Foreword by N. C. Lahiri pages xi-xii to “Popular Hindu Astronomy” by Kali Nath.
Mukherji, published by Nirmal Mukherjea, 18, Deshpriya Park, West, Calcutta- ...
Some Proofs in support of that NKS were of unequal divisions :-
First Proof :> > Shatapatha Brahmana 2/1/2/1-4 says, "One should get > > consecrated in Krittikas…Krittikas alone consist of many stars. Other > > asterisms consist of only one or two or three or four stars but Krittikas > > have many. These are the only stars which do not deviate from the east > > whereas all the other nakshatras do deviate from the East but not > > Krittikas…" >> > > We have to bear in mind that as per these Mantras of > > the Shatapatha Brahmana, Krittika nakshatra had maximum number of stars. > > That means that nakshatra divisions in the Vedic time were of unequal > > dimensions unlike that of the Vedanga Jyotisha! And it also means that > > apart from Alcyone, there were several other prominent stars in that > > division.
Second Proof :Sidhanta Shiromani by Bhaskara-II, Digital Library edition
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Third proof :Foreword by N. C. Lahiri pages xi-xii to “Popular Hindu Astronomy” by Kali Nath Mukherji, published by Nirmal Mukherjea, 18, Deshpriya Park, West, Calcutta-26 in 1969 “In India the ecliptic stars were divided into 28 divisions even in the Vedic times. These are known as nakshatra divisions or lunar mansions. As these clusters of stars do not cover equal lengths of the ecliptic, the original divisions were naturally of unequal length. We get a description of this unequal division in the work of Bhaskaracharya, who has stated that it was introduced by early sages (those like Garga). In this unequal division system, there are 15 nakshatras of normal length which is 13° 10’ 35”, the mean daily motion of the moon. The nakshatras Bharni, Ardra, Ashlesha, Svati, Jyeshtha and Shatabhisaj were of half the above length and the nakshatras Rohini, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Vishakha, Uttarashadha and Uttarabhadrapad were of one and a half times the normal length, and Abhijit
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length was only 4° 14’ 15”, the residue of the circle. With the introduction of computational astronomy, the above unequal division was found very inconvenient for practical calculations. As a result, the ecliptic was subsequently divided into 27 equal parts and Abhijit was excluded from the list. Thus we get 27 nakshatras or lunar mansions of 13° 20’ each starting from Ashvini. It is likely that this equal division system came into vogue when the nakshatra cycle started from Krittika at the Vedic times about 2000 BCE. At the time of the Vedanga Jyotisha (1350 BC) when the nakshatra cycle started from Dhanishtha, the equal division system was fully established”
Fourth Proof :-
Alberuni’s India, page 87 of Part-II (he came to India in 11’th A.D.)
“Brahmagupta says in the Uttara-khandakhadyaka, i.e the amendation of the Khanda-khadyaka:‘The measure of some stations exceeds the measure of the main daily motion of the moon by one half. Accordingly their measure is 19° 45’ 52” 18’”. There are six stations, viz. Rohini, PUnarvasu, Uttraphalguni, Vishakha, Uttarashadha, Uttarabhadrapad. These together occupy the space of 118° 35’ 13” 48”’. Further six stations are short ones, each of them occupying less than the mean daily motion of the moon by one half. Accordingly, their measure is 6° 35’ 17” 26”’. These are Bharani, Ardra, Ashlesha, Svati, Jyeshtha, Shatabhishaj. They together occupy the space of 39° 31’ 44” 36”’. Of the remaining fifteen stations, each occupies as much as the mean daily motion. Accordingly, it occupies the space of 13° 10’ 34” 52”’. They together occupy the space of 197° 38’ 43”. These three groups or stations together occupy the space of 355° 45’ 41” 24”’, the remainder of the complete circle 4° 13’ 18” 36”’, and this is the space of Abhijit, i.e. the Falling Eagle, which is left out.”
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Fifth Proof from Surya Sidhanta :-
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Sixth Proof (which is based on astronomy) :-
MUTUAL LOCATIONS of CHITRA AND SWATI IN DIFFERENT TIMES BY LAHIRI In Time period :- 1-1400 BC Greek name Star name AI Virginis Spica Alpha Bootis Arctrus
Indian name Chitra Swati
Lon. (DMS) 180 1' 21'' 180 0' 51''
Lati. (DMS) (-) 1 51' 11'' (+) 32 59' 39''
Indian name Chitra Swati
Lon. (DMS) Lati. (DMS) 134 48' 32'' (-) 1 48' 30'' 134 36' 21'' (+) 33 56' 10''
January 1, 3000 BC Tropical Greek name Star name AI. Virginis Spica Alpha Bootis Arctrus
MEAN PLACES OF STARS FOR 1-1400 BC Tropical Greek name Star name AI. Virginis Spica Alpha Bootis Arctrus
Indian name Chitra Swati
Lon. (DMS) Lati. (DMS) 156 45' 13'' (-) 1 51' 11'' 156 44' 43'' (+) 32 59'39''
NOW PLEASE SEE THE LONGITUDES OF CHHITRA AND SWATI THOSE HAVE NEVER BEEN MERELY 1 DEGRREES APART THEN HOW THOSE NKS COULD HAVE BEEN OF SO SPACE IE 13 degree 20 minutes .IF THOSE WOULD HAVE TAKEN ANY SPACE LIKE 13 DEGREE 20 MIN THAN THOSE HAVE TAKEN ANY TARA(WE SAY THOSE AS YOGA TARA) WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ATLEAST 13 DEGREES APART TO ADJACENT ONE YOGA TARA AND THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MIDDLE OF THOSE NKS.BUT SEE IN THIS CASE. IT CONCLUDES LOGICALLY THAT THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY CLUSTER OF STARS.
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