5. The signs of the zodiac.
As the sun completes his circuit of the ecliptic or zodiac in the course of a year, it followed that if his course could be measured and divided into periods, these periods would form divisions of time for the year. This was what the ancients did, and it is probable that the measurement and division of time was the primary object of the science of astronomy, as apart from the natural curiosity to ascertain the movements of the sun, moon and planets, when they were looked upon as divine beings controlling the world. They divided the zodiac or the path of the sun into twelve parts, and gave to each part the name of the principal constellation situated on, or adjacent to, that section of the line of the ecliptic. When they had done this and observed the dates of the sun’s entry into each sign or rāshi, as it is called in Hindi, they had divided the year into twelve solar months. The following are the Hindu names and meanings of the signs of the zodiac:
| 1. | Aries. | The ram. | Mesha. |
| 2. | Taurus. | The bull. | Vrisha. |
| 3. | Gemini. | The twins. | Mithuna. |
| 4. | Cancer. | The crab. | Karkati. |
| 5. | Leo. | The lion. | Sinha. |
| 6. | Virgo. | The virgin. | Kanya. |
| 7. | Libra. | The balance. | Tūla. |
| 8. | Scorpio. | The scorpion. | Vrischika. |
| 9. | Sagittarius. | The archer. | Dhanus or Chapa. |
| 10. | Capricornus. | The goat. | Makara (said to mean a sea-monster). |
| 11. | Aquarius. | The water-bearer. | Kūmbha (a water-pot). |
| 12. | Pisces. | The fishes. | Mina. |
The signs of the zodiac were nearly the same among the Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians and Indians. They are supposed to have originated in Chaldea or Babylonia, and the fact that the constellations are indicated by nearly the same symbols renders their common origin probable. It seems likely that the existing Hindu zodiac may have been adopted from the Greeks.