276                        ALBERUNPS INDIA.

calculation, but it is never and nowhere true for the
degrees of the earth.
The axis of If Pulisa says (v. p. 267) that the earth is held
acoordhigto by au axls, he does not mean thereby that in reality
there exists such an axis, and that but for it the earth
would fall. How could he say such a thing, since he
is of opinion that there are four inhabited cities around
the world, which is explained by the fact that every¬
thing heavy falls from all sides down towards the earth ?
However, Pulisa holds this view, that the motion of the
peripheric parts is the reason why the central parts are
motionless, and that the motion of a globe presupposes
two poles, and one line connecting them, which in the
idea is the axis. It is as if he meant to say, that the
motion of heaven keeps the earth in its place, making
it the natural place for the earth, outside of which it
could never be. And this place lies on the midst of the
axis of motion. For the other diameters of the globe
may also be imagined to be axes, since h SwdpLet they
are all axes, and if the earth were not in the midst of
an axis, there might be axes which did not pass through
the earth. Hence one may say metaphorically that the
earth is supported by the axes.
Whether the      As regards the resting of the earth, one of the ele-

earth moves                                                      „                                    i  •   i       nc

or is at rest, uicntary problems oi astronomy, which oners many and
Brahma-"     great difficulties, this, too, is a dogma with the Hindu
the author,   astrouomers,    Brahmagupta  says   in the  Brahmasid¬
dhdnta: "Some people maintain that the first motion
Page 139.     (from east to west) does not lie in the meridian, but
belongs to the earth.    But Varahamihira refutes them
by saying:  ' If that were the case, a bird would not
return to its nest as soon as it had flown away from
it towards the west.'    And, in fact, it is precisely as
Varahamihira says."

Brahmagupta says in another place of the same book :
"The followers of Aryabhata maintain that the earth
is moving and heaven resting.    People have tried to