印度天文 Indian Astronomy

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新一年，決心多用中文寫作。

過去寫作，不管是個人創作，工作書信，還是學術文章，都以英文居多。去年簽了兩本中文書的稿約，還有社科院《小品般若》梵漢對勘本，拖延了近十年，看來不可以再耽誤。日後中文出書的機會預計不少，所以一定要把中文寫得順暢。慚愧的說，我的日語，甚至世界語的文章，比中文的還要多。這幾年在書院裡改不少中文卷，學生的文筆比我的好，我倒要向他們學習。

除此之外，還有什麼願望？

學術著作方面，當然Routledge的那本書一定要上半年內完成。已經逾期一年多，本來預算在劍橋定稿，疫情爆發給我添了一個延誤的藉口。其他幾個項目，已接近完成，成果指日可待。Brill的「古代東亞宇宙觀」論文集上月最後定稿，預算四月出版，內容質量我還算滿意，合編者Eric功不可沒，從編輯、修改，到索引，整個過程都十分細心，一個近七年的跨國跨學科的研究項目，從日本開始、途徑德、美、英多國，最後回到香港，總算劃上句號。

SCIAMVS一比較長的文章，今天主編又催稿了。這篇文章的靈感，來自2013年跟矢野教授的一場對話，當時矢野教授提及到他的一位學生杉田女士，年紀要比教授大，但對印度天文學文獻的研究十分熱心，90年代時把一批梵文天文學文獻數據化並公諸於世，回饋學界。杉田女士當時打算修讀博士課程，遺憾丈夫突然得病，無奈棄學歸家照料家人。矢野教授已經退休了，杉田的研究課題二十年來無人問津，其中涉及到有關印度Brāhmapakṣa「梵派」天文學早期天文學文獻的問題，正是現在我這篇文章的題目。幾年前離開日本前，我跟矢野教授一同到静岡探望杉田女士，眼見兩位長者都沒有繼續文獻考證的工作了，我心想我也換了老花鏡，寫本的工作必須趁著眼睛還好時完成。

2018年矢野教授和我花了幾個月的時間，先把Paitāmahasiddhānta印刷版的內容讀了一遍。接著我搜集了幾部寫本，開始進行精挍工作。其實當時比較關心的是Gargasaṃhitā(Gārgīyajyotiṣa)的校對和出版，所以Paitāmahasiddhānta做得比較慢。最後第一二章內容整理出來，2019年1月在孟買IIT大學會議時發表，同年3月又在哥本哈根大學工作坊跟其他梵文學者細讀原文，當時Martin Gansten給我提供了不少寶貴的意見。這篇文章本來打算在古代印度數學期刊Gaṇita Bhāratī刊登，後來編輯覺得數學內容不足，探討的問題主要為歷史與文獻，於是決定投稿SCIAMVS。由於過去在SCIAMVS已經投過兩次稿，程序和格式都熟悉，稿件很快就接了，並得到兩位匿名審評的認可。其中一名審評給我提供了大量意見，密密麻麻五六頁紙，涉及很多異常複雜的問題，大半年來一直抽不出時間來改稿。不過這次主編連同矢野教授也來催稿，不得不就範，上週開始馬不停蹄的改，越看越不滿意，無論如何下週一得交稿。這篇文章涉及兩位教授，Pingree和Van der Waerden近三十年對古代印度天文學源流的爭論，我拿出了新的證據，試圖提供一個最合理的結論。做得不好也算一個交待，反正梵文的精挍本出版了大家可以批評指正。

若干年後，這些早期梵文天文學的文獻需要整理出版。上月MLBD一個主編跟我聯繫，問我有沒有新作打算出版，現在先不想，關鍵是先把手上必須完成的做好後再說。

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In India, the Hindus celebrate the New Year from the month of Caitra which begins from the New Moon, and in which the Sun enters “Aries” (Sanskrit: meṣa). Whereas, in Southeast Asia and certain parts of India such as Bengal, the New Year starts directly from “the moment the Sun enters Aries” (Sanskrit: meṣasaṃkrānti = Thai: songkran). Since the Gregorian calendar is solar, the latter Indian (solar) New Year is more or less fixed at around Apr 14/15. The former (luni-solar) Indian New Year is always close to the latter, but moves around depending when the New Moon is.

But what is the true significance behind either of these New Years?

Just like all the calendars, Gregorian, Chinese, etc., they preserve a distant memory of the past. The latter Indian New Year was originally associated with spring, when the vernal equinox was located in Aries at around 400 CE. (Due to precession, the equinoctial point has now moved to Pisces). This coordinate system was originally developed by the Greco-Babylonian astronomers a few centuries before the common era and was adopted by the Indian some centuries after the common era. Prior to that, the Indians used only a luni-solar calendar like the Chinese.

The concept behind the former luni-solar Indian New Year beginning with Caitra is therefore much older. In the Vedas, Caitra is associated with spring (vasanta) as well, but was associated with the vernal equinox at a much earlier date at least a thousand years earlier, located in the nakṣatra Kṛttikā (close to Taurus).

Although both the contemporary Indian New Years are completely arbitrary, tied to Aries which carries greater meaning in astrology than in astronomy, we can nonetheless see beautifully how precession brought us from Taurus (former luni-solar India New Year), to Aries (latter solar Indian New Year), and to finally Pisces (where vernal equinox is currently located).

While on the topic of astral science, I should point out that today we have the Sun, Mercury, Mars in Aries and the Moon in Taurus.

A belated happy new year to all my friends who celebrate the Indian New Year(s)!