8. THREE MEAN MOTIONS OF
THE SUN
The three mean motions of the Sun used in the construction of Hindu
cosmological time cycles are
As the number of diurnal revolutions of the Earth in a year is one greater than the number of mean solar days, we also have1 sidereal year = 360 (I) 6 (II) 0.2563795... (III) -------------- 366.2563795... diurnal revolutions of the Earth.
The three mean motions are like the hour, minute, and second hands of a clock. Their cycles are completed and counted separately. Using the three mean motions, the ancients developed a system of time reckoning that put the day, year, and longer time intervals into exact correspondence with each other.1 sidereal year = 365.2563795... mean solar days.