. The variability of its length was known. The Ṛgveda (8. 48. 7) invoking Somarāja says: “O Somarāja, prolong thou our lives just as the Sun increases the length of the days.” <blockquote>सोम राजन्प्र ण आयूंषि तारीरहानीव सूर्यो वासराणि ॥७॥<ref>Rgveda, Mandala 8, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82_%E0%A5%AE.%E0%A5%AA%E0%A5%AE Sukta 48].</ref></blockquote>Six days were taken to form a ṣaḍaha (six-day week); 5 ṣaḍahas, a month; and 12 months, a year. As to the names of the six days of a ṣaḍaha, there is no reference in the vedic literature. However, the six-day week was later replaced by the present seven day week (saptāha) which had attained popularity and was in general use at the time of composition of the Atharva-jyautiṣa.