Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t78: Vaiṣṇava Kāraṇa

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t78

Language: English

Vaiṣṇava Kāraṇa

Śaṅkara belonged to Vasiṣṭha gotra and was a resident of the region around Raivatakā hill (near Dwarka). The names of his ancestors, from his father upwards were Śuka, Dhaneśvara, Rāma and Harihara. He compiled a Karaṇa work entitled Vaiṣṇavakaraṇa in Śaka 1688. Although he has observed in the beginning that he proposed to compile it according to Viṣṇugupta's views, he has, in reality, followed the Bhāskarācārya's views. He perhaps meant to name Brahmagupta, son of Jiṣṇu, in place of Viṣṇugupta. This work adopts a Zero ayanāṃśa for the Śaka year 445. The work contains about 300 verses. It is claimed that this Karaṇa work would give planets places agreeing with observation. But it contains nothing more than earlier works, Gaṇakatarangiṇī, pp. 110-111.

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GRAHAGAṆITA CINTĀMAṆI

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MAṆIRĀMA, Śaka 1696

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BRIEF ACCOUNT

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Maṇirāma was a Yajurvedī Brāhmaṇa belonging to Bhāradwāja gotra. The names of his three ancestors, starting from his father, were Lālāmaṇi, Devidāsa, and Līlādhara. His guru was one Vatsarāja of Kāśyapa gotra. All these names suggest that Maṇirāma was a Gujerātī. The verses describing his family history show that his name may have been simply RĀMA.

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Outline of Work

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The Grahagaṇita Cintāmaṇi has given epochal positions for the morning of Sunday, the first lunar day of Caitra Śukla, of Śaka 1696 (i.e. 13th March, 1774 A.D.). They are :—

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| | Sun | Moon | Moon's apogee | Moon's node |
| S | 11 | 11 | 1 | |
| O | 0 | 4 | 29 | 15 |
| ' | 15 | 50 | 6 | 36 |
| " | 1 | 6 | 21 | 55 |

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| | Mars | Mercury's (mean) elongation | Jupiter | Venus's (mean) elongation | Saturn |
| S | 10 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| O | 13 | 17 | 29 | 23 | 27 |
| ' | 4 | 5 | 57 | 54 | 4 |
| " | 51 | 12 | 0 | 54 | 12 |

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Difference from those of Grahalāghava (Gr. L.-23 cycles ; ahargaṇa=388)

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| | | ° | ' | " | | | ° | ' | " |
| Sun | . | +0 | 0 | 24 | Mercury's (Mean) elongation | . | +1 | 14 | 31 |
| Moon | . | +0 | 0 | 51 | Jupiter | . | +0 | 20 | 33 |
| Moon's apogee | . | +1 | 36 | 8 | Venus's (Mean) elongation | . | -2 | 56 | 34 |
| Moon's node | . | -0 | 17 | 22 | Saturn | . | -0 | 9 | 17 |
| Mars | . | -0 | 6 | 37 | | | | | |

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This work has employed the same device as Grahaghava in order that ahargana may not exceed a certain number. In other words it has assumed a cycle of 11 years and the explement of the motion during this cycle is termed ‘Dhruva’. These ‘Dhruva’ figures are more accurate than those of Grahalāghava. The author is a follower of the Sūrya Siddhānta; still, he has not adopted the positions as they are actually obtainable from the Sūrya Siddhānta. Again, though the method of procedure adopted in the work is almost the same as that of Grahalāghava, the author has not relied upon that work too for the places of planets. From this and from his remark in the conclusion, viz., “I have compiled this work, after myself taking observations, according to the methods of observation described by learned men. Scholars may test their accuracy by means of instruments,” it appears that the writer has obtained the planets’ places at the epoch, after actually taking obervations for himself.

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He has mentioned a correction due to difference in longitude (rekhāntar) to mean places of planets. Similarly, he has mentioned the corrections of ‘bhujāntar’ and ‘cara’ for all planets’. The ayanāṃśas have been given according to the Sūrya Siddhānta. The method of calculating true places of planets is like that of Grahalāghava. However, the figures for the helio-centric and geocentric positions are somewhat different.

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The work contains 12 chapters on the following subjects :—mean places, true places of the sun and the moon, true places of planets, calculation of the ascendant etc., lunar eclipse, solar eclipse, graphs, re-appearance of the moon, construction of the ‘nalikā’ instrument, elevation of moon’s cusps, heliacal rising and setting and Mahāpāt. The number of verses in it are respectively 19, 11, 14, 7, 5, 3, 7, 3, 26, 4, 6, 15, i.e. 120 in all. There is a copy of this work in the Ānandāśrama (library), Poona. (Book No. 3103).

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No Setback to Grahalāghava

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A number of attempts appear to have been made to compile a work similar to the Grahalāghava. The author has not found among these any work as good as this one. Of course the author of this work cannot be credited with capacity for original work like that of the Grahalāghava; still, it is only fair to observe that he has given planetary positions agreeing with observed results; and, judged only as a karaṇa grantha, this work is by no means inferior to the Grahalāghava. Nevertheless, Grahalāghava has been in extensive use all over the country and in spite of its great antiquity it is not found inconvenient for calculation. Moreover, many astronomers have prepared tables in order to simplify all its calculation work. For all these reasons the Grahalāghava has not been beaten as yet by any of its successors.

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BRAHMA SIDDHĀNTASĀRA, Śaka 1703

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This is a work belonging to Brahmapakṣa. It contains 12 chapters. It has adopted Śaka 1703 as its epochal year. The first chapter comprising 124 verses, is a synopsis of the chapter on mean places from the Siddhānta Śiromaṇi. Then follows the main part of the original work. It follows the method of computing planets’ places from ahargaṇa. Some of its methods are similar to those of the Grahalāghava. The author of the work, named BHULĀ, was the son of Nārāyaṇa and a devotee of goddess Devī; he was a Brāhmaṇa belonging to Gārgya gotra, and used to reside at Dadhīci, a place 6 miles to the east of the mouth of the Narmadā.

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YANTRARĀJA GHAṬANĀ

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MATHURĀNĀTHA, Śaka 1704

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Mathurāntāhā, a Mālviya Brāhmaṇa, was employed in the library of the Sanskrit Pāṭhśālā* at Vārānasī from 1813 to 1818 A.D. (Śaka 1735 to 1740). He was a good scholar of astronomy and knew the Persian language. He compiled the work Yantrarāja Ghaṭanā in Śaka 1704. The number of verses in it is about 1000. He received the patronage of Dayālu Cānd (Dalcānd), grandfather of Śivaprasad, the well known king of Vārānasī. The latitudes and longitudes of stars observed in Śaka 1704 have been recorded in this work. (Gaṇaka Taraṅgiṇī, pages 114–6).

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There is an instrument known as Yantrarāja which is useful for observation. There is also an old work entitled “ Yantra Rāj ”, dated Śaka 1292, which has been noticed further in the chapter on observations. Mathurānātha’s work probably dealt with the construction of the instrument, the method of taking observations and the like matters.

Cites (4)

Sūryasiddhānta — Maya, Sanskrit
Grahalāghava — Gaṇeśa Daivajña 1520, Sanskrit
Siddhāntaśiromaṇi — Bhāskara II, Sanskrit
Yantrarāja — Mahendrasūri, Sanskrit