Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t41: Grahasiddhi

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t41

Language: English

Grahasiddhi

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It is a Karaṇa work. It is also known as Mahādevī Sāraṇī. It has adopted Śaka 1238 as the epochal year, and hence, it appears to have been compiled about that time.

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The author, in the very beginning, observes,

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चक्रेश्वरान्धश्चराशुसिद्धि महादेव ऋषीश्च नत्वा ।। १ ।।

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which shows that the work was first started by some astronomer, Cakreśvara, and then the imcomplete work was carried to completion by Mahādeva.

Dhanarāja wrote a commentary on it. Mahādeva has recorded his family history in the last 4 verses of the original work; but the commentator has not commented upon them because the verses are very incorrect. There is a copy of the commentary in the Deccan College collection. The Ānandāśrama has got a copy of the work without a commentary (no. 2086) which contains the same verses in their incorrect form. One comes to know from it that Mahādeva was a Brāhmaṇa, his Gotra was Gautama. Padmanābha was his father's name and Mādhava* his grandfather's name. The Author has come across an old work named ‘Jātakasāra’, written in Sanskrit and, Gujerati. It has recommended the calculation of planets places from Mahādevisāraṇi. The copy of the Mahādevisāraṇi belonging to the Deccan College Collection was procured at Ahmedabad. The commentator also is the resident of a place near Gujerat, and Mahādeva himself has adopted 4½ as the ‘palabhā’ for calculating the ascensional difference (cara). It shows that he may have been the resident of a place near Surat in Gujerat, and it appears that the work might have been in use in Gujerat for a considerable period.

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This work contains about 43 verses. They describe the methods of calculating only the mean and true places of planets. The epochal positions are given for the mean Aries Ingress and the work contains tables for calculating mean places of planets from ‘varṣagaṇa’, which simplifies all calculation. It has given the positions and motions of planets which are comparable to the Brahma Siddhānta, after the corrections mentioned by Rāja Mṛgāṅka are applied.

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The Commentary

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The commentator has given his account at the end. A portion of it is given below :—

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वर्षनेत्रनवांगभू १६६२ परिमिते ज्येष्ठस्य पक्षे सिते-
ष्टम्यां सद्गुण पृथकयमन्नरयु (?) पद्मावतीपत्तने ।।
राजाहात्करवैरिनागदमनी राठोडवंशोद्भवः
श्रीमान् श्रीगजसिंहभूपतिवरोस्ति श्रीमरोमंडले ।।
जैने शासन एवमंचलगणे...।।

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Translation :—(There are omissions and inaccuracies in the text).

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“ In the village of Padmāvati, on the 8th lunar day of the bright half of Jyeṣṭha in Śaka 1692........”

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“ There is the King Gajasimha, of Raṭhoḍ family, who is a Jain and rules. .”

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From this, the commentator appears to be a Jain. He has given Dhanarāja as his name. He has, in the commentary, calculated the longitude of Sirohi, (a place, 30 Yojana's West of Ujjainī); and from this, he seems to be a resident of that place. The name of the commentary is Mahādevī Dīpikā. It is said to contain 1500 verses. The year 1692, mentioned in the above verse, is a Samvat year of the Vikrama era, and hence, the time of the compilation of the commentary comes to be Śaka 1557.

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∗ See line 19, Page 316.

Cites (2)

Jātakasāradīpa — Nṛsiṃha, Sanskrit
Rājamṛgāṅka — Bhoja, Sanskrit