Trivikrama

Trivikrama, Three Steps, is an Indian name. It is a super-constellation in Ursa Major that consists of three constellations of two stars each, Yugma (युग्म) and Yugmaka (युग्मक) (the "double stars" in the ancient sense of the term, meaning two stars very close together but clearly separate for the naked eye). This Indian constellation equals the Chinese constellation Santai (三台) (three steps), but the direction of transfer is yet unknown.

Concordance, Etymology, History

This epithet refers to the three steps or strides of God Vishnu in the Rigveda. His three steps symbolise either three worlds or three planes: "In three places he planted his step, (one step on the earth, a second in the atmosphere, and a third in the sky) as Agni, Vayu, and Surya each after the other", or the rising, culmination and setting of the Sun.

Origin of Constellation

SanTai in Stellarium (CC BY Sun Shuwei (孙殳玮) based on the Xinyixiangfayao Star Map from Su Song (苏颂, 1020-1101 CE)).

Trivikrama, the Three Steps are a recognisable pattern of three close pairs of stars south of the seven bright ones in Ursa Major.

	Indian name	translation	Dhruvaka (Shylaja)	ikshepa (Shylaja)	RA (???)	DEC (???)		in Chinese
युग्मक	Yugmaka	"double"	102 20	29	6h 54m	52	Surya (Sun)	Upper Steps	ικ UMa
युग्म	Yugma	"double"	119 45	29	8h 9m	49 19	Vayu (Air)	Middle Steps	λμ UMa
			137	25	9h 18m	40 48	Agni (Fire)	Lower Steps	ξν UMa

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

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  SanTai in Stellarium (CC BY Sun Shuwei (孙殳玮) based on the Xinyixiangfayao Star Map from Su Song (苏颂, 1020-1101 CE)).

Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

References

• References (general)