Indian Astronomy and Astrology

Dhanush is the Sanskrit name for Sagittarius, the ninth sign of the zodiac. The word means 'bow' in Sanskrit, referring to the archer's bow that is part of Sagittarius symbolism. Sagittarius is represented as a centaur archer in Western astrology, and the bow connects to this imagery.

Makara is the Sanskrit name for Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac. In Hindu mythology, Makara is a mythical sea-creature often depicted as a crocodile or combination of animals. In Vedic astrology, Makara corresponds to Capricorn, which is symbolized by a sea-goat in Western astrology. Both connect to water and earth elements.

Meena is the Hindi name for the Pisces zodiac sign. In Indian astrology, the 12 zodiac signs have Sanskrit/Hindi names, and Meena corresponds to the fish sign known as Pisces in Western astrology. Aries is Mesha, Libra is Tula, and Cancer is Karka in Hindi.

Aryabhatta (476-550 CE), the renowned Indian astronomer and mathematician, propounded the heliocentric theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, rotates on its axis, and that the apparent motion of stars is due to Earth's rotation. This was remarkably advanced for his time, predating Copernicus by nearly a millennium. Kalhana wrote historical chronicles, Brahmagupta was a mathematician-astronomer with different theories, and Bana was a court poet and biographer.

Dhanu is the Indian name of Sagittarius.

Līlāvatī is Indian mathematician Bhāskara II's treatise on Mathematics and was written in 1150.

Lunar system (Chandra Rasi)

A Mahayuga in Hindu cosmology spans 12,000 divine years, which equals 4,320,000 human years (1 divine year = 360 human years). It consists of four yugas: Satya Yuga (4,800 divine years), Treta Yuga (3,600), Dvapara Yuga (2,400), and Kali Yuga (1,200). The other options (1,200, 2,400, 4,800) represent individual yuga durations in divine years, not the complete Mahayuga cycle.

The zodiac system originated in ancient Greek astronomy, though it has earlier Babylonian influences. The Greeks developed and systematized the twelve signs. Option C is correct. France, Israel, and Arabia did not contribute to the zodiac's development.

Aryabhatta, the 5th-century Indian astronomer-mathematician, proposed that the Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun. This heliocentric understanding was remarkable for his time.

This is the correct answer. Shishira : Magha-Phalguna. It falls in the months of January-February.

The Vikrama era began in 57 BC, and the Saka era began in 78 AD. The difference is 57 + 78 = 135 years.

In Indian astronomy, the term Nakshatra is used to refer to lunar mansions or constellations.

The inclusion of Western astronomy in the Indian syllabus is historically linked to the early 20th century, with 1917 being the cited year in many educational contexts.