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Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c4.s4.t9: Karaṇapaddhati (1596 A.D)

Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c4.s4.t9

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Karaṇapaddhati (1596 A.D)

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The *Karaṇapaddhati* is an important astronomical work in ten chapters by an unknown Kerala astronomer of uncertain date. Only this much is known about the author that he was a Brāhmin who took his abode in the village Śivapura.¹ The text in Devanāgarī script is published by K. Sambaśiva Śāstrī², but this edition misses the opening verse.³ Apart from the usual elements and formulae characteristic of Hindu astronomy, the work gives in the sixth chapter, trigonometrical π, *sine cosine* and *tan* series. The mathematical importance of not only *Karaṇapaddhati* but three other texts namely *Tantrasaṃgraha*, *Yuktibhāṣā* and *Sadratnamālā* was first pointed out by C.M. Whish⁴ who discussed π and tan functions given in the texts and attempted to fix their dates.

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¹ The last verse of the tenth chapter reads : *iti śivapuranāma grāmajaḥ ko'pi yajvā*. The author has been identified as Putumana Samayaji, vide *All India 18th Oriental Conference Bulletin*, p. 562-64.

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² Trivandrum Sanskrit Series ( TSS ) No. 126.

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³ Vide *Madras Triennial Catalogue*, Vol. II, Part I, Sans. A. Call No. *1310*.

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⁴ ‘On the Hindu quadrature and the infinite series of the proportion of the circumference to the diameter exhibited in the four śāstras : *Tantrasaṃgraha*, *Yuktibhāṣā*, *Karaṇapaddhati* and *Sadratnamālā’*, *Transaction of the Royal Asiatic Society* ( TRAS ) of Great Britain and Ireland, 3, part III, 509-523, 1835.

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As regarding the date of *Karaṇapaddhati*, there is some controversy.¹ Recently it is traced that the verse 11 of the chapter 10 of the *Karaṇapaddhati* contains sufficeint hints as to the date of writing of the text in 1596 A.D. The number 554754 (*viṣṇosuvṛśamanu*) when lessened by 596 (*taddhāma*), gives the date of the text in Śaka days i.e., 554158 Śaka days=1518 Śaka year=1596 A.D.

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¹ Vide, Bag, A. K. 'Trigonometrical Series in the Karaṇapaddhati and the probable date of the text', *Indian Journal of History of Science*, *1*, No. 2, p. 98-106, 1966.

Cites (4)