Rashis were sayana in eleventh century India also!

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

Jai Shri Ram!

Following is a copy of page # 356/129 of

Alberuni’s India, available in Google.  This “copy” presents

a clear picture that in eleventh century India, there never was any indication

of any so called nirayana rashis for festivals etc., much less predictive

astrology!  These very sayana rashis were linked to ritus i.e. seasons, and it

is but natural that synodic (lunar) months were appended to the same Sayana

Rashis.  The myth that two “zodiacs coincided in 285 AD or 390 AD”

etc. etc. is nothing but a myth---propagated by some people with motives not

difficult to discern.

The complete work of Alberuni is available in

the files section of hinducalendar forum.

Jai Shri Ram.

A K Kaul

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36 On the

parts of the month and the year.  

[uttarˆayan.a and dakshindyana.]

As the year is one revolution of the sun in the ecliptic, it is divided in the

same way as the ecliptic. The latter is divided into two halves, depending upon

the two solstitial points.

Correspondingly the year is divided into two

halves, each of which is called ayana.

When the sun leaves the point of the winter

solstice, he begins to move towards the north pole. Therefore this part of the

year, which, is nearly one half, is referred to the north and called

uttarˆayan. a, i.e. the period of the sun’s marching through six

zodiacal signs beginning with Caper. In consequence, this half of the

ecliptic is called makarˆadi, i.e. having Caper as beginning. When the

sun leaves the point of the summer solstice he begins to move towards the south

pole; therefore this second half is referred to the south and called

dakshinˆayana, i.e. the period of the sun’s marching through

six zodiacal signs beginning with Cancer. In consequence, this half of the

ecliptic is called karkˆadi, i.e. having Cancer as beginning.

Uneducated people use only these two

divisions or year-halves, because the matter of the two solstices is clear to

them from the observation of their. senses.

[uttarakˆula and dakshakˆula.]

(Uttara-gola and Dakshina-gola) Further, the ecliptic is divided into two

halves, according to its declination from the equator, and this division is a

more scientific one, less known to the people at large than the former, because

it rests on calculation and speculation, Each half is called kˆula. That

which has northern declination is called uttarakˆula or meshˆadi,

i.e. having Aries as beginning; that which has southern declination is called

dakshakˆula or tulˆadi, i.e. having Libra as beginning.

[The seasons.] Further, the ecliptic is by

both these divisions divided into four parts, and the periods during which the

sun traverses them are called the seasons of the year—spring, summer,

autumn, and winter.

Accordingly, the zodiacal signs are

distributed over the seasons. However, the Hindus do not divide the year into

four, but into six parts, and call these six parts ritu. Each ritu comprehends

two solar months, i.e. the period of the sun’s marching through two

consecutive zodiacal signs. Their names and dominants are represented,

according to the most widespread theory, in the following diagram. I have been

told that in the region of Somanˆath people divide the year into three

parts, each consisting of

four months, the first being

varshakˆala, beginning with the month ˆAshˆad. ha; the second,

´sˆýtakala, i.e. the winter; and the third, ushnakˆala, i.e. the

summer.

Uttarˆayana, belonging to the Devas or

Angels. Dakshinˆayana, belonging to the Pitaras or The Zodiacal Signs of

the Ritu. Capricornus and Amphora. Pisces and Aries. Their Names. ´Si´sira.

Vasanta or Kusumˆakara. Their dominants. Nˆarada. Agni the Fire. I am

inclined to think that the Hindus divide the ecliptic by such an opening of the

circle which divides the circumference of a circle into six parts, a measure

which is equal to the radius, beginning with the two solstitial points, and

that therefore they use sixth parts of the ecliptic. If this is really the

case, we must not forget that we, too, sometimes divide the ecliptic, beginning

with the two solstitial points, at other times beginning with the equinoctial

points, and that we use the division of the ecliptic in twelfth parts side by

side with that in fourth parts.

[The dominants of the single halves of

months.] The months are divided into halves from new moon to full moon, and

from full moon to new moon. The Vishnu-Dharma mentions the dominants of the

halves of the mouths, as we give them in the following table:—

The Names of the months. The dominants of the

Bright half of each month. The dominants of the Black half of each month.

Caitra. Twasht.ri. Yˆamya.

Vai´sˆakha. Indrˆagnˆý.

ˆAgneya.

Jyaisht.ha. ´Sukra. Raudra.

ˆAshˆad. ha. Vi´svedevˆah. .

Sˆarpa.

´Srˆavan. a. Vishn. u. Pitrya.

Bhˆadrapada. Aja. Sˆanta.

ˆ Asvayuja. Asana (?) Maitra.

Kˆarttika. Agni. ´Sakra.

Mˆarga´sirsha. Saumya. Nirr.iti.

Pausha. Jˆýva. Vishn. u.

Mˆagha. Pitrya. Varun. a.

Phˆalguna.

Bhaga. Pˆushan