Dhanishta

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Shylaja, Youla Azkarrula

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Dhanishta, the 23rd nakshatra, in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

The 22nd and 23rd nakshatra mapped to the star chart at Aquila and Delphinus. Dhanishta is the eastern (left) one.

Dhaniṣṭhā (धनिष्ठा ), "most famous", is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it.

Etymology and History

Name Variants

• Dhaniṣṭhā
• Dhanishta
• Vāsava,
• Vasubha,
• Śraviṣṭhā ("the swiftest")

Origin of Constellation

The term "Dhaniṣṭhā" is a group of stars. The coordinates match with Beta Delphini. However, it can be associated with Gamma Delphini within the errors in the coordinates provided in the catalogue. The listed magnitude is 3. The word Dhaniṣṭhā literally means "most famous" which may refer to the recognizable shape of stars of Delphinus that are identified here. An alternative name Śraviṣṭhā (श्रविष्ठा), is specifically mentioned in the Yajurveda for winter solstice. Its position to the north of ecliptic rakes up the question as to how this was accommodated in to the ecliptic.

Its depiction in the temple engraving as a group of stars fitted in almost square enclosure contrasts with the a huge jar containing exactly 100 small stars depicted by Jones. For whatever reason (not specified) here are exactly 100 stars in the jar (neighboring the "100 physicians"-asterism Śatabhisa in the sky) and they are only inside the jar. The depiction of Revati (रेवती) also is a jar with fewer star among which two are outside of the jar.  There seems to be other variants too as in the Buddhist and Chinese depictions. Parāśara Tantra considered to be older by several centuries than 6th century recognises it as a bird's cage (Śakuni pañjara) with four stars.

The standard identification is the group of the brightest stars in Delphinus: α, β, γ, δ Delphini

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Rotanev	HIP 101769	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.63
2	Sualocin	HIP 101958	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.8
3	Aldulfin	HIP 101421	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.03
4	γ 2 Delphini	HIP 102532	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.25
5	δ Delphini	HIP 102281	Inside the hull	4.417
6	κ Delphini	HIP 101916	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.07
7	ι Delphini	HIP 101800	Inside the hull	5.418
8	θ Delphini	HIP 101882	Inside the hull	5.71
9	10 Del	HIP 102080	Inside the hull	5.998
10	-	HIP 101966	Inside the hull	6.385

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

• 
  Dhanishta nakshatra in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).
• 
  Display of all 28th nakshatras in silver arch with candles in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).
• 
  Display of all 28th nakshatras in a door frame in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).
• 
  Dhanishta Tibetean
• 
  Dhanishta Chinese
• 
  Dhanishta Indonesian drum
• 
  Dhanishta as reconstructed by Jones (1720).

Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

References

• Referen

ces (general)