________________
xiii
6. The moon changes its course () in the Abhijit and the Pushya nakshatras.
7. There are two intercalatory launar months in a yuga, 1.c. the first two years are ordinary, the third is abhivardhita (leap) having two Ashadha months, the fourth is ordinary and the fifth is leap having two Fausha months.
8. There are 28 nakshatras including the Abhijit. Their names and order are the same as in the Hindu system but their duration in muhurtas (2 ghatikas) is 30, 15, 30, 45, 30, 15, 45, 30, 15, 30, 30, 45, 30, 30, 15, 45, 30. 15, 30, 30, 45, 98% (Abhijit), 30, 30, 15, 30, 45, 30.
Jaina literature on Astronomy and Astrology.
(1) The Canon.
The sacred scriptures (sruta) of the Jains are called the Angas, twelve in number of which the twelfth is lost for ever. The eleven Angas, now available, are held authoritative by the Svetambaras only. Corresponding to the 12 angas there are 12 upangas The division into Angas and upangas is arbitrary without any regard to their contents. The upangas Nos. 5-7, Jambudvipaprajnapti, Suryaprajnapti and Candrapranapti are "Scientific" works and deal with geography, astronomy cosmology and chronometry, Of these the Jambuvipaprajnapti contains the mythical geography of the Jains In the description of Bharatavarsha (India), however, the legends of King Bharata occupy much space.
1.c..
The Suryaprajnapti contains a systematic presentation of the astronomical views of the Jains. It deals with the orbits which the sun describes during the year, with the rising and setting of the sun, with the speed of the course of the sun through each of its 184 circuits, the light of the sun and the moon, the measure of the shadow at various seasons of the year, the connection of the moon with the lunar mansions, the waxing and waning of the moon, the velocity of the five kinds of heavenly bodies, the qualities of the moonlight, the number of suns in Jambudvipa etc. As the work deals with the sun as well as with the moon, it almost looks as though the original Candraprajnapti had been worked in the Surya prajnapti. The Candraprajnapti as its title shows should deal with an astronomical theory of the heavens based upon the moon. But coriously enough the Candraprajnapti is almost wholly identical in all available manuscripts with the Suryaprajnapti. It is probable that the Candraprajnapti was originally a separate work from the Suryaprajnaptı.
