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Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t73: Siddhāntarāja by Nityānanda (Śaka 1561)

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t73

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English

Siddhāntarāja by Nityānanda (Śaka 1561)

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BY

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BRIEF ACCOUNT

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Nityānanda compiled the work ‘Sarva Siddhāntarāja’ in the year Vikram Samvat 1696 i.e. Śaka 1561. He was a resident of Indrapurī near Kurukṣetra. His gotra was Mudgala, he belonged to the Gauḍa clan and was brought up in the Duḷiṇahaṭṭa tradition of teaching. According to Sudhākara, Duḷiṇahaṭṭa was his traditional native place. The names of his ancestors, from his father upwards, were Devadatta, Nārāyaṇa, Lakṣmaṇa and Icchā respectively.

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Description of works. Their Special Features

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The work ‘Siddhāntarāja’, is divided into two parts—Gaṇitādhyāya and Golādhyāya. The first part contains 9 chapters and deals with the following subjects: Mīmāmsā (Rationale), mean places, true places, three problems, lunar eclipse, solar eclipse, elevation of moon's cusps, conjunction of planets with stars and shadow. The second part, Golādhyāya, contains chapters on the universe, the celestial sphere and instruments. The special feature of this work, which distinguishes it from all other Siddhānta works described so far, is that it follows the SĀYANA system. He has fully discussed in the first chapter on ‘ Mīmāmsā ’ (Rationale) how the Sāyana system is the supreme system and how it is recognized as such by Gods and Ṛṣis. The numbers of revolutions and other elements of planets etc., are as follows:—

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Kalpa 4,32,00,00,000 years.

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The revolutions etc. in this period are:—

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| Sun | 432,000,0000 | Saturn | 146835981 |
| Sun's Apogee | 171945 | Sāvaṇa days | 1577847748101 |
| Moon | 57750968965 | Solar months | 51840000000 |
| Moon's apogee | 488327103 | Intercalary months | 1590968965 |
| Mars | 2296968639 | Lunar months | 53430968965 |
| Mercury | 17939534114 | Lunar days | 1602929068950 |
| Jupiter | 364356698 | Suppressed tithis | 25081320849 |
| Venus | 7022180538 | | |

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Number of divine years spent over creation from the beginning of Kalpa..........90410.

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Number of solar days in a year 365.24253428 =365 days-14-33-7.40448

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the tropical year =365 days-14-31-53.42 (By accurate modern methods).

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It can be easily noted that there is considerable difference between the above figures and those given in any of the siddhāntas described before. The number of days in a Kalpa and the consequent length of the year deduced from it are less than those of others, and the numbers showing revolutions are greater than theirs’. The number in the case of Venus is smaller, which apears to be due to some error.

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The corrections to be applied to planets have been mentioned in the following verses :—

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सृष्ट्यादितो गतसमा खयुगांगनागै ४ (?) ६४० स्तष्टा गतैष्यत इहाब्दचयोऽल्पको यः
ग्राह्यः स एव विबुधैर्ग्रहबीजसिध्यै ॥
बीजाब्दास्त्वर्गसिधुभि : ४७३० क्षितिभुजै २१० रष्टाब्धिभि ४८० दौरसै : ६२०
पचांगै ६५० .. ४६० रूपाश्चंद्र : १०१० क्रमात् ॥
भुविश्वै १३१० दर्शंगुणैश्च विहता लब्धं कलाद्यं वियुकू
सूर्यादिग्युचरेषु युक्तमथ तच्चंद्रोच्चपाताख्यया ॥
सूर्योच्चे पंच लिप्ता: सदा स्वं ॥

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The author remarks at the very beginning,—

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दृष्टा रोमसिद्धांतं सौरं च ब्रह्मगुप्तकं ॥ पृथक् स्पष्टान् ग्रहान् ज्ञात्वा सिद्धांतं
निर्ममे स्फुटं ॥ १४ ॥

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“ After studying the Romaka, Saura, and Brahma Siddhāntas, and after calculating places of planets, the writer compiled this accurate Siddhānta. ”

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It is not known which Romaka Siddhānta is meant here. The differences in the measures will show that it can neither be the Romaka Siddhānta of the Pañcasiddhāntikā group nor that of Ptolemy. The Samrāt-Siddhānta (Śaka 1561) also refers to Romaka Siddhānta. The author has no means at present to ascertain what Siddhānta it was or whether it was the same as the one seen by Nityānanda. The author of the work seems to have taken observations himself. There might have been Muslim astronomers at the Delhi Court in his time, and they might have had possessed some works on Muslim astronomy in their possession. A reference to some such works occurs in the Siddhāntsamrāt. Nityānanda might have seen those works also.

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The author happened to see a copy of this work with the late Rao Saheb Viśwanāth Nārāyaṇ Maṇḍlik. The copy had been made from a work belonging to a learned scholar at Jaipur. It appears that the siddhānta is well known in those parts. It is not known, however, if the work was ever made use of in the actual calculation of almanacs.

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KṚṢṆA, Śaka 1575

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There is a karaṇa work entitled Karaṇa Kaustubha, written in Śaka 1575. It was compiled by Kṛṣṇa, an astronomer of Kāśyāpagotra and a son of one Mahādeo. It has not been mentioned what Siddhānta it follows. But the motions of planets and the epochal positions agree with those calculated from the Graha Kautuka and the Graha Lāghava, with slight modifications.

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The author has made a salutation to KEŚAVA, the author of Graha Kautuka. He says in the beginning, प्रकुरु तत्करणं ग्रहसिद्धये सुगमदृग्गणितैकविधायि यत् इति नृपेंद्रशिवाभिधनादितः प्रकुरुते कृतिकृष्णविधिज्ञराट् ॥

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“Being ordered by King Śivājī to compile such a Karaṇa work as would enable astronomers to obtain figures agreeing with observarion, Kṛṣṇa, the King of astronomers has begun to compile this Karaṇa work.”

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This shows that he compiled the work with the help of the two works mentioned above and his own observations. Śiva, referred to by the author, is king Śivājī, the founder of the Marāṭhā kingdom. There is no doubt that, in Śaka 1575 i.e. in 1653 A.D. the author of the work was engaged in making preparations for the writing of the work and for taking observations. Śivājī was 26 years old then, and was actually absorbed in the work of founding the kingdom. It is very significant that even in the midst of the turmoil, he instructed the author to compile a work which would give results agreeing with observation.

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The following line of the author, कृष्णः कोंकणसट्टाकनगरे देशस्थवर्यो वसन् ॥ shows that he was a Deśastha Brāhmaṇa residing in the Māwalā territory near the Sahyādri ranges.

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The mean places of planets are to be calculated from varṣagaṇa according to this karaṇa work. The ayanāṃśa is assumed to be zero in Śaka 450 and the annual motion 60”. Unlike the author of the Grahalāghava, this author has taken the help of sines and chords. This very writer compiled a very voluminous work entitled Tantraratna and this work, he says, was only a part of it. The Tantraratna has not come to the author’s notice.

Cites (6)