Rashis were sayana in eleventh century India also!

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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.

 

[uttar^ayan.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 uttar^ayan. 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 makar^adi, 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 dakshin^ayana, 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 kark^adi, 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.

 

[uttarak^ula and dakshak^ula.] (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 k^ula. That which has northern declination

is called uttarak^ula or mesh^adi, i.e. having Aries as beginning; that

which has southern declination is called dakshak^ula or tul^adi, 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

Soman^ath people divide the year into three parts, each consisting of

 

four months, the first being varshak^ala, beginning with the month ^Ash^ad.

ha; the second, ´s^ýtakala, i.e. the winter; and the third, ushnak^ala, i.e.

the summer.

 

Uttar^ayana, belonging to the Devas or Angels. Dakshin^ayana, belonging to

the Pitaras or The Zodiacal Signs of the Ritu. Capricornus and Amphora.

Pisces and Aries. Their Names. ´Si´sira. Vasanta or Kusum^akara. Their

dominants. N^arada. 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. Y^amya.

 

Vai´s^akha. Indr^agn^ý. ^Agneya.

 

Jyaisht.ha. ´Sukra. Raudra.

 

^Ash^ad. ha. Vi´svedev^ah. . S^arpa.

 

´Sr^avan. a. Vishn. u. Pitrya.

 

Bh^adrapada. Aja. S^anta.

 

^ Asvayuja. Asana (?) Maitra.

 

K^arttika. Agni. ´Sakra.

 

M^arga´sirsha. Saumya. Nirr.iti.

 

Pausha. J^ýva. Vishn. u.

 

M^agha. Pitrya. Varun. a.

 

Ph^alguna. Bhaga. P^ushan