A History of Sanskrit Literature c35.s3.1

c35.s3.1

Before the discovery of the *Pañcasiddhāntikā* the credit of introducing the new ideas into Indian astronomy was usually given to Āryabhaṭa of Kusumapura, who was born in A.D. 476 and wrote in 499. We have of him only the *Āryabhaṭīya*,⁴ in the shape of 10 stanzas in Āryā verses; the *Daçagītikāsūtra*, in which he gives his numerical notation; and the *Āryāṣṭaçata*, 108 Āryās, divided into the *Gaṇita*, 33 stanzas on mathematics; *Kālakriyā*, 25 stanzas on measurement of time; and *Gola*, 50 stanzas on the sphere. His other works are lost; Albērūnī already could judge of him only by Brahmagupta's attacks. His fame in the light of our larger knowledge seems overdone, as he does not advance much beyond the old *Sūrya Siddhānta* and his views often agree with those of *Pauliça*, but he may have earned commendation by the brevity and elegance of his composition; moreover, his is the first work to show a distinct chapter on mathematics in relation to astronomy, and the division of astronomical topics may have seemed effective. It is, however, of very real interest that he held that the earth was a sphere and rotated on its axis; the idea was not approved by either Varāhamihira or Brahmagupta; if it were so, why can falcons return from the sky to their nests, and why are not flags always blown in one direction as a result of the motion? It is tempting to see here a borrowing by Āryabhaṭa from Greece, but obviously that is a mere guess. He did not believe, we learn, in the height of Meru, he equated the four Yugas despite traditional difference of length, and he ascribed eclipses not to the operation of Rāhu, but to the moon and the shadow of the earth, for which Brahmagupta severely censures him. From Āryabhaṭa a second writer of that name must be distinguished; he was known to Albērūnī and we have a work of considerable size, the *Ārya Siddhānta*,¹ which has been ascribed to *c.* 950, and which in its numerical notation differs entirely from Āryabhaṭa.