Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.20

v1.c6.20

As for solar and lunar eclipses, translated *sutras* explain that the eclipse cycle takes place every six months and are caused by Asurindaka Rahu who hides the sun and the moon with his hands. Textual sources, outside the translated sutras, inform us that Indian astronomy transmitted to China was good in the skill of calculating the eclipse. These note the calculation method of the Indian monk, Kasyapa Xiaowei. This is found in Volume 33 of *Jiu Tangshu* (*Book of the Later Tang*) attached to the Eclipse Calculation Skill of Lin Deli (Linde Calendar) as an annexure entitled ‘Indian Method of Kashyap Xiaowei and Others’ (see the entry of ‘Kasyapa Xiaowei’ for details). In Volume 34 of the same book, there is another entry attached to the chapter on ‘Eclipse Calculation Skill of Dayan Li (Dayan Calendar)’ which describes the Indian ‘method to judge eclipse’ descended from the Indian monk, Kumara (see the entry on ‘Kumara’ for details). Furthermore, the *Jiuzhili* (Jiuzhi Calendar), edited and translated by Gautama Siddha introduces Indian eclipse calculation method in detail (see the entry on 'Jiuzhi Calendar' for details).