Art. XI.—The Bṛhat-Saṇhitâ; or, Complete System of Natural Astrology of Varâha-mihira

H. Kern

doi:10.1017/S0035869X0001604X

Art. XI.—The Bṛhat-Saṇhitâ; or, Complete System of Natural Astrology of Varâha-mihira

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011

H. Kern

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1. Victory to the Allsoul, the source of life, the inseparable ornament of heaven, the Sun, who is adorned with a crown of a thousand beams like unto liquid gold!

2. After studying the subject matter which former Seers have revealed with infallible truth, I purpose to treat of the same in an easy style, and in verses neither too few nor too many.

Type: Original Communications
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , January 1870 , pp. 430 - 479

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X0001604X [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1870

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^{page 430 note 1} The commentator, Utpala, takes as ‘the first seer, viz. Brahma,’ but not being identical with points to a plurality of infallible authors, although it is true that Brahma, the Creator, is, of course, the very first astronomer in the Hindu system. The word does not necessarily mean ‘first.’—Cf. v. 5.

^{page 430 note 2} To understand Varâha's meaning, one must bear in mind that the Ṛshis, Munis, in a technical sense, are superhuman beings. They are no more men than, e.g. angels, devils, Vidyâdharas, Râkshasas, etc., are. In enumerations of the various beings, they are classed apart from men, devas, demons, etc., e.g. Sarvadarçana-Sangraha, p. 98, 1. 20: Ṛshis and Devas, however, get often confounded, because both are manifestations of light, as stars, the sun, planets, lightning, the hearth-fire, etc., or rather the spirits, the spiritual powers of those manifestations. It would be difficult to decide whether Agni is a deva, or a ṛishi, kavi; indeed, he is now the one, then the other. A curious passage is found in Mahâbhârata (ed. Bombay), xii. 210, 21, where Gârgya (another form of Garga), the celebrated mythical astronomer, is mentioned:

Here is devarshicaritam, the mythological phrase for jyotishâṃgati. Garga himself is clearly a meteoric phenomenon; see, e.g. Mahâbh. vii. 190, 34:

This is pretty clear, at least to all who have no preconceived notions, and have taken the pains of spelling the alphabet of mythology before they ventured into its higher regions. It would seem that gargaoriginally denoted ‘thunder, lightning,’ as a derivative from garj. It is the masculine form of γοργώ. When real men, as Pâṇini, are called Ṛshis by posterity, it is honoris causâ; and this is natural enough, because ṛshi, muni, kavi, have, besides their technical meaning, the more general one of ‘seer,’ ‘a wise man,’ ‘poet,’ notions which are constantly used as synonyms in Sanskrit and other languages.

^{page 431 note 1} Although the six categories (padârtha) of Substance, Quality, Action, Generality, Speciality, Inherence, are the foundation of Kaṇâda's System (see Vaiç. Sût. 1, 4), they are nowhere said, at least to my knowledge, to be the cause of the universe. It appears that the statement of our author is not accurate. Those who represent Time to be the first cause are, as Utpala rightly observes, the mythologists (paurâṇikâs). He quotes a well-known verse from the Mahâbh.:

Spontaneousness is the cause, according to the Laukâyatikas; Action, in a collective sense, according to the Mîmâńsakas, or followers of the Pûrva-Mîmâńsâ. Their tenet is shortly expressed in these words:

From this, however, it does not necessarily follow that the material world, too, is an effect of Action.

^{page 432 note 1} See Pref. to the text, p.23.

^{page 432 note 2} On anuvakra see Indische Studien, x. p, 205, seq.

^{page 433 note 1} The edited text has , which is wrong; read

^{page 433 note 2} Utpala explains , as though it applied only to astrology, but it is more likely that the word must be taken in its more general sense.

^{page 433 note 3} Since the translation gives an inadequate idea of the terms used in the original, the comment on it is copied here in full:

^{page 434 note 1} Comm.

(i.e. here a half nycthemeron)

According to this system there is no connection between the division of time and that of the circles of heaven. The system in which both divisions are made to correspond with each other may be held to be a fruit of the introduction of Greek science. It is given by Utpala as follows:

(in another system than Parâçara's)

(the same as

Moreover Âryabhaṭa (Siddh. 3, 3), is quoted.

^{page 435 note 1} For

see Siddh. Çirom. (p. 49, 22, and 271, ed. Bâpû-Deva); cf. Sûrya S. Trans, i. 40, note. For

(a plurale tantum) see Siddh. Çirom. p. 272 and 22. Utpala says concisely:

From the Brâhma. Siddh. is quoted:

^{page 435 note 2} The translation follows Utpala, who divides the sentence in this manner:

There would have been more symmetry in the style if the author had written:

(viz.

). It is, after all, quite possible that the manus auctoris really is

. Instead of

the Comm. reads

, and explains accordingly

^{page 436 note 1} Here is a part of the Commentary:

The word

denotes here the ‘half-diameter.’

^{page 437 note 1} The compound means ‘time-person,’ i.e. ‘time-personified,’ which in English is simply expressed by writing Time with a capital.

^{page 437 note 2} On these terms Varâha-mihira dilates (Bṛh. Jâ. 1, 5–20, and Laghu-Jât. 1. 8–20, in Ind. Studien, ii. p. 278–82).

^{page 437 note 3} An explanation of these terms is also met with in the Bṛhajjâtakam, viz. of in 2, 19; of in 2, 21; of or in 2, 20.

^{page 437 note 4} As to , that is, see Bṛh. Jât. 2, 8; for i.e. see 2, 11; for , 2, 12; for 2, 7; (explained by ‘employment,’ has the more general sense assigned to it in the translation); see 2, 1, from the words .

^{page 437 note 5} Utpala renders with that is to say, the sadyomaraṇam, ‘instant death,’ is treated in the chapter on ‘fatal signs,’ chapter 6 of the Bṛhaj-jâtakam, . That only rishṭa. and not arishṭa, can have this sense, is a matter of course. Nevertheless, we often meet with in the MSS., where is required; and not only scribes, but even some authors, seem to have confounded both words, as appears from Indian lexico graphers (see Diet, by Böhtlingk and Roth, s.v. ). The origin of the rather strange confusion must be a mis-read , which means the same as .

^{page 438 note 1} All these subjects form the argument of Bṛhaj.-jât., from chap. 3 to 25. The word has here the meaning expressed in the translation; says UtpaLa on Bṛh. Jât. 25, 13.

^{page 438 note 2} Comm. The addition of gaṇita is not exact, for this is contained in çâstram, the theoretical part of the science. The word in the text has to be changed into in spite of all MSS. The error is very common, yet an error, and a ludicrous one.

^{page 439 note 1} The ceremony denoted here by the term is commonly called see eh. 48, v. 3, and Var. Lect. The ceremony is styled ghṛtakambalam, because ghee is poured over the king by the priest, which being done, the former has to put on a kambala.

^{page 440 note 1} Garga is represented as the astrologer of king Vainya, whose domestic priest wɐs the planet Venus, and whose ministers were the Vâlakhilyas. See Mahâbh. xii. 59, v. 110 seq., and cf. noteto ch. 1, v. 3, here before.

^{page 440 note 2} Utpala defines anga and upânga clearly and concisely: To the pariçishṭâni belong, for instance, the purushalakshaṇam, the ratnalakshaṇam, etc. Garga, as quoted by Utpala, puts it thus:

^{page 441 note 1} The commentator quotes from an unknown work the following characteristic stanzas which purpose to explain how it happened that the astronomical âgama had been preserved in so great purity amongst the Greeks:

That in this passage the Sun is represented to be the fountain head of astronomical science, and in other passages the Creator, is quite natural, because the Sun and Brahma (Hiraṇyagarbha) are identical. The word means simply ‘Producer, Creator,’ and ‘Creation,’ and because the creation of the world is only a generalization of the Sun's rising every morning, denotes ‘morning;’ from this savana is derived etc., i.e. ‘a day reckoned from sunrise to sunrise, a natural day.’ In Bactrian also havana is ‘morning.’ Another derivation from su is ‘the produced, i.e. not original, borrowed light;’ therefore the Moon is called , Bactrian haoma, whereas the producer of light, the unborrowed light, is , the Sun. As to Vishṇu this also is another name of the Sun. Therefore the hymn, in Ṛgveda x. 90, that is a hymn to the Sun, is called Purusha-sûkta, the hymn to Purusha (alias: Vishṇu). Cf. Colebrooke Misc. Ess. I. p. 26, seq. A parallel to the Purusha-sûkta is to be found in Mahâbh. xii. chap. 47; cf. chap. 200, v. 13, and chap. 280, v. 29.

^{page 442 note 1} The scholiast seems to have misunderstood the word

. For comparison's sake here may follow the commentary:

His explanation of

is thus:

in one MS.)

(v. 1.

wanting in one MS.)

The last words do not agree with the singular:

above. It is doubtful whether the reading followed by Utpala, and perhaps by Varâha himself, be the original one. Garga's words may have been:

in which case the rendering would be: ”on grounds of revelations, produced with deceitful announcements.”

^{page 443 note 1} The commentator explains with , but to whom and from whom money would be given? Farther he analyses the compound into and , remarking: but the Jyotiḥçâstram not being mentioned in our passage, the pronoun tad cannot refer to it. The component parts are and , or, as another r. has, . The latter means ‘different from,’ the former, ‘cut, held in disrepute,’ the verb being in some cases synonymous with .

^{;page 443 note 2} ‘Learning or hearing the harmony between the moon and the asterisms,’ means in prose, as Utpala remarks, simply, ‘being told the date of the month and the asterism (nakshatra) of the day,’ . The same idea, in other words, occurs in our author's Yogâyatrâ, 2, 23, seq. (Ind. Studien, x. p. 170).

^{page 444 note 1} Cf. Colebrooke, Misc. Ess. ii. 465; i. 109. Weber, Naxatra.i. 311; ii. 354, seq. Sir W. Jones, As. Res. ii, 391, seq.

^{page 444 note 2} The term

, properly, ‘piercing,’ denotes here, as the popular expression ‘shooting a star, the sun,’ does in some European languages, ‘pointing at a star to take its height,’ etc; in short, ‘observing.’ In this sense

occurs, for instance, in Siddh. Çirom. p. 16, p. 220, and p. 337, seq. ed. Bâpû Deva. It has been quite exactly rendered by Sir W. Jones, As. Res. ii, 392. Here is the commentary:

The words in brackets are not found in all MSS.; they are interpolated, as appears from

, which is out of place. On the observation of the equinoctial shadow Utpala dilates considerably; here is a part of his commentary:

then, about the time of the equinox:

Thus also on the second day:

^{page 445 note 1} It is unnecessary to point out all the passages where our author represents physical impossibilities, although as portentous still as possible. He mentions these out of reverence for the seers of yore, or, as Utpala puts it, . Cf. chap, 9, v. 7.

^{page 445 note 2} It may be doubted whether the author exactly knew what the ancient authorities meant with Parâçara, as quoted by Utpala, says:

Apparently, it is another name for Râhu, but Varâha-mihira must have thought otherwise, for eclipses—possible and impossible ones—are treated in chap. 5.

^{page 446 note 1} ‘Vexed,’ or , is an augural term. The vexation may be of different kinds. First and chiefly, animals are said to be ‘vexed’ when they are Further, when they emit hoarse sounds For other kinds of vexation, see ch. 86, 15.

^{page 446 note 2} In the text r. for , and in v. 8, for .

^{page 446 note 3} Utpala r.

. Here his words:

(not wholly accurate)

It being a matter of course for a Hindu, that

it would be unbefitting to mention this as something quite extraordinary. Moreover, the symmetry between the former and latter half stanza necessarily requires

. As to the meaning of

cf. Daçakumâra, p. 94, 1. 1 (ed. Wilson).

^{page 447 note 1} The Garbhas are the fancied fetuses of the clouds, conceived in a certain period of the year, and born 195 days after the time of conception. See chap. 21.

^{page 447 note 2} The method after which predictions are framed is simple enough. Since the staff, the sceptre, is a token of royalty, the appearance of it forebodes good or evil, according to circumstances, to the king. A crow, being known as thievish, points to theft. A peg is a means of shutting, and therefore denotes the closure of granaries.

^{page 447 note 3} White is the colour of the Brahmans, red of the Kshatriyas, yellow of the Vaiçyas, and black of the Cûdras.

^{page 448 note 1} The asterism, lunar mansion, of a sovereign is the asterism under which his country stands according to the division of the globe, as taught in chap. 14.

^{page 449 note 1} A definition of ulkâ, aç, and vidyut may be found chap. 33, verse 1, seq.

^{page 449 note 2} Verse 38 and 39 of the text form one stanza in the metre Narkuṭaka. Cf. ch. 104, 53; Colebrooke, Misc. Essays, ii. pp. 148, 162; Weber, Ind. Studien, viii. p. 396.

^{page 450 note 1} Utpala explains with this passage proves that he is right. In this acceptation the word occurs often enough, indeed, but the Hindu commentators have commonly misunderstood it.

^{page 451 note 1} The statement contained in this verse is one of those which our author found in the ancient standard works, and repeated out of piety for the Ṛshis. The commentator quotes one of those seers, Garga, from whose words we may gather that in his time i.e. in the time of the author of the work ascribed to the mythical Garga) the Nakshatras had not all of them the same extension. Cf. Weber, Naxatra i. p. 309, seq., where the passage from Garga is to be found. The remark of Utpala, eited by Weber, l.c., after a very corrupt MS., runs thus:

^{page 452 note 1} The reading of the printed text and of the comm. is against grammar. Not the curved line (being the subject in the sentence) is called , but the figure. Therefore, the true r. is as exhibited in most MSS.

^{page 452 note 2} The ten positions

or figures

of the moon were well known to Varâha-mihira as wanting a scientific base. The motive that led him and other scientific Hindu astronomers to attend to such matters is well explained by Utpala:

(viz.

^{page 452 note 3} The comm. follows another r. (see VV. R.R.), and divides the sentence in this way:

This cannot be right, because not being an adjective, cannot be an attribute to yet it ought to be, because the following is such an attribute.

^{page 453 note 1} This word is very doubtful; see VV. RR.

^{page 453 note 2} Instead of as exhibited in the printed text, we ought to r. as one codex of the comm. actually has. It is one word, also, according1 to Utpala's comment. The Marukuccas, or Murukuccas, were a people in the modern Kaferistan, or thereabouts; cf. ch. 14, v. 23. As to this would be grammatically correct, and mean ‘Marwar and Kach;’ yet, wherever it is intended to be oneword, it is nothing but a very frequent clerical error.

^{page 453 note 3} The cannibals being always placed in the far East must denote either the inhabitants of the Andamans and Nicobars, or the cannibal tribes of the Indian Archipelago, or both.

^{page 454 note 1} In order to show in what manner Varâha-mihira made use of his authorities, the following passage of Parâçara's, being a counterpart to v. 21–27, is given as a specimen:

(v.1

(v.1.

(MSS.

and

^{page 454 note 2} One's birth-star is the asterism the moon is standing in at the time of one's birth.

^{page 455 note 1} Cf. Mahâbh. i. ch. 19. The nectar, amṛta or soma, which the Devas and Râhu drink, i.e. with which they plenish and replenish themselves, is the light they borrow from the sun.

^{page 456 note 1} That is, at the distance of five, four, or three signs.

^{page 456 note 2} Comm.

^{page 456 note 3} That is, if she has the same latitude, or nearly so.

^{page 457 note 1} In other words, ‘the moon's node,’

Comm.

(Cf. Sûrya-S. 2, 6)

Cf.Sûrya-S. 1, 68, seg,; Siddh, . Çirom. Gaṇit. Madhyâmadhy, v. 21Google Scholar.

^{page 458 note 1} Utpala quotes a verse from Vṛddha-Garga (v. 1. Garga):

Utpala observes—

^{page 458 note 2} For the whole process cf. Sûrya-S. 4 and 5; Siddh. æirom. Grahaṇavâs. v. 11, seq.—Utpala calls the also as the corrected latitude is, in fact, the latitude applied with the parallax in latitude. He says:

i.e. “subtract the square of the corrected latitude from the square of half the sum of the measures of sun and moon; multiply the square root of the remainder by two; from this predict the moment of obscuration, in the same way as you find the date in lunar time (i.e. multiply by 60 and divide by the difference of the daily motions of sun and moon).” This verse is taken from Varâha-mihira's Pancasiddhantikâ, the very work referred to in the text. The Comm. proceeds: To a more common form of which is , he adds only an explanatory . See Bâpû Deva in Transl. of Siddh. Çirom. p. 184, seq.

^{page 459 note 1} That is to say, an eclipse at any other period but that of six months. comm. (!) A quotation from Garga—

^{page 460 note 1} The heaven, and also the day, are for the purpose divided into six parts. Yet the Scholiast says, ‘into seven parts.’

^{page 460 note 2} The Scholiast explains the word and synonyms, both here and at other passages, by ‘goldsmiths, blacksmiths,’ etc. and at v. 35:

^{page 460 note 3} Comm.

^{page 461 note 1} The author and Utpala were perfectly well aware that many statements of the ancient astrologers have no foundation whatever in observation. The remarks of the commentator to this verse are curious—

(See Bṛh. Sanh. ch. 9, v. 7, where this program,

of Varâha-mihira is found).

^{page 461 note 2} Comm.: to which in some MSS. is added :.

^{page 461 note 3} The Scholiast takes here as an appellative noun, ‘boxers.’

^{page 462 note 1} The expression is somewhat ambiguous. According to the Scholiast it is . It must denote, in the widest sense, all living beings that make use of poison in self-defence, like the scorpion, for the system of astrology requires a connexion between Scorpio, in which the eclipse occurs, and the sufferers by it.

^{page 462 note 2} Or, ‘the Mallas;’ may be the expression applies both to these and to boxers.

^{page 462 note 3} ‘To fishes,’ because the Makara is an aquatic animal.

^{page 462 note 4} The different copies of the Comm. have been so meddled with that it is well-nigh impossible to make out what reading is the one preferred by Utpala himself. Thus much is certain, that some copies have, or should have , others . One MS. has : Another, however, , yet this latter copy contains the following words, which would have been expected in the former copy, where they are just wanting: : The difference itself is trifling, but the quoted passage may show how the MSS. have been altered. I am not able to say which part of the Himalayan hill-country was called Antargiri; it may be Kumadn, or a still more eastern district. Cf. ch. xvi. 2, and Mahâbhâr. II. ch. xxvii. 3.

^{page 463 note 1} Utpala takes appellative, ‘Seigniors.’ It seems more likely that the inhabitants of Âryâvarta are meant.

^{page 463 note 2} That is to say, when an cclipse occurs whilst the sun or moon is standing in such or such a Nakshatra, woe betides that part of the globe which is allotted to the Nakshatra.

^{page 463 note 3} Comm.: Further is explained what is meant with the right and left side of the sun and moon:

^{page 464 note 1} The scholiast does not fail to observe the impossibility of this case:

^{page 464 note 2} Utpala again remarks that this can only happen with solar eclipses, and he adduces the reason why.

^{page 464 note 3} The definition of i.e. ie is given in this distich:

^{page 464 note 4} Parallel passages to vv. 43–52 are quoted in the Comm. from Parâçara and Kâçyapa. For comparison's sake the latter passage, being also the shorter of the two, here follows. :

^{page 465 note 1} is in Wilson's Dictionary rendered by crystal, but that cannot be the acceptation of the term here. From the yellow colour we may infer that it is one of the different sorts of stone which are known under the name of ‘oriental topaz,’ as chrysolith or corindon.

^{page 466 note 1} Comm.

^{page 466 note 2} A planet is said to be ‘eclipsed,’ when, at the time of an eclipse, it is standing in the same sign or asterism () with the sun or moon, and having nearly the same latitude with one of these. Utpala expresses himself in this way: wanting in some MSS.)

^{page 466 note 3} The scholiast r. (although in the MSS. is written ) and regards as an appellative noun, paraphrasing it by : ‘possessors, breeders of kine.’ Cf. however ch. xvi. 17, where the word is certainly the name of the mountain or hill district. In some Codd. of the Comm. are added the words: (v.l.) .

^{page 467 note 1} Properly: at full moon or at new moon. Comm.: (v.l. .

^{page 467 note 2} Utpala expresses himself accurately in saying: whence follows that Vasishṭha is a nomen of a gens, like the Roman Julius, Cornelius, with this difference, that in Latin not only is said Cornelii, as in Sanskrit, Vasishṭhâh, but also Cornelius, whereas in Sanskrit, in names of tribes and nations, a simple individual is denoted by a derivative, e.g. Vâsishṭha = one out of the family called Vasishṭha. The mythical ancestor of the Vasishṭha-vańça is the Ṛshi Vasishṭha, one of the stars of the Great Bear, in the same way as the sun is the ancestor of the Sûrya-vańça.

^{page 467 note 3} Schol. ; the expression in the text reminds one of the Latin corpore quaestum faciens.

^{page 468 note 1} The Comm. takes as one compound; . The translation attempts to retain the probably studied ambiguity of the text.

^{page 468 note 2} Comm.:

^{page 468 note 3} In this way the word is written in those MSS. that generally follow a correct orthography.

^{page 468 note 4} For comparison's sake a passage from Parâçara is quoted, as being the counterpart to v. 69–80.

(? MSS. and (? MS. (MS. ) It is clear that Varâha-mihira had this passage before his mind, but he must have followed other authorities too, and here and there another reading than is exhibited above; this applies especially to the passage about an eclipse in Âshâḍha.

^{page 469 note 1} For the case of a solar eclipse, see v. 91.

^{page 469 note 2} Utpala observes the imaginary character of this and the following separation:

^{page 470 note 1} The Comm. r. , and supplies .

^{page 470 note 2} The original meaning of the term or , as we find in a passage from Kâçyapa, is left unexplained by the scholiast.

^{page 470 note 3} Comm.: The same is repeated in the following verse.

^{page 470 note 4} So the Comm.: There is, however, no cogent reason for this, and it might as well mean: ‘of the pregnant women.’

^{page 470 note 5} These animals are, as the scholiast intimates: :.

^{page 471 note 1} The rendering of by ‘staff in the air.’ is only a makeshift, for, although a description or definition of the phenomenon is given ch. xxx. v. 16, and ch. xlvii. v. 19, I have not been able to find out its precise nature.

^{page 471 note 2} The Comm. wrongly renders by ‘bad behaviour,’ as the author evidently meant the compound not Cf. Goldstücker's Dictionary, s.v.

^{page 471 note 3} It is strange that in the text the noun proper is omitted. To account for the omission we must assume that in the author's autograph every chapter was headed with the words: or —; this chapter, e.g., must have been inscribed or .

^{page 472 note 1} Utpala observes that this case is an impossible one, or, as he puts it, an unnatural one, whilst he accounts in the usual way for the author's mentioning the case.

^{page 472 note 2} Comm.: cf. ch. v. 93.

^{page 472 note 3} Comm.: Cf. Ind. Studien, x. p. 206, seq.

^{page 472 note 4} Comm.: Quotation from Parâçara:

^{page 472 note 5} In ch. xiv. Exceptions to the rule are given in v. 12, below.

^{page 473 note 1} Comm. Cf. about ch. ix. v. 24 note, and about the occultation of the junction star of Maghâ especially, ib. v. 28.

^{page 473 note 2} Utpala says: :. It is, however, not quite certain whether (as it is writtenin some MSS.) or is intended. Uncommonly low prices, it must be understood, are certainly a sign of declining prosperity.

^{page 473 note 3} Exceptions to the general rule contained in the second part of v. 7 (see above). The statements of this verse moreover supersede or restrict, according to Utpala, v. 11: . It would seem more correct to consider the want of rain (v. 11) to be an exception to the generally auspicious character of the conjunctures mentioned in v. 12.

^{page 474 note 1} After the Comm. In support of this view he cites Parâçara:

He adds that the expression may be explained otherwise: . This, indeed, is the definition of in ch. ix. v. 6, and, in order to show that the author might have meant the same here, he quotes Garga:

The neuter gender of is a solecism probably due to the copyists, cf. ch. ix. v. 1–6.

^{page 474 note 2} i.e. ‘goes midst through,’ or ‘causes the occultation of,’ as the Schol. says: . Whether here precisely the junction stars are meant, is doubtful. At all events some of the statements in the text imply an impossibility: Cf. note v. 4 below.

^{page 475 note 1} The text has only ‘having approached, standing in,’ but the Comm. supplies ‘and crushing,“ . A parallel passage from Kâçyapa has:

^{page 475 note 2} comm.:

^{page 475 note 3} Comm. .

^{page 475 note 4} The Schol. combines with , and interprets accordingly: , but this is too great a license, because is separated from through .

^{page 475 note 5} The parallel passage from Kâçyapa bears:

^{page 476 note 1} The passage which Varâha-mihira almost copied from the Ṛshi's work, is quoted in the Comm. :

(rather (v.l (r. ) (r. ) (rather (sic).

^{page 476 note 2} The origin and purport of the term is not clear, and the rendering of it by ‘extreme’ (properly, ‘being at the end of the period’?) questionable. From the form in v. 8 we may infer that Varâha-mihira considers to be the feminine to formed with Samâsânta , so that the word is no compound with , but with . Another form (see below) is , in the feminine gender; this seems to be the preferable, not to say the only correct form; it is no compound at all, but a derivative from a compound .

^{page 476 note 3} This passage implies that Mercury, when rising in the natural station, will be visible for forty days, and, likewise, when setting in it, continue invisible during the same period. Utpala says—. Father: