Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c4.s4.t2: Mādhava (c. 1400 A.D.)

Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c4.s4.t2

Language
English

Mādhava (c. 1400 A.D.)

c4.s4.t2.1

Mādhava, a Kerala astronomer is well-known for his *Veṇvāroha*¹. He was regarded as the authority on spherical astronomy and mathematics and is often referred to by later writers as a *golavid*² (expert on spherical mathematics). Mādhava belonged to Saṃgamagrāma², a village of the name Saṃgama³. Mādhava gives also his family title as *bakula vihāram*⁴ in his *Veṇvāroha* (verse 13).

c4.s4.t2.2

¹ Ed. by K. V. Sarma with the Malayalam commentary of Acyuta Piṣāraṭi, *Ravivarma Sanskṛta* Series No. 7, Trippunithura, 1956.

c4.s4.t2.3

² (a) *tacca saṃgamagrāmajena golatattvavida mādhavena pradarśitam* (*Āryabhaṭīyabhāṣya* of Nīlakaṇṭha, TSS. 185, p. 75)
(b) *vande golavidaśca mādhavamukhān* (*Sphuṭanirṇaya* by Acyuta Piṣārati, Oriental Library, Madras, Ms. R. 3799 (b)).

c4.s4.t2.4

³ *Irriññālakkuṭa* in Cochin, famous for the temple of Saṃgameśvara.

c4.s4.t2.5

⁴ Bakulam=Iraññi, Viharam=palli. So the local form of the word is *Iranni-ninna-palli*. This house exists even now in that place, though the present descendents have failed to preserve their scholarly tradition.

c4.s4.t2.6

Mādhava's date of writing *Veṇvāroha* is fixed up to be 1400 A D. from an epoch he used in this work⁵. This date can also be supported by other evidences. Pārameśvara, one of his disciple wrote his *Dṛggaṇita* in 1431, A.D. (vide infra). Hence it is quite likely that Mādhava wrote thirty years before that of his disciple. Therefore Mādhava may be considered to have flourished during the end of fourteenth century.

c4.s4.t2.7

⁵ The epoch was used as 1502008 (*dīnanamrānuśāsya*) Kali days together with 5180 (*ādikurma*) cycles of moon. The first numerical figure gives 1010 years and the second gives 390 years. Two together amount to 1400 A. D.

c4.s4.t2.8

Besides *Veṇvāroha* which deals with an accurate method of calculating the exact positions of the moon Mādhava is well-known for his work¹ on trigonometry and on infinite series with correct determination of the value of π. Nīlakaṇṭha quotes profusely Mādhava's name and says that he has used Mādhava's theorems in his (*Āryabhaṭīya*) *bhāṣya*. In one place he quotes a verse attributing it to Mādhava and admits that he has heard it from an astrologer while travelling in North Kerala². This suggests that Mādhava besides *Veṇvāroha* might have composed other works which though extinct at present became popular throughout Kerala. Mādhava is largely quoted in later Malayalam works namely, the *Yukti-bhāṣā* of Jyeṣṭhadeva, *Kriyakramakarī*, a commentary on the *Līlāvatī* etc.

c4.s4.t2.9

¹ Vide. Ramavarma Maru Tampuran, '*vṛttaparidhiyiluṭe*' *Mangalodayam*, Vol. 20, p. 252-6; the verse giving the value of, *vyāse vāridhinihate rupahate......*is quoted as Mādhava's in the *Kriyākramakarī Comm.* on the *Līlāvatī* (Madras, R. 2754, p. 362). Vide also. K. V. Sarma's article on Mādhava, *Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society*, 49, No. 3, p. 183-86, 1958.

c4.s4.t2.10

² *tadviṣayamapyanuṣṭubantaraṃ mādhavoktaṃ mūṣika deśajād daivajñāt paryaṭatā śrutaṃ mayā* (*muṣikadeśa* is Kolattunāḍ in North Kerala) *Āryabhaṭīyabhāṣya* of Nīlakaṇṭha, Vol. II, p. 47.

Linked texts (2)