Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c14.55
Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c14.55
- Language
- English
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The works Bṛhajjātaka and Laghujātaka by VARĀHAMIHIRA and PṚTHUYAŚĀ’S work, Ṣatpañcāśikā,’ are now-a-days in use. All these three works have commentaries of Utpala. Ananta, brother of Gaṇeśa Daivajña, author of the Grahalāghava, wrote a commentary on Laghujātaka in Śaka 1456. There is a commentary on Bṛhajjātaka by Balabhadra, in addition to those by Mahīdās and Mahīdhar. The two latter and Mahīdās and Mahīdhar, the commentators on Līlāvatī, might have been the same persons. There is another commentary named Subodhinī on Bṛhajjātaka in the Govt. Library at Tanjore. The Aufrecht Catalogue mentions 5 or 6 more names of commentaries. The Mīnarāja-Jātaka contains quotation from LALLA. NṚHARI, the author of Jātakasāra, has also mentioned Lalla’s name among the authors of astrological works. This shows that Lalla may have written a work also on astrology. Bhaṭṭotpala has borrowed a number of quotations from Sārāvalī, and one of these quotations has mentioned Varāha’s* name. From this Sārāvalī appears to be a work, compiled after Varāha but before Śaka 888. A work named Sārāvalī has come to my notice. (The quotations given by Utpala could not be found in it.) Its author is one Kalyāṇa Varmā. He has also called himself as Vaṭeśvara. He has compiled the work after selecting different portions from the works by Varāhamihira, Yavana Narendra and others. An astrologer named Vaṭeśvara lived about Śaka 821. (See page 190).
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It would appear, therefore, that the Sārāvalī quoted by Utpala and the one compiled by Kalyāṇa Varmā are the same work, and its date is about Śaka 821**. The commentary by Utpala mentions the names of Devakīrti (1.19) and Śrutakīrti (1,7,8,9) in addition to the above. There is a work, Jātaka Paddhati, on astrology by Śrīpati. I think that this Śrīpati and Śrīpati, the writer of Ratnamālā, are one and the same person, considering the commentaries of Mādhava on these two books. Mādhava’s commentary on Ratnamālā mentions Vṛddha Jātaka, a work on astrology, which shows that the work belongs to some date prior to Śaka 1185. Keśava of Nandigram (about Śaka 1418) has, in his commentary on Jātaka Paddhati, cited the following works and authors :—Śridhara Paddhati, Mhalugi Paddhati, Dāmodhara, Rāmakṛṣṇa Paddhati, Keśava Miśra, Vallayu Paddhati, Horā Mārkaṇḍa, and, Laghu Paddhati. The first four of these names occur even in the Viśvanāthī commentary. All of them must have lived before Śaka 1418. Bhāskarācārya has mentioned one Śridhara as the author of a work on Bījagaṇita (Algebra). Mādhava, the commentator of Ratnamālā, has referred to one Śridhara, with reference to a Muhūrta work. All the three Śridharas and the Śridhara, author of Gaṇitasāra mentioned before on page ( 95 ), may have been the same person. Dāmodhara himself may be the compiler of Bhaṭatulya Karaṇa (Śaka 1339). There is a small book on astrology, named, Bhāva Nirṇaya, written by Vidyāraṇya.
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A small work consisting of 40 verses, entitled Jātakapaddhati, compiled by Keśava of Nandigram is very widely known. The work itself is called Keśavi. Keśava has himself written a commentary on it. Viśvanātha has written an Udāharaṇa commentary (Page 156 ). Nārāyaṇa (Page 158 ) and Divākara (Page 162 ) have also written commentaries on the work, and the Aufrecht Catalogue mentions 7 more. It is at present printed with its Marathi translation and Udāharaṇa in Marathi. There is an astrological work entitled Jātakabharaṇa by Dhuṇḍirāj. It belongs to about Śaka 1460 ( see Page 146 ). It states astrological effects in a definite order and hence it is very useful in casting horoscopes. There is one Jātaka Paddhati of Śaka 1480 (circa) by Ananta. The work Jātakottama is referred to in the commentary on Muhūrta Mārtaṇḍa which indicates that the work belongs to a period before Śaka 1493. A work named Jātaka Muktāvali by Śivadāsa has been mentioned in Viśvanāth’s Commentary on the Jātaka paddhati of Keśava. There is a voluminous work, entitled Horāskandha-Nirūpaṇa, which was compiled by Viśvanāth Pandit, son of Rāma, under the direction of King Vīrasimha. It is also entitled ‘Vīrasimhodaya Jātaka Khaṇḍa’. The date of this work could not be found ; but, as it combines quotations from the Jātakābharaṇa, it must have been compiled after Śaka 1460, probably about Śaka 1500.
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It is very useful to those who prepare horoscopes, since it describes results of planetary positions in an orderly manner after quoting lines from several ancient works. It was not seen in a printed form anywhere, but it is really worth printing. It contains quotations from several ancient works. Among them are found names of authors like Śaunaka and Guṇākara and those of works like Samudrajātaka, Horāpradīpa, Janma Pradīpa. There is a voluminous work named Jātaka Sāra by Nṛhari. The author remarks in it in the beginning, “ Vaśiṣṭha, Garga, Atri, Parāśara, Varāha, Lalla and others have compiled Scientific works on Horā. But the results in them have not been given in an orderly manner. In order, therefore, to enable one to write the effects (of planets) in the horoscope in a systematic way, I am writing this work with the help of Sārāvalī, Horāpradīpa, Janma Pradīpa and similar other works.” There is a work, Jātakālaṅkāra, by Gaṇeśa which is in extensive use. Kānhajī, the grand father of Gaṇeśa and a Brāhmaṇa of Bharadvāja gotra, was highly esteemed at the court of a king of Gujerat. He had three sons, Sūryadās, Gopāla and Rāmakṛṣṇa. Gopāl’s son Gaṇeśa compiled the Jātakālaṅkār at Bradhnāpur in Śaka 1535. It has six chapters. Gaṇeśa’s guru was named Śivadāsa. The author happened to learn from a book that Bradhnapur is the same as Burhanpur. But it cannot be said for certain that Jātakālaṅkāra, was written at Burhanpur.
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This work, has a commentary by Harabhānu, son of Kṛṣṇa and surnamed Śukla. The commentaror says that Bradhnapur is the same as Sūryapur. Divakar, referred to on page 162, has to his credit a work entitled ‘Padmajātaka’, consisting of 104 verses, which was compiled in Śaka 1547. A work named *Paddhatibhūṣaṇa* was compiled in Śaka 1559 by Soma Daivajña, son of Rudrabhata who was a Rgvedi Brāhmaṇa of Jaladagram. This Jaladagram may be the same as Jalgaon, in Khandesh. The work *Paddhati-bhūṣaṇa* has a commentary by Dinkar, in which Śaka 1729 has been adopted for the example. It is not known if this Dinkar is the same as the one described on page 175. Balabhadra, son of Damodar, wrote a work named *Horā Ratna*. It may have been wirtten about Śaka 1577. *Horā Kaustubha* is a work compiled by Govinda, son of Narahari, about Śaka 1600. The two works, *Horā Sāra Sudhā Nidhi* and *Nara Jātaka Vyākhyā*, by Nārāyaṇa belong to Śaka 1660 (circa). Sudhākara writes that there is a good work on Astrology, entitled *Praśna Māṇikyamālā*, by Paramānanda Pāthak. It consists of four parts. Paramānanda, who was a Sārasvata Brāhmaṇa, was the chief astronomer at the court of Balvant Singh, king of Varanasi, about Śaka 1670. There is a work *Paddhati Candrikā* by Rāghava (see page 175). According to Sudhākara, there was a capable Jyotiṣi named Govindācharī at Varanasi. He was skilled in ‘*māraṇa*’ (killing by magic) ‘*Mohana*’ (hypnotism) and such other occult practices;
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he later on settled near goddess Vindhyavāsini and compiled two or three works including *Sādhanasubodha*, *Yoginī-daśā* etc. after Śaka 1775. He died in Śaka 1782. Anantāchārya Mhalagī a resident of Sholapur, and an astrologer, has written works entitled *Anantaphala-darpaṇa* and *Āpābhatī Jātaka*. The first was written in Śaka 1798; it deals with both *Jātaka* and *Tājaka*. One Āpā Jośī Bhāṇḍārkavathekar was the preceptor of Anantāchārya. (He died about Śaka 1788). All his predictions used to prove very accurate. He had formulated some new rules after making some modifications in those ancient works. Anantāchārya said in Śaka 1806 that these revised rules are to be found in his own works.