Apamvatsa: Difference between revisions
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=== Origin of Name === |
=== Origin of Name === |
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The ancient astronomical treatise Sūryasiddhānta is considered as an authority from the 8th to the 19th century CE, but the author(s) remain unknown. Its date is estimated to the 4th or 5th century. The S''' |
The ancient astronomical treatise Sūryasiddhānta is considered as an authority from the 8th to the 19th century CE, but the author(s) remain unknown. Its date is estimated to the 4th or 5th century. The S'''ūryasiddhānta''' contains a chapter with lists of coordinates and names of stars, which allows for identifications. |
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'''Sūrya-siddhānta''', Chapter 8, Verse 21 reads: <blockquote>''“अपांवत्सस्तु चित्राया उत्तरऽशेश्व पञ्चभिः ।''</blockquote><blockquote>''बहत्किञ्चिदतो भागे रापष्षडभिरथोत्तरे ॥ २१॥”''</blockquote> |
'''Sūrya-siddhānta''', Chapter 8, Verse 21 reads: <blockquote>''“अपांवत्सस्तु चित्राया उत्तरऽशेश्व पञ्चभिः ।''</blockquote><blockquote>''बहत्किञ्चिदतो भागे रापष्षडभिरथोत्तरे ॥ २१॥”''</blockquote> |
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Latest revision as of 18:53, 7 December 2025
Apāṃvatsa (अपऻऺवत्स), "calf of the waters", is an Indian star name attested throughout the last millennium. The only indication of the position is Apamvatsa is 5° to the north of Citrā (चित्रा) (Spica) in Virgo. No information on magnitudes is preserved.[1] Shylaja and Pai (2019) identify 74 Vir (SIMBAD, VSX), a red giant of roughly one solar mass and apparent brightness of V~4.69 mag. Red giants vary in brightness due to pulsation, but the VSX gives only an interval of 0.07 mag in V.
Apamvatsa is also a modern star name, adopted by the IAU WGSN in October 2025 for 74 Vir.
Concordance, Etymology, History
Translation: "calf of the waters"
Spelling Variants:
Identification Variants:
Shylaja and Pai (2019)[1] also discussed the Mira-variable S Vir that reaches V~6.3 mag in peaks, but find it unlikely. Yet, they conclude that the identification with 74 Vir is debatable.
Origin of Name
The ancient astronomical treatise Sūryasiddhānta is considered as an authority from the 8th to the 19th century CE, but the author(s) remain unknown. Its date is estimated to the 4th or 5th century. The Sūryasiddhānta contains a chapter with lists of coordinates and names of stars, which allows for identifications.
Sūrya-siddhānta, Chapter 8, Verse 21 reads:
“अपांवत्सस्तु चित्राया उत्तरऽशेश्व पञ्चभिः ।
बहत्किञ्चिदतो भागे रापष्षडभिरथोत्तरे ॥ २१॥”
This offers the possibility of an alternate etymological interpretation. While the word apām is typically interpreted as “waters”, the element apa- in Sanskrit can also mean “away, apart, distant, separate.” This interpretation can be seen in some astronomical contexts—for example, in the term apamaṇḍala, referring to the ecliptic as the “circle that is tilted away” from the celestial equator (viśuvat-maṇḍala). Thus, apa- can also be taken to imply the distance or separation in this context. Similarly, while vatsa literally means “calf,” the term also commonly carries the broader sense of “young one,” or a “smaller one”. Under this reading, Apāmvatsa may also be interpreted as “the smaller one that is distant" or "the distant smaller one.”
This alternate interpretation also has observational relevance as according to Sūryasiddhānta, the star Apāmvatsa lies five degrees north of Citrā (Spica), i.e., it is literally the smaller, more distant star relative to a prominent neighbor and 74 Virginis is indeed significantly fainter and positioned roughly five degrees north of Spica, aligning naturally with the description “the distant smaller one.” This "smaller, distant" neighbour of Spica seems to be depicted in the nakṣatra engravings in the Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE.
| Author | Date (CE) | Source/ Reference | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dh | Vi | |||
| Aryabhaṭa | 5th century | (not listed) | ||
| Lalla[2] | 5th– 9th century | (not listed) | ||
| Vaṭeśvara[3] | 10th century | (not listed) | ||
| Śrīpati[4] | 12th century | (not listed) | ||
| Sūryasiddhānta[5] | ? | 5° North of Citrā | ||
| Parameśvara | 13th century | Commentary on SS (Not listed) | ||
| Padmanābha Manuscript B number 45892[6] | 1423 | . | 185|9 | 2|53 |
| Padmanābha Manuscript A 45888[6] | 1576 (or earlier) | 185|9 | 2|53 | |
| Ganeśa Daivajña[7] | 183 | 3 | ||
| Munīśvara,[8] | 1646 | 5° North of Citrā | ||
| Ketkar | 1855 | Ketakīya Grahagaṇitam | ||
| Candraśekhara Sāmanta | 1864 | Siddhāntadarpaṇa. | 5° North of Citrā | |
Transfer and Transformation
Religion/ Tales/ Mythology
Star Name Discussion (IAU)
In 2025, the the historical star name "Apamvatsa" was suggested to be used for 74 Virginis in Virgo.
Decision: The name was adopted on 16 October 2025.
Weblinks
References
- References (general)
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 B. S. Shylaja and Venketeswara Pai (2019). Āpa and Apāṃvatsa – enigmatic stars catalogued in Sūryasiddhānta, J. Astrophys. Astr. (2019) 40:48, Indian Academy of Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/s12036-019-9614-1
- ↑ Śiṣyadhīvṛddhidatantra of Lalla, ed. and tr. by Bina Chatterjee, vol II, INSA, New Delhi, 1981.
- ↑ Vaṭeśvarasiddhānta of Vaṭeśvara, critically edited with English translation and commentary, by Shukla K. S., INSA, New Delhi, 1985.
- ↑ Siddhāntaśekhara, ed. and tr. by Sripada Bhat (INSA Report, unpublished)
- ↑ Wilkinson and Bapudeva Sastri, 1861, online digital versions Google books Phanindralal Gangooly (1989) in GoogleBooks
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Yantrarāja-Adhikāra Chapter 1, Yantrakiraṇāvali, Ohashi Y., IJHS, 32.3 (1997). 199–295
- ↑ Grahalāghava, ed. and tr. by Balachandra Rao S. and Uma S. K., 2008.
- ↑ Siddhāntasārvabhauma of Munīśvara, edited by Pt. Mīthālāla Ojhā, Saṃpurṇānand Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, Varanasi, 1978.
