Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.s1.t3.28

v1.c6.s1.t3.28

Kasyapa Xiaowei was an astronomer who worked in the astronomy institution in the Tang Dynasty. He belonged to the family of *Kasyapa*, one of the three great Indian astronomical families that came to China in the Middle Ages. There is not much description about Kasyapa Xiaowei's deeds. After the Linde Calendar in *Old book of Tang History* narrated the method for calculating the eclipse, there were 400 words involved in the Indian method that he preached. This mainly explained that the Indian Eclipse Calculation Method calculated eclipse points according to the speed of sun and moon. This is a different method from what is recorded in Linde Calendar that calculates eclipse points using a different formula created according to shuowang (lunar) great eclipse points. Additionally, *Old book of Tang* also narrated presages about lunar eclipse, such as “the moon is wet as sweat”, it's different from Chinese astronomical narrations and compares with Indian Sanskrit astronomical documents. The *Indian Eclipse Method* recorded here is close to Vasistha Paulisa's system for calculating lunar eclipse. There is no lunar eclipse from 13 degree to 15 degree but the lunar eclipse takes place within 13 degree (12 degree 15 cents in Chinese). Vasistha Paulisa's calculation method was recorded in verse 1 through 10, chapter VI in *Five Great Siddhantas* (*Pañca Siddhanta*) by Varaha Mihira.