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Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t10: Sūrya Siddhānta

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t10

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Sūrya Siddhānta

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Subject Matter and Date

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The modern Sūrya Siddhānta has 14 Chapters. All of them together contain 500 verses in ‘anuṣṭup’ metre. The verses at the beginning, out of those which have given the numbers of revolutions and other elements etc. above, show that a person who was a “part of God Sun Himself” described by Sun’s order, this Siddhānta to Maya, an Asura, at the end of the Kṛtayuga. It means that 2164996 years elapsed after its revelation, till the beginning of Śaka 1817.

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An inference has been drawn above that the modern Sūrya Siddhānta was compiled by Lāṭa and hence, it must have existed in a period much earlier than Śaka 427. It, however, seems that it had not received ‘Sūrya Siddhānta’ as the name at the time of Varāhamihira, because the Pañcasiddhāntikā contains only one Sūrya Siddhānta, and it is different from the modern one. A reference to the Sūrya Siddhānta has occurred at two places in Bramhagupta Siddhānta. The couplets have already been given before ( See page 7 ). We have no reasons to say that there were two Sūrya Siddhāntas at the time of Brahmagupta, and hence, it cannot be said for certain that in his time also, the modern Sūrya Siddhānta had received ‘Sūrya Siddhānta’ as its name; and even if it had, it clearly appears not to have received so much importance. Because he has taken in his work, Khaṇḍakhādyaka, elements, not from his own Siddhānta or from the first Āryasiddhānta or from the modern Sūrya Siddhānta but from the Sūrya Siddhānta of the Pañcasiddhāntikā. Hence it cannot be said for certain as to when the modern Sūrya Siddhānta received the name ‘Sūrya Siddhānta or inspired a feeling of reverence.’ There is, however, some room for drawing an inference.

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Even if the modern Sūrya Siddhānta were compiled by Lāṭa, it is not probable that all the verses in it were compiled by him. Some or almost all the remaining verses in it, except those mentioning the elements in the chapter on mean places, might have been taken from the original Sūrya Siddhānta, that is, the one belonging to the Pañcasiddhāntikā group. Otherwise, if the Lāṭa’s work be not in the same form, as the present Sūrya Siddhānta, some one else must have compiled the modern Sūrya Siddhānta, by borrowing number of revolutions and other elements from Lāṭa’s work and the remaining verses from the original (ancient) Sūrya Siddhānta soon after the Pañcasiddhāntikā, and two or three centuries later, it must have been an object of reverence, when the traces of its authorship were lost and forgotten.

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Brahmagupta remarks ( see page 8 ) that the Romaka and Vasiṣṭha Siddhāntas were compiled by adopting Āryabhaṭa’s method of geocentric calculations of planets; but the main elements of degrees of epicycles (paridhyamśa) which are so necessary for the geocentric calculations as given by Sūrya, Romaka, and others, do not agree with those of Āryabhaṭa but with the original Sūrya Siddhānta in many respects. (See the elements given in the first chapter on ‘true places’ later on).

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The inference which follows is that either Lāṭa or whosoever be the author of the Sūrya Siddhānta, he adopted only, different numbers for revolutions and other elements etc. but borrowed the remaining items from the original Sūrya Siddhānta or retained them, word for word, as given in the original Sūrya Siddhānta. Similarly, Brahmagupta clearly says that the elements given by Śrīṣeṇa's Romaka and those in Viṣṇucandra's Vasiṣṭha belong to Lāṭa himself. It seems that some one afterwards adjusted these Siddhānta with the original Sūrya Siddhānta in respect of principles, by omitting the remaining items which were taken from the first Āryabhaṭasiddhānta. Utpala has in his commentary on the 18th chapter of Bṛhatsaṃhitā given the following verse, preceded by “tathācāryaḥ Viṣṇucandraḥ”, meaning “so says the Ācārya Viṣṇucandra :— दिवसकरेणास्तमयः समागमः शीतरश्मिर्हितानां ॥ कुसादीनां युद्धं निगद्यतेन्योऽन्ययुवतां ॥

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“When Mars or any other planet along with the moon, are conjoined with the Sun in a (heliacally) set condition, it is described as a fight, even when the planets are united together.”

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This is in Ārya metre, and both the versions of Vasiṣṭha Siddhāntas are in anuṣṭup metre. This also leads one to infer that some one must possibly have compiled the present Vasiṣṭha siddhānta on the basis of Viṣṇucandra's Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta. The same is possible about the Romaka also.

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Maya

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There are some annotated versions of the Sūrya Siddhānta in the Ānandāśrama, Poona, some versions contain only the text. Here the author came to know that the 7th verse in the first chapter (on mean places) in one of the books (No. 2909) without a commentary, is not found in the annotated version. It stands thus together with the foregoing and following verses : न मे तेजः सहः कश्चिदास्यातुं नास्ति मे क्षणः ॥ मदंशपुरुषोयं ते निःशेषं कथयिष्यति ॥ ६ ॥ तस्मात् त्वं स्वां पुरीं गच्छ तत्र ज्ञानं ददामि ते । रोमके नगरे ब्रह्मशापाल्लेच्छावतारधृक् ॥ ७ ॥ इत्युक्त्वांतर्धधे देवः

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(Oh Maya !) you will not be able to bear my lustre (and) I have no time to tell you (anything of the Science). This man, who is my own part, will tell you everything. Therefore, go back to your town. I will be born as a Greek (yavana) because of Brahmā's curse, in the city of Romaka. There I will initiate you in the Science. So saying God Sun vanished from sight.

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This verse stands as the verse intermediate between the 6th and 7th verses in the annotated version. The 7th verse when looked taken in the light of its context appears to be altogether disconnected. This verse was found in the two versions of the Sūrya Siddhānta without a commentary and in the possession of the Rev. E. Burgess, translator of the Sūrya Siddhānta, but was not found in the annotated version. Whitney in his notes on the translation, has expressed his views regarding this verse as follows :—

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Although it is true that this verse is clearly out of place here, between the 5th and 7th verses of the present edition, still it is found in several manuscripts of Sūrya Siddhānta and it is not probable that it has been purposely deviced and introduced. Hence, the first seven or eight verses at the beginning which are found in the present annotated edition, must have been newly inserted by some person to describe how Maya got the Sūrya Siddhānta. Originally, only the above quoted verse along with similar others, must have occupied that place ; and it shows that the Sūrya Siddhānta must have undoubtedly some connection with the Greeks in some way or the other ; not only this but the Science must have been obtained by the Hindus from the Greeks. Even the modern Sūrya siddhānta states that the ‘Sūrya Siddhānta was revealed to Mayāsura’. What was the propriety in selecting a demon (an ‘asura’) as the medium of revelation by the Sun ? This point also indicates an association with the Greeks.

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Ptolemy

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Weber says that according to Hindu inscriptions Turumaya was the name of king Ptolemaios’ of Egypt. From this Asuramaya appears to have been a corruption of Turumaya, and Maya seems to be the Ptolemy* himself who was the author of the Almajest. But it has already been pointed out that Ptolemy’s work has no connection with the original Sūrya Siddhānta. Similarly, the numbers of revolutions and other elements of the modern Sūrya Siddhānta given above do not at all tally with those of Ptolemy. This clearly shows that Ptolemy has absolutely no connection with the modern Sūrya Siddhānta.

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A Relation between the two Sūrya Siddhāntas

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Utpala’s commentary on the Bṛhatsaṃhitā quotes the following verses as belonging to the Sūrya Siddhānta :—

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महतश्चाप्यधःस्थस्य नित्यं भासयते रविः ॥ अर्ध शशांकबिंबस्य न द्वितीयं कथंचन ॥
तेजसां गोलकः सूर्यो ग्रहक्षप्यंबुगोलकाः ॥ प्रभावंतो हि दृश्यंते सूर्य रश्मिदिपीताः ॥
विप्रकर्ष यथा याति ह्यधस्त्यश्चंद्रमा रवः ॥ तथा तस्य च भूदृश्यमंशं भासयते रविः ॥

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भूछायां शशिकक्षायां रवौ भावां (?) तरस्थिते ॥ यदा विशत्यविक्षिप्तश्चंद्रः स्यात्तद्ग्रहस्तदा ॥
इंदुना छादितं सूर्यमषोविक्षिप्तगामिना ॥ न पश्यंति यदा लोके तदा स्याद्भास्करग्रहः ॥
तमोमयस्य तमसो रविरश्मिपलायिनः ॥ भूछाया चंद्रबिंबस्थोद्धं परिकल्पितः ॥

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"The sun illuminates half the disc (side) of the moon, even if it is occupying the lowest position (with respect to the sun) ; and the second half is never illuminated.

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The sun is a sphere of lustre. The planets, the stars and particles of water shine brightly when they are illuminated by the sun.

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The farther the moon goes away from the sun, while in a lower position, the greater portion of its disc becomes visible to (people on) the earth."

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—Chapter 4 on Moon's motion

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"While the sun is situated in the house opposite to that of the moon, and when the moon, having no latitude, enters that portion of the earth's shadow which intercepts the moon's orbit, the lunar eclipse takes place.

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∗ See page 3, Translation of the Sūrya Siddhānta by Burgess. The statement of Weber has not been given above word by word, but only its summarized form.

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When the sun's surface is obstructed by the moon who is passing in a downward direction and when people on the earth are unable to see the sun, then the solar eclipse takes place.

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The earth's shadow which is cast by the sun's rays, falls only on one half (portion) of the moon's disc which is escaping from the darkness cast by Rāhu.

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—*Chapter 5 on Rāhu's motion.*

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These verses are not found in the modern Sūrya Siddhānta. It is not therefore, certain if they at all belonged to the original Sūrya-Siddhānta. If they did, it may be said that the modern Sūrya Siddhānta was not held in great reverence at the time of Bhaṭotpala (Śaka 888).

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Bhaṭotpala, in the course of his discussion of Mahākārtikādi Saṃvatsara in the chapter on gurucāra, in the commentary on Bṛhatsaṃhitā, observes.

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केचित्कृत्तिकादियुक्ते गुरौ यच्चंद्रयुक्तं नक्षत्रं चैत्रमासादितो भवति ततो महाकार्तिकादीनि संवत्सराणि प्रभवादीनि च गणयन्ति ॥

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"Some (astronomers) when they find that Jupiter has come to the star Kṛttikā, and Caitra has started, reckon the beginning of the cycle of Mahākārtikādi years and also that of the prabhava year, on the basis of the star with which they find the moon to be conjoined."

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The method of naming the years of the Mahākārtikādi Series, as given in the modern Sūryasiddhānta, is as follows :—

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वैशाखादिषु कृष्णे च योगः पंचदशे तिथौ ॥ कार्तिकादीनि वर्षाणि गुरोरस्तोदयात् रथा ॥ १७ ॥

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मानाध्याय

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In Vaiśākha etc., a conjunction (yoga) in the dark half-month (kṛṣṇa on the 15th lunar day (tithi) determines, in like manner, the years Kārtika etc of Jupiter, from its heliacal setting (asta) and rising (udaya).

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*Chapter on Elements.*

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These two have much similarity and this method of naming the Mahākārtikādi years is found in no work other than the Sūrya Siddhānta. It cannot be kown from the Pañcasiddhāntikā if this method was given in the original Sūya Siddhānta and there is no other way to find it. If Bhaṭotpala's quotation refers to the original Sūrya Siddhānta, it would be a good means to prove that the verses from the original Surya Siddhanta occur also in the modern Sūrya Siddhānta.

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*Lāṭa*

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Albiruṇi, (Śaka 952 circa) says that the Sūrya Siddhānta was compiled by Lāṭa. But the original Sūrya Siddhānta in Pañcasiddhāntikā was undoubtedly not compiled by Lāṭa, for had it been so, Varāha would have mentioned it and would not have included it in the Pañcasiddhāntikā. According to Brahmagupta, the work by Lāṭa is clearly different from the Sūrya Siddhānta. He has, in addition, criticised Lāṭa's work in two or three places, but not the Sūrya Siddhānta. This shows that the Sūrya Siddhānta referred to by Albiruni as compiled by Lāṭa is not the original Sūrya Siddhānta but the modern one, and from this it appears that the importance of the Sūrya Siddhānta had been established before Śaka 952.

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∗ Different readings are found in different works and the author himself is doubtful about the words "bimbasthordhe". We come across bimbasyasthanerdhe, bimbasyordhwe ete. I have attempted to give the likey meaning—Translator.

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The author of Bhāsvatikaraṇa declares at the outset of his work :—

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अथ प्रवक्ष्ये मिहिरोपदेशात् । तत्सूर्यसिद्धान्तसमं समासात् ॥ ३ ॥

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अधिकार २

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"As instructed by Varāhamihira, I briefly compile this (Karaṇa) work which is similar to his Sūrya Siddhānta".

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The words, "tatsūryasiddhānta" in this, show that there existed at the time of the author of 'Bhāsvatī', a Sūrya Siddhānta different from the one incorporated by Varāhamihira in his work.

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The following verses from the Sūrya Siddhānta have been given by Bhāskarācārya himself in his commentary, vāsanā, on Siddhānta Śiromaṇi :—

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अदृश्यरूपाः कालस्य मूर्तयो भगणाश्रिताः ॥ शीघ्रमोच्चपाताख्या ग्रहाणां गतिहेतवः ॥ १ ॥ तद्वातरश्मिभिर्बद्धास्तैः सव्येतरापाणिभिः ॥ प्राक्पश्चादपकृष्यन्ते यथासन्नं स्वदिङ्मुखं ॥ २ ॥

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(1) Forms of Time of invisible shape, stationed in the Zodiac called the conjunction (śīghrocca), apsis (mandocca) and node (pāta) are causes of the motion of the planets."
(2) The planets, attached to these beings by cords of air, are drawn away by them, with the right and left hand, forward or backward, according to nearness, towards their own places."

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These verses are given by the modern Sūrya Siddhānta (see verses 1 and 2 in the chapter on 'true place'). Similarly, Bhāskarācārya, in the chapter on Golabandha, remarks about the motion of the equinox as follows :—

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विषुवत्क्रान्तिवलययोः संपातः क्रान्तिपातः स्यात् ॥ तद्भगणाः सौरौक्ता व्यस्ता अयुतत्रयं कल्पे ॥ १७ ॥

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"The point of intersection of the Equator and the Ecliptic, is called 'Krāntipāta'. The number of its revolutions in one kalpa, according to the Sūrya Siddhānta is 30000" and in his commentary of this verse, he himself says,

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क्रान्तिपातस्य भगणाः कल्पेऽयुतत्रयं तावत् सूर्यसिद्धान्तोक्ताः ॥

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Sūrya Siddhānta itself has cited 30000 as the number of revolutions of the krāntipāta in one kalpa.

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This remark refers to the revolution of the zodiac mentioned in the modern Sūrya Siddhānta. Similarly the word 'arkāṃśa' occuring in Bhāskarācārya's remark* "tasmānnedaṃ pūrvairarkāṃśādyastaṭhā kṛtam karma" at the end of the chapter on 'solar eclipse', seems to refer to the modern Sūrya Siddhānta.

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*Meaning—This calculation has not been made by former astronomers like Arkāṃśa (Incarnation of the Sun).

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*When held in reverence*

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These arguments prove that the modern Sūrya Siddhānta had achieved the position of authority and reverence before the times of Albirunī, Bhāsvatīkāra and Bhāskarācārya i.e. before the first half of the 10th century of Śaka era. There is no evidence available at present to show what time it was between the Śaka 550 (i.e. the time of Brahmagupta’s Siddhānta) and Śaka 950.

Cites (10)