Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t31: Rājamṛgāṅka

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t31

Language: English

Rājamṛgāṅka

This is a karaṇa work. It has adopted Śaka 964 as its epoch. The epochal positions have been given for the Sunrise (mean sunrise) i.e. for Sunday morning, the 13th cum 14th lunar day of the dark half of amānta Phālguna of Śaka 963.

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Basis

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That the work has been compiled after applying corrections to the planetary positions derived from the Brahma Siddhānta has nowhere been explicitly stated; still, the epochal positions are found to agree with calculated figures when the corrections are applied to the planets according to the Brahma Siddhānta. The epochal positions are as follows :—

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| | S | ° | ′ | ″ | | S | ° | ′ | ″ |
| Sun | 10 | 28 | 45 | 0 | Venus | 6 | 7 | 52 | 39 |
| Moon | 10 | 9 | 2 | 53 | Saturn | 6 | 20 | 4 | 31 |
| Mars | 8 | 2 | 9 | 47 | Moon’s apogee | 5 | 10 | 30 | 45 |
| Mercury | 8 | 1 | 33 | 15 | Moon’s node | 2 | 16 | 58 | 5 |
| Jupiter | 3 | 1 | 0 | 30 | | | | | |

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∗ There are two Versions of the book in the Deccan College Collection under Nos. 526 and 527 of 1875—76 A.D. This verse has been taken from the first of them.

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The positions of apsides and nodes at the epoch of the Karaṇa work have also been taken from the Brahma Siddhānta. The correction suggested in it and the method of finding it is given in the following verse :—

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नंदाद्रींद्रप्र ३१७९ संयुक्तान् भजेत् खाभ्राभ्रभानु १२००० भिः ।। शाकाब्दान्विनष्टं तु भाजकाच्छेषमुत्सृजेत ।। १७ ।। तयोरल्पं दिशत्या २०० तं बीजं लिप्तादिकं पृथक् ।। त्रिभिः ३ शरै ५ भुंवा १ द्रक्षै ५२ वर्णै ५ स्तितिभि १५ रब्धिभिः ४ ।। १८ ।। द्विकेन २ यमले २ नैनं गुण्यमर्कादिषु क्रमात् ।। स्वं ज्ञशीघ्रे धरासूनौ सूर्यपुत्रेपरेष्वण ।। १६ ।। मध्यमाधिकार

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Translation.—Add 3179 to the Śaka year. Divide the sum by 12000. Subtract the remainder from the divisor itself (i.e. from 12000). Divide the smaller of the two (viz the remainder or 12000-remainder) by 200, and multiply it by 3,5,1,52,5,15,4,2 & 2, respectively in the case of the planets in order (viz. the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Moon’s apogee, and Moon’s node) so as to obtain the respective corrections. They are positive for Mercury, Mars and Saturn, and negative for others.

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*Author*

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—Chapter on mean places. The Colophon contains the following line :

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इत्युर्वोपतित्वं दवंदितपदद्वंद्वेन सद्बुद्धिना ।। श्रीभोजेन कृतं मृगांककरणं ज्योतिर्विदां प्रीतये ।।

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Translation :—“This Karaṇa work, known as ‘Mr̥gāṅka’, has been compiled with the good intention of satisfying the astronomers, by Śrī Bhoja who is revered by rulers of the earth”.

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This shows that this Karaṇa was compiled by King Bhoja. The above-mentioned correction is not found in any of the earlier works now availablle. It appears to have been devised at the time of Bhoja himself. It seems probable that he patronised some astronomers, got them to take observations for a number of years, and after comparing the observed places with those calculated from the Brahma Siddhānta, he finally determined the figures for correction so as to agree with other works also. It is not known if King Bhoja possessed the knowledge of astronomy as would be sufficient to compile a Karaṇa work himself. If not, the astronomers under his patronage may have compiled it and named it after him. But even if that be the case, there is no doubt that the astronomers had acquired the ability to compile a new work in the light of observations only on account of the royal patronage.

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*Subject Matter*

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This work contains only two chapters viz. one chapter on mean places and other on true places of planets and the two together contain 69 verses. It appears that they may be calculating eclipses directly with the help of the Siddhāntas. This work is not in use anywhere at present ; and because of the lapse of many years, the ahargaṇa calculated from it would be a very large number and hence very inconvenient for calculating the mean places ; because of this and also other Karaṇa works which have been compiled later, this work may naturally have gone out of use. Even then it appears to have been in use for a considerable number of years. Mahādevī Sāraṇia, Karaṇa work following the Brahmapakṣa was compiled in Śaka 1238. It refers Rājamṛgāṅka. Similarly, Tājakasāra, a work compiled in Śaka 1445 contains the line,

Cites (2)

Karaṇottama — Acyuta Piṣāraṭi 1593, Sanskrit
Rājamṛgāṅka — Bhoja, Sanskrit