History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.80

v6.c82.80

The astronomical and astrological literature in Sanskrit falls into three slightly overlapping periods. The first period is that of the Vedic Saṁhitās and the Brāhmaṇas from the mists of antiquity to about 800 B. C. The second is represented by the Vedāṅgajyotiṣa, the Śrauta, Gṛhya and Dharma sūtras, Manu and Yājñavalkya, Garga and Jain works like the Sūryaprajñapti and ended about the 3rd century A. D The third period begins at the commencement of the Christian era and is represented by the works called Siddhānta and gave rise to the works of Āryabhaṭa (born 476 A. D.), of Varāhamihira (about 475 to 550 A. D.), Brahmagupta (born in 598 A. D.) and so on Those who want to make a deep study of the History of Hindu Astronomy should carefully read the work in Marathi written by Shankar Balkrishna Dixit in 1896 (2nd edition in 1931 by his son). Even Thibaut who is generally chary of praising any Indian achievement in astronomy was constrained to observe that Dikshit's work is the richest source of Indian astronomical material and that his treatment from Brahmagupta onwards is particularly detailed (Grundriss, p. 3) Dikshit held that the scientific system of Indian astronomy is essentially independent and rests on Indian observations. In my humble opinion this view is far sounder than the view that the scientific astronomy of India was derived from or was greatly influenced by Greek astronomy. I have decided (as stated above p. 480) not to enter into detailed discussions about astronomical matters. Therefore, I shall rest content with mentioning some of the important works and contributions that should be studied by those desirous of intimate knowledge of the History of Indian Astronomy. Davis on 'Astronomical computations of the Hindus' in Asiatic Researches, vol. III. pp 209-277; Bentley's 'Historical view of Hindu Astronomy' in Asiatic Researches, vol. VI. pp. 537-588; Colebrooke's Miscellaneous Essays (1837) vol. II.