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Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t5: Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t5

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Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta

v2.c12.s2.t5.1

The Date

v2.c12.s2.t5.2

The Pañcasiddhāntikā contains 13 āryās (couplets) relating to Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta. The system described by it is somewhat different from that met with in other siddhāntic works. This fact and also the statement of Varāhamihira that “Vasiṣṭha is very inaccurate” leads one to infer that it must have been more ancient than the remaining three siddhārtas excepting the Pitāmaha Siddhānta.

v2.c12.s2.t5.3

The System

v2.c12.s2.t5.4

The thirteen couplets show that they mention nothing about planets other than the sun and the moon. The method of calculating tithis and nakṣatras is not similar to that of the present day. It mentions the rāśi (sign), aṃśa (degree) and Kalā (minutes) as the units and the subject of ‘shadow’ has been considered at length. Something has been told about the length of the day and the word ‘lagna’ (ascendant) has been used in a somewhat present day sense. The Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta, available at present, is in no way similar to the one existing before Varāhamihira’s time and did not exist in his time. This question will be discussed again later on.

v2.c12.s2.t5.5

Different versions of Vasiṣṭha and Romaka Siddhāntas

v2.c12.s2.t5.6

Two versions of the Vasiṣṭha and Romaka Siddhāntas were known at the time of Brahmagupta (Śaka 550). The case of Romaka Siddhānta will automatically be considered along with the evidence on the basis of which it is to be proved that there were two kinds of Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta. Let both of them, therefore, be considered together.

v2.c12.s2.t5.7

Brahmagupta says at one place in his Siddhānta,

v2.c12.s2.t5.8

पौलिशरोमकवासिष्ठसौरपैतामहेषु यत्प्रोक्तं ।। तन्नक्षत्रयनं नार्यभटोक्तं तदुक्तितरतः ।। ४६ ।।

v2.c12.s2.t5.9

“I describe the ‘nakṣatrānayana’ i.e. the method of calculating nakṣatras, which has been given by other Siddhāntas viz. Pauliśa, Romaka, Vāsiṣṭha, Saura and Paitāmaha but not given by Āryabhaṭa”.

v2.c12.s2.t5.10

He observes at another place,

v2.c12.s2.t5.11

अयमेव कृतः सूर्येंदुपुलिशरोमकवसिष्ठयवनाद्यैः ।।

v2.c12.s2.t5.12

“This very (beginning of a yuga) has been adopted by Sūrya, Indu, Puliśa Romaka, Vasiṣṭha and Yavana”.

v2.c12.s2.t5.13

Brahmagupta has cited as authority of the Sūrya and other Siddhāntas because these were in his favour. The Brahmagupta Siddhānta as a whole, appears to have launched a vigorous attack against Āryabhaṭa and others. He is, as it were, showering volleys of vituperation. Even then he has not made any direct attack against the group of first (Sūryādi) five Siddhāntas except the Romaka, and he has explicitly found fault with the Pattern, ony once, as may be seen from the following couplet :—

v2.c12.s2.t5.14

युगमन्वंतरकल्पाः कालपरिच्छेदकाः स्मृतायुक्ताः ।। यस्मान्न रोमके ते स्मृतिबाह्यो रोमकस्तस्मात् ।। १३ ।।

v2.c12.s2.t5.15

“The smṛti works mention yuga, manvantara and kalpa as the broad units of time. The Romaka has violated the Smṛtis since it does not mention them”.

v2.c12.s2.t5.16

Brahmagupta, at another place, observes,

v2.c12.s2.t5.17

लाटात्सूर्यशशांकौ मध्याद्विद्वच्चचंद्रपातो च ।। कुजबुधशीघ्रबृहस्पतिसितशीघ्रशनैश्चरान् मघमान् ।। ४८ ।। युगयातवर्षभगणान् वासिष्ठान् विजयनांदिकृतपादान् ।। मंदोच्चपरिधिपातस्पष्टीकरणाद्यार्यभटात् ।। ४९ ।। श्रीषेणेन गृहीत्वा रत्नोच्चयरोमकः कृतः कंथा ।। एतान्येव गृहीत्वा वासिष्टो विष्णुचंद्रेण ।। ५० ।।

v2.c12.s2.t5.18

*The gist*

v2.c12.s2.t5.19

“Śrīṣeṇa has compiled a ‘kanthā’ (i.e. a patch work) entitled as Romaka, by borrowing elements from different Siddhāntas, e.g. (i) mean sun and moon, moon's apogee, moon's node, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn from Lāṭa's work (ii) elapsed years of yugas and bhagaṇa (sidereal revolutions) from Vasiṣṭha (iii) the pāda (quadrants) from Vijayanandi's works and (iv) mandocca, aphelia, paridhi (epicycle), nodes of planetary orbits and calculations of true places from Āryabhaṭiya. Viṣṇucandra has similarly, compiled the Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta by borrowing the same elements".

v2.c12.s2.t5.20

It has been said above that Viṣṇucandra has borrowed the same elements from other works in compiling the Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta as Śrīṣeṇa had borrowed in compiling the Romaka Siddhānta, and it has also been observed that Śrīṣeṇa took the bhagaṇas and the elapsed years of yugas from the Vasiṣṭha This shows that Viṣṇucandra also adopted the same elements from the Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta and other information from other Siddhāntas and compiled another Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta. It, therefore, shows that there existed two kinds of Vasiṣṭha Siddhāntas and that this was known to Brahmagupta. One of them was the original Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta and the other was Viṣṇucandra's Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta, compiled by borrowing some elements from the first.

v2.c12.s2.t5.21

It has already been remarked before that Brahmagupta has abused Romaka Siddhānta as 'a violator of Smṛti', because it does not give the time units of yuga, manvantara and kalpa; but it has also been shown above that Brahmagupta himself says that Śrīṣeṇa picked up the figures for 'elapsed years of yuga', from the Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta while compiling the Romaka Siddhānta. Similarly, he again observes,

v2.c12.s2.t5.22

तद्युगबधो महायुगमुक्तं श्रीषेणविष्णुचंद्राद्यैः ।।
अ० ११ आर्या १५.
मेषादितः प्रवृत्ता नार्यभटस्य स्फुटा युगस्यादौ ।। श्रीषेणस्य कुजाद्याः
अ० २ आ० ४६.

v2.c12.s2.t5.23

"That Śrīṣeṇa, Viṣṇucandra and other authors have mentioned 'Mahāyugas as a multiplicity of yugas' ...

v2.c12.s2.t5.24

"Śrīṣeṇa has not given true positions of Mars and others from the commencement of a yuga, as is done by Āryabhaṭa, but from the beginning of Meṣa".

v2.c12.s2.t5.25

Thus, according to the statement of Brahmagupta himself, the Romaka Siddhānta by Śrīṣeṇa did contain the yuga system and from this (it can be inferred that) there were two siddhāntas named Romaka, at the time of Brahmagupta— the one known as the original Romaka Siddhānta and the other, that 'compiled by Śrīṣeṇa'.

v2.c12.s2.t5.26

Most of the names of astronomers who lived before Brahmagupta and who have been mentioned in his Siddhānta, are found in the Pañcasiddhāntikā. However, the names of Śrīṣeṇa and Viṣṇucandra are not found in the Pañcasiddhāntikā which mentions only one Siddhānta each, named as Vasiṣṭha and Romaka. This goes to show that Śrīṣeṇa's Romaka Siddhānta and Viṣṇucandra's Vasiṣṭha did not exist before Śaka 427, and that only the original Romaka Siddhānta and the original Vasiṣṭha Siddhānta existed then and these are given in the Pañcasiddhāntikā only in summary form. According to Brahmagupta, Śrīṣeṇa and Viṣṇucandra borrowed the method of finding true places from Āryabhaṭa. This also shows that they compiled their respective Siddhāntas after Śaka 421 while the Pañcasiddhāntikā leads to the conclusion that they were compiled after the Śaka 427.

Cites (6)