Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t30: Varuṇa
Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t30
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Varuṇa
v2.c12.s2.t30.1
Date and Residence
v2.c12.s2.t30.2
He has written a commentary on Brahmagupta's *Khaṇḍakhādya*. It has adopted chiefly Śaka 962 for solving examples, and this shows his date to be about the same year. The commentary shows him to be a resident of a village named something like ‘Cārayyāt’ in the area ‘Uruṣa’ region, near Kaśmīr. The position of the place has been mentioned by him as latitude 34°22′ and longitude equal to 99 yojanas, east of Ujjayinī meridian (i.e. about 7½° or 450 miles).
v2.c12.s2.t30.3
A surprising fact has been noticed in his commentary on Khaṇḍakhādya. At the very outset it has been remarked, in his commentary on the calculation of ahargaṇa;
v2.c12.s2.t30.4
उक्तंच सिद्धान्तशिरोमणौ । अभीष्टवारार्थमहर्गणश्चैत् सैको निरेकस्त्वयोषि तद्वत् ।। तदाधिमासावमशेषके च कल्पाधिमासावमयुक्तहीने ।।*
v2.c12.s2.t30.5
Translation.—“So is said in the Siddhāntaśiromaṇi. If you are calculating ahargaṇa corresponding to a particular day of the week, you will have either to add 1 to or subtract 1 from the result. The same will have to be done in the case of particular tithis. Similarly while finding the ‘adhimāsa śeṣa’ or ‘avama śeṣa’ the number of intercalary and ‘avama’ days in a Kalpa undergoes a similar positive or negative change”.
v2.c12.s2.t30.6
This verse is given by Bhāskarācārya in his Siddhāntaśiromaṇi and on the basis of this (verse) Varuṇa should be said to have lived after Śaka 1072; but several examples in his commentary show that his date comes to about Śaka 962 and there is absolutely no doubt about it. This verse clearly appears to have been interpolated by some one later on; otherwise, who knows if there existed another work, named Siddhāntaśiromaṇi, compiled earlier than Śaka 962, which contained this verse word for word?
Cites (2)
- Siddhāntaśiromaṇi — Bhāskara II, Sanskrit
- Nyāyakhaṇḍakhādya — Yaśovijayagaṇi, Sanskrit