Abstract:
It is very well known that the observation of stars constituted an integral part of Indian astronomical texts. The twenty seven stars along the zodiac were used as references for longitudes. Here we discuss an application which is generally not highlighted. The method uses the meridian transit observation of stars to determine the ascendant (lagna), as cited in the seventeenth-century manuscript Brahmatulya Udāharaṇam by Viśvanātha. We assess the method of calculation and discuss the possibility of a table being prepared based on observations.
