Indian Mathematics c10.2

c10.2

Alberuni writes (i, 376): 'Now it is evident that that which Brahmagupta relates on his own authority, and with which he himself agrees, is entirely unfounded; but he is blind to this from sheer hatred of Āryabhaṭa, whom he abuses excessively. And in this respect Āryabhaṭa and Puliśa are the same to him. I take for witness the passage of Brahmagupta where he says that Āryabhaṭa has subtracted something from the cycles of *Caput Draconis* and of the *apsis* of the moon and thereby confused the computation of the eclipse. He is rude enough to compare Āryabhaṭa to a worm which, eating the wood, by chance describes certain characters in it, without intending to draw them. "He, however, who knows these things thoroughly stands opposite to Āryabhaṭa, Śrīsheṇa and Vishṇuchandra like the lion against gazelles. They are not capable of letting him see their faces." In such offensive terms he attacks Āryabhaṭa and maltreats him.'