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A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (in Perspective) c10: Chapter IV. Kerala Astronomers

A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (in Perspective) c10

Language
English

Contents

Chapter IV. Kerala Astronomers

1. Introductory

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The approach of the Kerala astronomers to the study of that discipline and the broad trends of their writings, as set out in the previous chapters, should form the natural background for an apprisal of the literature produced in the land on astronomy and, for the sake of fullness, also on the allied discipline of astrology. Such an apprisal is attempted in the two chapters that follow. In the present chapter, the major writers are taken note of and in the next chapter is presented a fully documented Inventory of the available literature on these disciplines. It may be noted that the said Inventory carries references to the manuscripts, editions and studies relating to as many as about 600 works on astronomy, astrology and mathematics and details of about 100 authors and authorities.

2. Earlier documentation

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Several efforts have been made before to take stock of Hindu astronomical and allied literature, including that of Kerala, though these attempts have hardly succeeded in giving any adequate idea of the extent of the literature produced in Kerala. ‘A brief bibliography of Hindu mathematics’ by G.R. Kaye¹ records but a single work from Kerala, being the commentary of Paramādiśvara (sic.) on the *Āryabhaṭīya*. The *Gaṇakatarangiṇī* or *Lives of Hindu astronomers* by Sudhakara Dvivedi mentions just four Kerala authors and two works.² ‘A consolidated list of Hindu mathematical works’ by K. Balagangadharan³ includes just 18 Kerala authors and 42 works. K.K. Raja’s well-documented paper on ‘Astronomy and mathematics in Kerala : An account of the literature’,⁴ takes into its purview only some of the more prominent authors in these two disciplines, numbering about 20, and their works, numbering about 80. S.N. Sen's *Bibliography of Sanskrit works on astronomy and mathematics*,¹ carries the documentation of just 13 Kerala authors and 47 works. The major histories of Kerala literature, viz., *Kerala Sahitya Charitram* (in 5 vols.) by Ulloor S. Parameswara Aiyar,² *Keraliya Samskrita Sahitya Charitram*, (in 6 vols.)³ and *Kerala Sahitya Charitram : Charcchayum Puraṇavum*, (in 2 vols.),⁴ both by Vaṭakkumkūr Rajaraja Varma, *Malayala Bhasha Charitram* by P. Govinda Pillai,⁵ and *Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Charitram* (in 7 vols.), by R. Narayana Panikkar,⁶ especially the first three, notice a much larger quantum of the literature, though they, too, fail to do adequate justice to the subject. In fact, more than half of the literature on Jyotiṣa produced in Kerala does not find a mention in these volumes. Moreover, the accounts given in these histories are not documented and are, mostly, distributed in their different volumes. Neither do these histories, except that of Ulloor, carry any index to help the reader in locating a work or an author dealt with therein. Under the circumstances as stated above, the wealth of material presented, in a chronological manner, in the following pages may be expected to provide a far more comprehensive account of the literary output of Kerala in the discipline of Jyotiṣa. It has been thought not necessary to repeat here the details which are available in the earlier accounts, but it was felt essential to set out all new information not noticed in therein. Therefore, in the following pages, the stress will be on new information, identifications and correlations, although, for the sake of completeness and continuity, a brief mention will be made also about currently known authors and works, for further details about which the earlier writings referred to in the footnotes might be consulted with advantage. For the documentation of the manuscripts of the works and for extracts therefrom, the annotated Inventory in the next chapter might be referred to.

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¹ JI. and Proc. of the Asiatic Soc. of Bengal, (NS) 7 (1911) 679-86.

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² Rev. edn. by Padmakara Dvivedi, Banares, 1933. The Keralite authorities referred to herein are Parameśvara, Kṛṣṇācārya, Govinda and Vidyāmādhava, among authors, and Bhaṭadīpikā and Daśadhyāyī, among works.

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³ Mathematics Student, 15 (1947) 55-70.

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⁴ Adyar Library Bulletin, 27 (1963) 118-67.

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¹ Part I: *Manuscripts, Texts, Translations and Studies*, National Institute of Sciences of India, New Delhi-1, 1966.

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² Pub., University of Kerala, Trivandrum, 1953-57.

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³ Pub., Vol. I, Kamalalaya Book Depot, Trivandrum, M. E. 1113 (A. D. 1938), Vols. II-VI, Mangalodyam, Trichur, M. E. 1122-40 (A.D. 1947-65).

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⁴ Pub., Mangalodayam, Trichur, 1967-69.

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⁵ Reprint, National Book Stall, Kottayam, 1955.

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⁶ Pub., Vidyavilasini Book Depot, Trivandrum, n.d.-1951.

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3. Vararuci I (4th cent. A.D.)

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Vararuci is the father figure in the astronomical tradition of Kerala. He is supposed to have lived in the first half of the 4th century, this date having been arrived at on the basis of the dates of birth and death of his eldest son Meḷattoḷ Agnihotri, which are given, according to tradition, in the Kali chronograms yajñasthānam surakṣyam (12,70,701) and purudhiḥ samāśryaḥ (12,57,921) which fall, respectively, in A.D. 343 and 378. The manuscript tradition of the land ascribes to Vararuci the authorship of the 248 Candra-vākyas ('moon-sentences'), popularly called Vararuci-vākyas, beginning with gir naḥ śreyaḥ, and also the promulgation of the kaṭapayādi notation of depicting numbers which has been used in the composition of the said Vakyas.¹

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¹ On Vararuci, see Raja, pp. 120-22; Ul. vol. I. pp. 77-81, 165; Va. vol. I. pp. 90-95. There is another astronomer named Vararuci, the author of the well-known Vākyakaraṇa (ed. T. S. K. Sastri and K. V. Sarma, Madras, 1962), which is the source-book of the Vākya-pañcāṅga, popular in South India, especially the Tamil region. But this Vararuci, whether the name is real or apocryphal, belonged to the Tamil region, as is clear from the introductory verses of that work. It has also been shown that this is a 13th century work, having been composed between 1282 and 1306, as can be inferred from the śodhya-dina ('deductive day') made use of in that work as a 'zero-day' for computations (vide op. cit., Intro., p. ix). For some Keralite legends on Vararuci, see Koṭṭārathil Śaṅkuṇṇi, 'Parayiperṟu pantiru kulam' (Mal.), ('The twelve families born of a woman of the Paraya caste'), Aitihyamālā, (6th edn., Trichur, 1961), pp. 60-90.

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4. Vararuci II

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In horary astrology, the work Kerala-dvādaśabhāvavākyāni, in 12 chapters, is ascribed to Vararuci; the manuscripts of the work carry expressive colophons such as iti Keralīya-Vararuci-vakye and Kerala Vararuci-prokta. Two anonymous works, both entitled Kerala-dvādaśabhava-phalam, one in verse and the other in prose, are allied to Kerala-Vararuci's work mentioned above. Another work of Vararuci is the Vārarucika, an extenstive treatise on general astrology in 12 chapters. Still another work called Vararuci-kerala called also Jātakarahasya and Kerala-rahasya on horoscopy is, also, attributed to him. The Vararuci, who is the author of the above works on astrology might be identical, but it is not possible to assert that he is the same as the author of the Candra-vakyas.

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5. Haridatta (c. 650-700)

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Haridatta, as noted earlier, has the distinction of promulgating, In 683, at Tirunāvāy in Kerala, a new system of astronomical computation called *Parahita*, which presented distinct advantages over the prevailing *Āryabhaṭan* system.¹ One of the important corrections which he introduced was called the *Śakābda-saṃskāra* or *Bhaṭa-saṃskāra*.² His *Grahacāranibandhana*, of which and of whose summary critical editions are available,³ is the working manual of the system. His comprehensive treatise on astronomy entitled *Mahāmārganibandhana*, referred to in the *Grahacāranibandhana* (III. 44), is yet to be recovered. The well-known verse *vāgbhāvonāt* etc., enunciating his *Śakābda-saṃskāra*, which does not occur in the shorter manual, must be from this treatise;⁴ so also Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī's quotation in his *Grahaṇādi-grantha* (ms., p. 59) which reads: *atra Haridattaś capy āha*—‘*caturdaśabhāgāntaś calanty eva grahās tataḥ*’. The *Parahita* system of computation, which grew highly popular, has played a leading role in the propagation and practice of astronomy in Kerala.⁵

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¹ See above, pp. 7-8.

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² On this see above, p. 9.

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³ Cr. ed. with Intro., K.V. Sarma, K.S.R. Institute, Madras, 1954.

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⁴ For this verse and its exposition, see above, p. 9.

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⁵ On Haridatta, see: K.V. Sarma, Intro. to his edn. of *Grahacāranibandhana*, op. cit., and ‘The original ‘text of Parahita-gaṇita’, (Mal), *Mathrubhumi Weekly* (Kozhikode), 10.10.1954; Raja, 123-26.

6. Govindasvāmin (c. 800-850)

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In Govindasvāmin, teacher of Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa (see below) who was the court astronomer of King Ravi Varma Kerala, we have one of the ablest exponents of Bhāskara I and of the *Āryabhaṭan* system. His elaborate *Bhāṣya* on the *Mahābhāskarīya*⁶ contains new ideas and mathematical elaborations which remain to be fully recognised and expounded in terms of modern mathematics.⁷ An original work of his on astronomy and mathematics, which is quoted under the title *Govindakṛti* by later writers like Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa, Nīlakaṇṭha Somayāji and Nārāyaṇa,¹ is yet to be recovered. So also is his work on astrology which is referred to by Nilakaṇṭha as *Govindapaddhati*.² However, manuscripts of his short commentary called *Prakaṭārtha* or *Sampradāyapradīpikā* on *Parāśarahorā* are known but it is yet to be issued in print.³

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⁶ Cr., ed., T. S. Kuppanna Sastri, Madras, 1957.

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⁷ For an exposition of some of these, see R. C. Gupta, ‘Second order of interpolation in Indian mathematics’, *Indian Jl. of Hist. of Sc.*, 4 (1969) 86-98; ‘Fractional parts of Āryabhaṭa's sines and certain rules found in Govindasvāmin's *Bhāṣya* on the *Mahābhāskarīya*’, ibid., 6 (1971) 51-59.

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¹ For instance, see *Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa* in his com. on *Laghubhāskarīya*, *TSS*, No. 162, pp. 19, 55, 95; Nilakaṇṭha, *Grahaṇādigrantha*, ms., pp. 35, 42, 44.

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² See his *Grahaṇādigrantha*, ms., p. 44.

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³ On Govindasvāmin, see: T.S.K. Sastri, Intro, to his edn. of *Mahābhāskarīya*, *op. cit.*, pp. xlvi-1; Raja, 127-28; Ul. II.96-97. The identification of our author with the 13th cent. Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri, au. of *Muhūrtaratna*, made by Ulloor (I.169, II. 96, 97) is not correct. Again, Ulloor (I.169) refers to a com. on the *Aryabhaṭīya* by our author, but no such com. is known.

7. Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa (c. 825-900)

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Ravi Varma, the 9th century ruler of the Cera dynasty of Kerala had as his chief court astronomer Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa disciple of Govindasvāmin. Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa was a native of Kollapuri on the Arabian coast. The only known work of his is a commentary on the *Laghubhāskarīya* which he wrote in A. D. 869.⁴ Besides being highly elucidatory with regard to the subject treated therein, the work throws light on the keen interest evinced by the royalty in the promotion of the study of astronomy, the presence of an astronomical observatory at the capital city Mahodayapuram (modern Koṭuṅgalloor near Cochin), the construction of buildings with due reference to mathematical principles, arrangements made in the city for announcing the times of the day—which all point to the conditions that greatly favoured the flowering of astronomical studies in that part of India.⁵

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⁴ Ed. *Trivandrum Skt. Ser.*, (*TSS*), No. 162, (Trivandrum, 1949).

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⁵ On Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa, see, Intro. to the above edn., pp. x-xv; Raja, 128-29; Ul. I. 165-67; Va. IV, 221-23. Va.'s statement (IV. 222) that *Bṛhatkarmanibandhana* is a work of this author is not correct. *Bṛhatkarmanibandhana* is another name for the *Mahābhāskarīya* of Bhāskara I.

8. Udayadivākara (11th cent.)

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Udayadivākara, surnamed Jyotiṣikabhaṭṭa, author of the elaborate commentary called *Sundarī* on the *Laghubhāskarīya*, which takes as its epoch 1073,⁶ probably hailed from Kerala. In the *Sundarī* he quotes as many as twenty verses from an unnamed work of a mathematician Jayadeva and comments on them.¹ His comments on Jayadeva are quoted also in the *Līlāvatīvyākhyā* (Kriyākramakarī) by Nārāyaṇa (Madras Ms. R. 2754, pp. 182, 183-84, 185). Possibly Udayadivākara has commented on Jayadeva’s work in full.

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⁶ *Sala* 995, as given in his com. on *Laghu*., II. 29.

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¹ For a study on these verses, see K. S. Shukla, ‘Ācārya Jayadeva, the mathematician’, *Gaṇita*, (Bharat Ganita Parishad, Lucknow), 5 (1954) 1-20.

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9. Acyuta I

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An extensive work on analytic astrology, called severally as *Devakerala*,² *Keralajyotiṣa*, *Candranāḍī* and *Candrakalānāḍī*, introduces itself as to have been compiled from the teachings of Acyuta, a brahman from Kerala. Acyuta propitiated, by penance, Bṛhaspati, who taught him the *Jātakaskandha*. In a similar manner, Acyuta propitiated Śukra and Parameśvara also and got from them their teachings as well, which he propagated.³ Neither the date of this Acyuta nor any personal details about him is known. The *Devakerala* which represents his teachings is, obviously, a compilation by his disciples, among whom Veṅkaṭeśa of the Kāśyapagotra is specifically mentioned as the redactor of the *Uttarabhāga* of the work.⁴

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² Ed. by T. S. Ranganatha Josyar, in 3 parts, *Madras Gov. Or. Ser.*, Madras, 1952-56.

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³ *Cf.*: *Kerale viṣaye kaścid Acyuto nāma bhūsuraḥ* | *Bṛhaspatim samuddiśya sa cakre tapa uttamam* || *prasādasumukhas tasmai prāha devapurohitaḥ* | *tapasā tava tuṣṭo 'smi vatsa kim te karomy aham* || ... *yan mayānukṛtam pūrvam Jātakaskandham uttamam* | *dvisahasreṇa saṅkṣipya tvatkṛte procyate 'dhunā* || ... *Acyuto 'pi punaḥ prītas tapasārādhya Bhārgavam* | *tasmāt sahasrasaṅkhyākam prāptavān Bhārgavam matam* || ... *śiṣyān adhyāpayāmāsa śāstram tad Devakeralam* | ...

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⁴ *Cf.*: *abhivandya mataṅgākhyam śrīmad-veṅkaṭanāyakam* | *Kaśyapo Veṅkaṭeśo 'ham phalam vakṣyāmi bhūbhujām* || (Intro. verse)

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10. Keralācārya (? 12th cent.)

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According to current tradition, Keralācārya hailed from Trichur in Central Kerala and belonged to the Kāśyapagotra. It is also said that he was a minister of King Rāma Varmā who ruled in Kerala from 1108-32. He wrote on Jyotiṣa, Āyurveda and Tantra. His works on Jyotiṣa included *Kerala-saṃhitā*, *Kerala-nāḍigrantha*, *Keralīyapraśnamārga* and *Keralapraśnasāra*. However, as observed earlier, these works must, obviously, be non-Keralite treatises based on Keralite teachings attributed to Keralācārya.¹

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¹ See above, pp. 38-40.

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11. Vyāghrapāda

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*Aṅkaṇaśāstra*,² called also *Grahasamaya* and *Navagrahasamaya*, has, obviously, been composed by a devotee of god Śiva enshrined at Vaikkom (Skt. Puṇḍarīkapura) in Central Kerala and attributed to sage Vyāghrapāda, the establisher of that place. It is an interesting treatise in analytical astrology, intended as a supplement and corrector to general horoscopic astrology and contains 389 verses, divided into four chapters. Herein, each of the twelve *lagna-rāśis* (ascending zodiacal segments) are divided into nine *aṅkaṇa-s* ('court-yards'), each *aṅkaṇa* being presided over by a planet having individual characteristics. Minute prognostications are made on the basis of the effects of these planets.³

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² Ed. by K. Raghavan Pillai, *TSS*, No. 222, Trivandrum, 1968.

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³ On this work, see Intro. to the edn. cited above and Ul. Sup. I. 221-22.

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12. Kṛṣṇa (c. 1200)

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Kṛṣṇa, called also Kṛṣṇācārya, is the author of *Cintajñāna*, a comprehensive work on astrology in thirtytwo chapters. No personal details about him are known but his being quoted frequently as an authority by later writers, the earliest of them being Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri of Talakkulam (1237-95), is a pointer to his popularity and his date, which might be taken to be about 1200 or before. He may be identical with Kṛṣṇa, the author of a commentary on the *Horā* of Varahamihira, of which a manuscript has come to light. Kṛṣṇa's *Cintajñāna* has a popular commentary called *Caturasundarī* by Viṣṇu.⁴

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⁴ On Kṛṣṇa, see Ul. I. 169-70.

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13. Kṛṣṇa-śiṣya (c. 1200)

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Kṛṣṇa had in one of his disciples, who does not disclose his name or give any other personal details, an ardent admirer and propagator of his teachings. This disciple has composed two works, one a metrical commentary on the *Horā* and the other a short treatise in verse on astrological query, entitled *Praśnaphalaprāptikalanirṇaya*. In both these works, he mentions his teacher in high terms and, in the latter, goes to the extent of saying that the minds of those who have imbibed the teachings of Kṛṣṇācārya would remain unassailed so far as prognostication is concerned.¹

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¹ See the verses extracted in the Inventory, below, under the respective works.

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14. Sūryadeva Yajvan (1191-c. 1250)

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Sūryadeva Yajvan of the Nidhruva gotra and nephew of another Sūryadeva was a versatile commentator and recognised authority. He gives his date of birth as ‘viśveśa’ (1113) śaka in the colophon to his commentary on the *Tripraśnādhyāya* of the *Laghumānasa* of Muñjāla. His elaborate commentaries on the *Laghumānasa* and the *Āryabhaṭīya* are available, but that on the *Mahābhaskarīya-bhāṣya* of Govindasvāmin is known only from his reference to it. On astrology, he commented on the *Mahayātra* of Varāhamihira, and the *Jataka-karmapaddhati* of Śrīpati, both of which are popular.²

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² On Sūryadeva, see Raja, 131-32, Sen, p. 124; Ul. II. 97-98; Ul. Sup. I. 219; Va. I. 390-92.

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15. Vidyāmādhava

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Vidyāmādhava, whose commentary on the *Kirātārjunīya*, is perhaps, the best exposition of that *mahakāvya*, was equally at home in Jyotiṣa. His *Muhūrtadarśana*, called also *Muhūrtamādhavīya* and *Vidyāmādhavīya*,³ is an extensive work in 15 chapters, discussing and prescribing auspicious times for all types of social and religious functions. He was a member of the Tulu brahman family of Nilamana, his village being Guṇavatī (Guṇavanta), near Gokarna, on the Arabian coast. He was the son of Nārāyaṇa, an eminent scholar attached to the court of King Mallappa. The *Muhūrtadarśna* has been extremely popular in Kerala and has six Keralite commentaries on it, two in Sanskrit and the others in Malayalam.⁴

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³ Ed. by Shama Sastry, *Vidyāmādhavīyam* with Viṣṇuśarma’s *Muhūrtadīpaka*, Bibl. Sanskrita, Nos. 63, 67, 70, Or. Res. Inst., Mysore, 1923, 1925, 1926.

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⁴ On Vidyāmādhava, see, Ul. II. 95; Ul. Sup. I.540; Va. I. 441-44.

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16. Viṣṇu of Nilamana

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Viṣṇu was the son of Vidyāmādhava and had the distinction of commenting upon his father’s *Muhūrtadarśana*. This commentary, called *Dīpikā*,¹ is highly elucidatory and informative and has been as much popular in the land as its text.²

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¹ Ed. with text, *op. cit.*

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² The colophon to the commentary on ch. XI reads : *Muhūrtadarśanādarśavyākhyāne Viṣṇunā kṛte |* *vyācaṣṭaikādaśādhyāyam Vidyāmādhavanadanaḥ ||* On the basis of this Ulloor (II. 95) distinguishes between Viṣṇu and Vidyāmādhava's son and states that while the disciple Viṣṇu is the main commentator, ch. XI was commented by Vidyāmādhava's son. But, for the identity of the two, see colophon to the com. on ch. V : *ittham Vidyāmādhavīye Muhūrtadarse 'Vidyāmādhavasyātmajena' |* *vyākhyāto 'bhūd gumphite 'Viṣṇunāmnā' vīryāvīryam darśanam pañcamo 'yam ||*

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17. Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri of Talakkuḷam (1237-95)

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Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri of Talakkuḷattūr family belonged to the village of Ālattūr in S. Malabar and is renowned as the progenitor of the famous Pāzhūr Kaṇiyār family of astrologers A line of astronomical tradition which he started continued for more than 700 years.³ The dates of his birth and death are given by tradition by the Kali chronograms *rakṣed govindam arkaḥ* (15,84,362) and *kalindīpriyatuṣṭaḥ* (16,12,891), which fall, respectively, in A. D. 1237 and 1295. His elaborate commentary *Daśādhyāyī* on the *Horā*, called so on account of its commenting only chs. I to X of the work, deals, in substance, with the entire *Horā*.⁴ His *Muhūrtaratna* has been very popular. He is said to have written also a *Muhūrtapadavī*, which formed the basis for several later works of that name (Ul. II, 110).⁵

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³ See above, pp. 5-6.

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⁴ Pub. under the title *Daśādhyāyī*, Venkatesvara Press, Bombay, Sam. 1969 (A.D. 1912) ; Vidyakalpataru Press, Palghat, (1905), (in grantha script).

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⁵ On Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri, see: Raja, 132-33; Ul. I. 167-69, II. 110; Va. I. 353-59, II 499-500. For the legends about him see, Koṭṭārathil Śaṅkuṇṇi, 'Talakkuḷattūr Bhaṭṭatiriyum Pāzhūr paṭippurayum' (Mal.), *Aitihyamāla*, I, (6th edn., Trichur, 1961), 99-108.

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18. Tāmaraṇallūr (14th cent.)

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A member of the Tāmaraṇallūr family has produced an authoritative work entitled *Muhūrtavidhi*, called also *Muhūrtam Bhāṣā*. The work is popularly known as *Tāmaraṇallūr Bhāṣā*, after its author. It deals with the fixation of auspicious times for functions and is composed in early *bhāṣā-miśra* (Skt.-Mal.) verses. The author, who does not reveal his personal name, makes mention of his patron Ceyyūr (?Cellūr) Nārāyaṇan Nampūtiri and might have hailed from Periñcellūr in Malabar.¹

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¹ On Tāmaranallūr, see Ul. I. 450-1; Ul. Sup. I 146; Va. III 396. Two manuscripts of the work, Ker. 4147-A and PM 4113-B, call themselves *Muhūrtapadavī Bhāṣā*. It remains to be seen whether it is related to the *Muhūrtapadavī* of Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri of Talakkuḷam.

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19. Nityaprakāśa Yati (14th-15th cent.) Nityaprakāśa Yati or °Bhaṭṭāraka, about whom the only personal information known is the name of his preceptor, viz., Ānandaprakāśa, has commented on the *Hora*, both in Sanskrit and in Malayalam. Both the commentaries are elaborate and are called *Prakāśikā*. The Sanskrit commentary is called also *Viṣamākṣaravivṛti*. The language of the Malayalam commentary, which is characterised by mediaeval traits,² would suggest for it a date in the 14th-15th century.

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² E. g., see the lines: *yāvad gataḥ śitakaro etc. (Horā 24. 6) : enpatu praśnam pennina pozhutu praśnarāśikku ettanayām rāśiyile candran ninṟan enṟu inta candran ninṟa rāsi piṭittu akkaṇnakkeni avvirāśiyile candran nilkaṟpirantān enṟu colluka* / (Des. Cata. of Skt. Mss. in H H. the Maharaja’s Palace Library, Trivandrum, Ms. No. 995, (vol. IV, p. 1315).

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20. Kumāra Gaṇaka (c. 14th-15th cent.) Kumāra Gaṇaka is the author of *Raṇadīpikā*,³ which he composed at the instance of Deva Śarmā, younger brother of Govinda, a Kerala prince, probably of the principality of Cempakaśśeri (modern Ampalappuzha). The work deals with politics, royal conduct and war, on the background of natural and horary astrology. It is divided into eight chapters, called *viveka-s*, devoted, respectively, to *Naya*, *Yatrā*, *Jayajaya*, *Kāla*, *Śulacakrādi*, *Pañcasvara*, *Mṛgavīrya* and *Bhūbala*. The author writes very readable poetry and reveals a liberal and progressive bent of mind.⁴

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³ Ed. TSS, No. 95, Trivandrum, 1923.

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⁴ On Kumāra Gaṇaka, see Ul. II. 112-13; Va. II. 7.5-29

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21. Rudra I (c. 1325-1400) Parameśvara Vaṭaśreṇi (1360-1455), of *Dṛggaṇita* fame, has mentioned in several of his works, Rudra, the eminent astronomical authority at whose feet he learnt the discipline. This Rudra’s has, however, not been identified as the author of any work.⁵ 22. Mādhava of Saṅgamagrāma (c. 1340-1425) : Mādhava I

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⁵ On Rudra, see Raja, 138.

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Mādhava, referred to by later astronomers as *Golavid* ('Master of spherics'), was an astute mathematician who belonged to Saṅgamagrāma, identified with Irinjālakkuḍa, near Cochin. According to an old astronomical document, he belonged to the sub-caste of Kerala brāhmans called Emprān-s and the name of his house was Ilaññippaḷḷi.¹ In his *Veṇvāroha*,² he evolved a facile procedure to read out the true positions of the Moon every 36 minutes.³ He uses, in this work, a date in A. D. 1400 as the epoch, which gives a clue to his date. Among his known works are *Lagnaprakaraṇa* and a table of moon-mnemonics correct to the seconds. His *Mahājyānayanaprakāra* and *Madhyamānayanaprakāra*, for which short commentaries are available, contain novel theorems and computational methods evolved by him and used by later writers.

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¹ Cf. the words: *Mādhavan Veṇvārohādīnām karttā. ... Mādhavan Ilaññippaḷḷi Emprān*, in a Kerala manuscript, No. 9886, preserved in the Oriental Institute, Baroda, and ed. by K. V. Sarma in the paper 'Some direct lines of astronomical tradition in Kerala', Pt. Charudeva Shastri Felicitation Vol., Delhi, 1972.

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² Cr. ed by K. V. Sarma, with the commentary of Acyuta Piṣaraṭi, Sanskrit College, Trippunithura, 1956.

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³ For a note on other works of this genre, see above, pp. 32-33.

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An important work of Mādhava, which may be identified here, is his *Agaṇita*. The astronomical document mentioned above states that Mādhava is the author also of an *Agaṇitapañcāṅga*. An anonymous *Agaṇitagrahacāra* which has been quoted by *Karaṇapaddhati* (IV. 14, 16, 18) and is available in manuscript form mentions the *śodhyābdas* ('deductive years') for the computation of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Moon's Higher Apsis as Śaka 1320, 1318, 1340, 1158, 1301 and 1276, corresponding to A.D. 1398, 1396, 1418, 1236, 1379 and 1354.⁴ Since the principle underlying the *sodhyabdas* is to fix them in such a way that the largest possible number of

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⁴ Cf. Ms. T. 280, Cata. of the Skt. Mss. in the Curator's Office, Trivandrum, Vol. IV, p. 1305 :

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*śakābdat 'naraloko'nad rāghavair dhitsunā kujaḥ |*
*'divyaloko'-nanilāgrais tattvajñair bhājite budhaḥ ||*
*'navaloko'-nasāraṅgair gajair āpte gurur bhavet |*
*'hemapunyo'-naśakābdat sāravair govarair bhrguḥ ||*
*'yajñaloko'-nanitāmsair dharmair āpte śanir bhavet |*
*'tirthapriyo'na-śakābdad gandhajñair bhājite tamaḥ ||*

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years will be cut off from the number of the current year, thereby providing maximum ease in calculation, the *śodhyabdas* selected would be as near as possible to the date of the composition of a work, which date would, naturally, be just ahead of the largest *śodhya*. In the case of the *Agaṇitagrahacāra* in question, the *śodhyābdas*, with A. D. 1418 as the latest among them, agrees, surprisingly, with the date of Mādhava. This goes to confirm that in the present *Agaṇitagrahacāra* we have a hitherto unidentified work of Mādhava, viz. his *Agaṇitapañcāṅga* which is mentioned in the said astronomical document. Again, it seems quite possible that Mādhava had composed a comprehensive treatise on astronomy and mathematics, which yet remains to be identified and which may be supposed to contain the numerous single and groups of verses enunciating computational procedures, theorems and formulae which are quoted as Mādhava's by later writers. Possibly, Mādhava wrote also a work named *Golavāda*¹ which gained for him the appellation *Golavid* by later scholars.²

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¹ A matter of melancholy interest might be mentioned here, at least for record. The presence of a work entitled *Golavāda* written in continuation of Mādhava's *Veṇvāroha* in a manuscript preserved in the Eḷankunnappuzha Naṭakkal Kovilakam, near Ernakulam, raised in the present writer the hope that that could, possibly, be a thitherto unknown work of Mādhava. When, however, he proceeded to the said Kovilakam and, with a good deal of persuasion, caused the wooden box containing the family collection of manuscripts to be opened, he found that all the manuscripts in that box, including that of *Golavāda*, had been completely eaten away by white ants. For further details, see his note on the subject in the *Mathrubhumi W*, (Kozhikode), 17.6.1956, p. 4.

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² On Mādhava, see: K. V. Sarma, Intro. to the edn. of *Veṇvāroha*, op. cit.; 'Saṅgamagrāma Mādhava', (Mal.), *Mathrubhumi W*, 4. 11. 1956, pp. 17-18, 59; Raja. 133-36; UI. II. 91-100; Va. I. 387-88, III. 388-90.

23. Parameśvara of Vaṭaśreṇi (c. 1360-1455) : Parameśvara I

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Parameśvara, one of the foremost astronomers of Kerala who revised the *Parahita* system of computation through his *Dṛggaṇita* in 1430. has made significant contributions to Hindu mathematics and astronomy. He was a Ṛgvedin of the Āśvalāyana-sūtra and the Bhṛgu-gotra. He hailed from the village of Aśvatthagrāma (Mal. Ālaṭṭūr) and his house Vaṭaśreṇi (Mal. Vaṭaśśeri) was situated on the confluence of river Nīla (Mal. Bhāratappuzha) with the Arabian Sea, where, on the sandy expanse, he carried on investigations for fiftyfive years. He also observed a large number of eclipses, of which he has recorded the details in his *Siddhāntadīpikā*.³ His grandfather was a disciple of Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri of Talakkuḷam and he himself was a pupil of Rudra I, Nārāyaṇa son of Parameśvara and Mādhava of Saṅgamagrāma.

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³ On Parameśvara's extensive astronomical observations, see above, pp. 2-4.

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Parameśvara was a prolific writer, author of about 30 works, including original treatises and commentaries, both on astronomy and astrology. Among his original writings on astronomy might be mentioned the *Dṛggaṇita* (1430),¹ three works on spherics, being the *Goladīpikās* I-III (1443),² three works on improved computation and rationale of eclipses, viz., *Grahaṇāṣṭaka*,³ *Grahaṇamaṇḍana*⁴ and *Grahaṇanyāyadīpikā*,⁵ a text on the computation of the Moon-shadow, entitled *Candracchāyāgaṇita* and a rationale on the computation of mnemonic tables, *Vākyakaraṇa*.⁶ He has commented on the *Ārya-bhaṭīya*,⁷ *Mahābhāskarīya*,⁸ *Mahābhāskarīya-bhāṣya*,⁹ *Laghubhāskarīya*,¹⁰ *Suryasiddhānta*, *Laghumānasa*¹¹ *Līlāvatī*, *Goladīpikā* I¹² and *Vyatipātaṣṭaka*. Some of his commentaries, like, for instance, those on the *Āryabhaṭīya* and *Mahābhāskarīya-bhāṣya*, are extremely valuable for the historian of Hindu astronomy, since they contain the enunciation of some of his new findings, theories and interpretations. Two of his works on astronomy, viz., *Vākyadīpikā* and *Bhādīpikā*, are yet to be recovered. His writings on astrology include *Ācārasaṅgraha* in two versions, one of them ending with *Vivahānukulyam*, *Jātakapaddhati*, and *Ṣaḍvargaphalam* and commentaries on the *Jātakakarmapaddhati* of Śrīpati, *Praśnaṣaṭpañcāśikā* of Pṛthuyaśas, an anonymous *Muhūrtaṣṭaka* and the *Muhūrtaratna* of Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri.¹

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¹ Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, V.V.R.I., Hoshiarpur, 1963.

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² I: Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, Adyar Library, Madras, 1957; II: Ed. T. Ganapati Sastri, TSS, No. 49, Trivandrum, 1916. The traditional date of composition of one the *Goladīpikās* (which one it is not possible to say) is given by the chronogram *dīyatām* (M.E. 618) equivalent to A.D. 1443, is given by Achyutattu Vasudevan Moossatu in his collection of chronograms entitled *Marakkaṭṭa nalukal* (‘Unforgettable days’), Kunnamkulam, M.E. 1130 (A.D. 1955).

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³ Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, K S R. Inst., Madras, 1959.

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⁴ Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, V.V.R.I., Hoshiarpur, 1965.

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⁵ Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, V.V.R.I., Hoshiarpur, 1966.

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⁶ This *Vākyakaraṇa*, in about 75 verses, is different from the *Vākyakaraṇa* attributed to Vararuci III.

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⁷ Ed., H. Kern, Leiden, 1874; Udaya Narain Singh, Etawah, 1936.

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⁸ Pub, *Anandasrama Skt. Ser.*, No. 126, Poona, 1945.

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⁹ Cr. ed., T.S. Kuppanna Sastri, Gov. Or. Mss. Lib. Madras, 1957.

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¹⁰ Pub., *Anandasrama Skt. Ser.*, No, 128, Poona, 1946.

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¹¹ Pub., *Anandasrama Skt. Ser.*, No, 123, Poona, 1944.

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¹² Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, Adyar Library, Madras, 1957.

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¹ On Parameśvara, see : K.V. Sarma, Intro. to his edns. of Parameśvara's works, op. cit.; 'Dṛgganita of Parameśvara', (Mal.), *Mathrubhumi W*, 7.10.1956, pp. 29-30; 'Fiftyone years' penance' (Mal.), *Mathrubhumi W*, 7.10.1956, pp. 29-30; Raja, 136-43; Sen, pp. 166-70; Ul. II. 100-5; Ul Sup., I. 215-19; Va, I. 378-83.

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24. Dāmodara of Vaṭaśreṇi (c. 1410-1510) : Dāmodara I

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Of Dāmodara, son of Parameśvara of Vaṭaśreṇi, no fullfledged work is known, but his pupil Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī refers to him as an erudite astronomer and quotes from his writings. Thus, in his *Bhāṣya* on *Āryabhaṭīya* (Kālakriyā 17-21), Nīlakaṇṭha says : *tac coktam asmad Ācaryaiḥ : sarvatra viṣkambhadalam śrutau vā vyāsārdhake syāt viparītakarṇaḥ* | (Edn., TSS, No. 110, p. 47). Further down, in the same context, Nīlakaṇṭha quotes a longer piece with the introductory statement : *nibaddham ca tat tadaiva asmadgurubhiḥ pañcabhir upajātibhiḥ* :

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*arkasphuṭanānayanam prakuryāt*
*svamadhyamasyātra vituṅgabhānoḥ |*
*bhujaguṇam koṭiguṇam ca kṛtvā*
*mṛgādikendre 'ntyaphylākhyakoṭyoḥ ||*

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*bhedaḥ kulīrādigate tu yogas*
*tadvargayuktad bhujavargato yat |*
*padam viparyāsakṛtaḥ sa karṇas*
*trijyākṛtes tadvihṛtas tu karṇaḥ ||*

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*tenahatām uccavihīnabhānor*
*jīvām bhajed vyāsadalena labdham |*
*svocce kṣipec cāpi tam ādyapāde*
*cakrārdhataḥ śuddham api dvitīye ||*

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*cakrārdhayuktam tu tṛtīyapāde*
*saṃsodhitam maṇḍalatās caturthe |*
*evamkṛtaḥ sūkṣmataras tu madhyaḥ*
*pūrvam padam yāvad ihādhikam syāt |*

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*antyāt phalāt koṭiguṇaś caturthe*
*tv arabhyate yady adhikātra koṭiḥ |*
*sarvatra viṣkambhādalam śrutau vā*
*vyāsārdhake syād viparītakarnaḥ ||*
(Ibid., p. 48)

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Elsewhere, too, Nīlakaṇṭha quotes Dāmodara: E.g., *prakārāntareṇa* ‘*candrabahuphala*’ *ityādina śrīmad-Dāmodarāhvayasmadgurumukhodgatena ślokenokta* | (Grahaṇādigrantha, ms., p. 61). Later writers also mention Dāmodara. Dāmodara might have composed certain works which are yet to be identified, and from which the above-mentioned passages should have been quoted.¹

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¹ On Dāmodara, see Ul. Sup. I. 210-11; Va. I. 388. Va. identifies (I. 388) the present author with Dāmodara, au. of *Muhūrtābharaṇa*, but this is not possible, for the former belonged to the Bhārgava-gotra while the latter was of the Bhāradvāja-gotra; *cf.* the Intro. verse to *Muhūrtābharaṇa* (Ms. Kerala T. 71): *teṣām viduṣām madhye Bhāradvājagotrajātā ye* |

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25. Ravi Nampūtiri (c. 1425-1500)

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Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī (1444-1545) mentions in the colophon to his *Aryabhaṭīya-bhāṣya*, Gaṇitapāda, Ravi as his teacher on Vedānta. He pays his respects to Ravi also in the beginning of his *Siddhāntadarpaṇa*. Ravi was also an erudite scholar in Jyotiṣa and has been identified as the author of *Acāradīpikā*, an elaborate metrical commentary on the *Muhūrtadīpikā*.²

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² On Ravi, see K.V. Sarma, Intro. to the edn. of *Golasāra*, p. xv; Ul. II. 113-14.

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26. Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī (1444-1545) : Nīlakaṇṭha I

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Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī, the centenarian astronomer of Kuṇḍapura (Mal. Tṛkkaṇṭiyūr) in South Malabar, was, perhaps, as eminent as his grand-teacher, Parameśvara of Vaṭaśreṇi. In a detailed colophon to his *Bhāṣya* on the *Aryabhaṭīya*, Gaṇitapāda, he gives full details about himself. Elsewhere also, in his works, he records particulars about his person. He was a Numpūtiri of the Garga-gotra and hailed from the family of Keḷallūr (Mal. Kerala-nal-ūr, Skt. Kerala-sadgrāma). He was the son of Jātavedas and had a younger brother named Śaṅkara. His date of birth is given in the chronogram given in his *Siddhāntadarpaṇa-vyākhya*, viz., *tyajamyajñatām tarkaḥ* (16,60,181) which falls in Dec. 1444. He is referred to as a ‘living’ authority by Mādhava of Iñcakkāzhva in his *Praśnasāra*, composed in 1542-43. Both he and his brother Śaṅkara were patronised by Kauṣitaki Āḍhya Netranārāyaṇa (Āzhvāñceri Tamprākkal), the hereditary religious head of the Nampūtiris. Nīlakaṇṭha spent his student days at the house of Parameśvara of Vaṭaśreṇi and received occasional instruction from him, his regular teacher being Parameśvara's son, Dāmodara. Nīlakaṇṭha had also another teacher by name Ravi, who is identified as the author of Ācāradarśana.

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Nīlakaṇṭha was a versatile scholar, though his writings, which are prolific and erudite, are all on astronomy. His *Tantrasaṅgraha* (A.D. 1500)¹ is a comprehensive treatise on astronomy. His *Grahaṇanirṇaya* and *Candracchāyāgaṇita*, the latter with his own commentary, deal with revised procedures on the respective topics. In his *Golasāra*² he gives a résumé of some of his views on certain astronomical topics and in his *Siddhāntadarpaṇa*,³ he sets out the astronomical constants, as determined by him, the rationale of which he expounds in his commentary on that work. In some elaborate tracts on eclipses and certain other topics (*Grahaṇādigrantha*) he expounds the tradition and rationale of eclipse computation, methods for determining corrections (*saṃskāra-s*) etc. His *Sundararājapraśnottara* forms his answers to certain astronomical problems posed by a contemporary astronomer from the adjoining Tamil region who has commented on the *Vākyakaraṇa* ascribed to Vararuci.⁴ Nīlakaṇṭha sets out much original contribution through his extensive *Bhāṣya* on the *Āryabhaṭīya*⁵ which is considered to be his masterpiece. But, by far the most instructive work of Nīlakaṇṭha is the *Grahaparīkṣākrama*,⁶ where, in about 200 verses, he sets out the procedures for the observation of the planets, sometimes with instruments, and for their computation using the data obtained from the observations. A commentary in Malayalam expounding the said procedures is also known.¹

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¹ Ed. with the commentary of Śaṅkara Vāriyar, TSS, No. 185 (Trivandrum, 1958).

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² Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, V.V.R.I., (Hoshiarpur, 1970).

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³ Cr. ed., K.V. Sarma, Adyar Library, (Adyar Library, Madras, 1955).

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⁴ Cr. ed., T.S.K. Sastri and K.V. Sarma, K.S.R. Inst., Madras, 1962.

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⁵ Ed. TSS, Nos. 101, 110, 185, (Trivandrum, 1930, 1931, 1957).

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⁶ This work has been quoted in full in his *Āryabhaṭīya-bhāṣya*, Gola. 48, (TSS, No. 185, pp. 132-49). An adapted edition of this has been issued by Puliyur Purushottaman Namputiri, (Bombay, 1950). A perfect ms. of the work is available with K.V. Sarma.

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¹ On Nilakaṇṭha, see : K.V. Sarma, ‘Gārgya Kerala Nilakaṇṭha Somayājin’, Jl. of Or. Res., 26 (1956-57) 21-39; Intro. to the edns. of Siddhāntadarpaṇa and Golasāra, op. cit.,; Raja, 143-52; Sen, 155-57; Ul. II. 117-20; Ul. Sup. I. 235-37; Va. I. 3 3-87.

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27. Śaṅkara of Keḷallūr (c. 1475-1575) : Śaṅkara I

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Nilakaṇṭha Somayāji's younger brother Śaṅkara, an astronomer in his own right, was, like his brother, patronised by the Azhvāñceri Tamprākkaḷ, at whose house he was teaching astronomy as mentioned in Nilakaṇṭha's Āryabhaṭīya-bhāṣya, Gaṇita. 26, (edn., p. 156). The said Bhāṣya had been composed for the sake of Śaṅkara, who was also entrusted with its propagation.²

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² On Śaṅkara, see K V. Sarma, Intro. to Golasāra, op. cit., p. xiii.

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28. Citrabhānu (c. 1475-1550)

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Citrabhānu Nampūtiri, author of Karaṇāmṛta, an advanced manual on astronomical computation in four chapters, was a pupil of Nilakaṇṭha Somayāji, whom he mentions as ‘Gārgya’ in the beginning of his work. He belonged to the Gautama-gotra and hailed from the village of Covvaram (Skt. Śivapuram) near Trichur. The date of composition of Karaṇāmṛta which is indicated in that work by the Kali chronogram buddhyonmathyoddhṛtam yatnat (16,91,513) (A.D. 1530) gives the clue to its author's date.³

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³ On Citrabhānu, see Raja, 153-55; Ul. II. 273-75; Ul. Sup. I. 365-6.

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29. Citrabhānu-Śiṣya (c. 1500-75)

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Bhavacintāvali, in three chapters, is a work on astrology by an anonymous pupil of Citrabhānu. That the pupil has written on astrology would suggest that the teacher Citrabhānu, besides being an astronomer, was also an authority on astrology.⁴

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⁴ On Citrabhānu-Śiṣya, see Raja, 154 (where the work is wrongly called Bhavacintāmaṇi); Ul. II.275.

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30. Nārāyaṇa I (c. 1500-75)

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Nārāyaṇa, disciple of another Nārāyaṇa and Citrabhānu, ardent admirer of Nilakaṇṭha Somayāji and highly devoted to Subrahmaṇya, an esteemed associate of Nīlakaṇṭha, was an original thinker and highly informed commentator. He wrote, in A.D. 1529, an instructive commentary called *Laghuvivṛti* on *Pañcabodha* IV.¹ His *Uparaga-kriyākrama* in five chapters is a detailed exposition of eclipse computation. He also wrote two commentaries on the *Līlāvatī*, one short and the other nearly five times as long, both called *Kriyākramakarī* and *Karmadīpikā* (called also *Karmapradīpa* and *Karmapradīpikā* according to the exigencies of the metre of the verses containing these names).² The longer *Kriyākramakarī* is especially valuable to the historian of Kerala astronomy and mathematics for the profuse references it contains to earlier authors and authorities, some of which are now lost, and for the theories and procedures enunciated in that commentary.³

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¹ Cf. the chronograpm *prajñālokoddhṛtam yas* (Kali day 16,91,302) in the verse at the end of this work :

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² Some scholars distinguish between the authors of the two commentaries on the *Līlāvatī* and suggest that Śaṅkara Vāriyar of Tṛkkuṭaveli might have written the longer *Kriyākramakarī* (cf. Raja, 155) ; again, some miss to recognize ‘two’ *Kriyākramakarī*-s (Ulloor II, 121). The matter has been examined in detail and the authorship of Nārāyaṇa of both the commentaries is being set out by the present writer, elsewhere.

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³ Of Nārāyaṇa, see Ul. II. 121 ; Ul. Sup. I. 222, 227-28.

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31. Śaṅkara Vāriyar (*c.* 1500-60) : Śaṅkara II

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The author of *Laghuvivṛti* (A. D. 1556), which is an erudite commentary on the *Tantrasaṅgraha*, was a disciple of Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī and protege of (Netra) Nārāyaṇa (Āzhvāñceri Tamprākkaḷ), both of whom are mentioned in the beginning of that commentary, is identified with Śaṅkara Vāriyar of Tṛkkuṭaveli family. Though the name of the author is not mentioned in the commentary itself, some manuscripts of that commentary (Kerala Univ. 8351, 8906, C. 524) carry the following post-colophonic statement, in Malayalam, by the scribe : *ī vyākhyānam Tṛkkuṭaveli-c-Caṅkaravāriyar oṭukkattu camaccatu | Āzhvāñcerikku veṇṭiṭṭu sukhame śikṣiccu camacu ennu Paraññoṭṭu paraññu keṭṭu* | : ‘This commentary was composed last by Tṛkkuṭaveli Śaṅkara Vāriyar. It is stated to have been said by Paraññoṭṭu that it was composed with great care for the sake of Āzhvāñceri’. The person referred to here as Paraññoṭṭu is very likely to be Paraññoṭṭu

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*prajñālokoddhṛtam yasmāt gūḍham artham vivṛṇvati |*
*vyākhyaivam Pañcabodhasya ciram tiṣṭhatu bhūtale ||*

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Jyeṣṭhadeva, an younger contemporary of Nīlakaṇṭha, and, therefore, the statement is quite likely to be authentic.

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Hitherto, Śaṅkara Vāriyar has been credited with the authorship only of the above-said commentary. However, three more of his works can now be identified. Thus, in the beginning of the present commentary, he makes mention of a larger commentary of his on *Tantrasaṅgraha*:

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Nārāyaṇaṃ jagadanugrahajāgarūkam
Śrī-Nīlakaṇṭham api sarvavidam praṇamya |
yat Tantrasaṅgraha-gatam grahatantrajātam
tasya'paraṃ ca Vivṛtim vilikhāmi Laghvīm ||

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Again, in the final colophon at the end of the work, he states that the present commentary is an adaptation of a larger commentary of his named *Kriyākalapa* (‘Detailed demonstration’) on the *Tantrasaṅgraha*. Cf. :

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iti Tantrasaṅgrahasya Kriyākalāpaṃkrameṇa saṅgṛhya |
racite tadyākhyāne pūrṇo 'bhūd aṣṭamo 'dhyāyaḥ ||

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A unique manuscript of this longer commentary has been recorded in the Inventory below. It can also be shown that the anonymous work entitled *Karaṇasāra*, in four chapters, whose authorship has been left open (cf., Ul. II. 121-22) and a Malayalam commentary on it which is, at present, attributed to Śaṅkaran Nampūtiri of Mahiṣamaṅgalam (Ul. II. 272, 474), are really the works of Śaṅkara Vāriyar.¹

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¹ Evidences for these identifications are being set out by the present writer elsewhere. Some scholars (cf. Raja, 155) ascribe to Śaṅkara Vāriyar the elaborate commentary *Kriyākramakarī* on the *Līlāvatī* on the basis of the similarity of some expressions in one of the introductory verses of that work with those in his commentary on the *Tantrasaṅgraha* However, there are clear evidences, which, as indicated above are being set out elsewhere, to show that the *Kriyākramakarī* is a work of Nārāyaṇa and not of Śaṅkara Vāriyar.

32. Jyeṣṭhadeva (c. 1500-1610)

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Jyeṣṭhadeva, this name being, most probably, the Sanskritised form of his personal name in the local language, has the distinction of being the author of the popular *Yuktibhāṣā*¹ or *Gaṇitanyāyasaṅgraha*,² which forms an elaborate and systematic exposition of the rationale of mathematics in its Pt. I and of astronomy in its Pt. II. The Sanskrit version of this work, known as *Gaṇitayuktibhāṣā*, is also, in all probability, his work. An old astronomical document informs that he was the pupil of Dāmodara of Vaṭaśreṇi and was a member of the Paraṅnoṭṭu family³ of the Ālattūr village in South Malabar.⁴ Nilakaṇṭha Somayāji, whose *Tantrasaṅgraha* he mentions towards the beginning of his work, was his respected elder. He himself was the teacher of Acyuta Piṣāraṭi who mentions him in reverential terms at the close of his *Uparāgakriyākrama* (A.D. 1592). M. Whish records a tradition that the author of the *Yuktibhāṣā* was the author also of a *Dṛkkaraṇa*⁵ The *Dṛkkaraṇa* in question, which is now available in a single manuscript, is a comprehensive metrical treatise in Malayalam on astronomy. It does not give anywhere the name of its author, but gives in its last verse, its date of composition in the words *kolambe barhiśūnau* (M.E. 783 = A.D. 1608). In view of this date and the mention of the tradition recorded by Whish, it is quite possible that this is a work of Jyeṣṭhadeva.⁶

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¹ Pt. I. ed with elaborate notes by Ramavarma Maru Thampuran and A. R. Akhileswara Aiyar, (Mangalodayam, Trichur, 1948). See also, A. Venkataraman, 'Some interesting proofs from Yukti-bhāṣā,' *Mathematics Student*, 16 (1968) 1-7.

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² An extremely unreliable edition of the whole work has been issued under this title by the Govt. Or. Mss. Library, Madras, 1954.

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³ An old Malayalam Ms. No. 9386, preserved in the Or. Inst., Baroda, reproduced by K.V. Sarma, in his paper 'Direct lines of astronomical tradition in Kerala', Pt; Charudeva Shastri Felicitation Volume, Delhi, 1972.

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⁴ See Pārayil Rāman Nampūtiri, (ed.) *Nampūtirimār*, Trichur, M.E. 1093, (A.D. 1918), p. 65.

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⁵ M whish, 'On the Hindu quadrature of the circle' etc., *Trans. Royal As. Soc.*, 3 (1835) 523.

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⁶ On Jyeṣṭhadeva, see K.V. Sarma, 'Jyeṣṭhadeva and his identification as the author of *Yuktibhāṣā*', Adyar Lib. Bul., 22 (1958) 35-40. On *Yuktibhāṣā*, see Raja, 156-58; Ul. III. 439-40; Ul. Sup. I. 612-16.

33. Jyeṣṭhadeva-Śiṣya (c. 1550-1625)

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A disciple of Jyeṣṭhadeva, who studied *Tantrasaṅgraha* under him, has composed a metrical commentary on that work; this commentary extends, unfortunately, only to the first four of the eight chapters of that work.¹

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¹ Cf. the concluding verse :

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34. Māttūr Nampūtiri-s : Puruṣottama I and Subrahmaṇya I (c.1475-1550)

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Two Muhūrtapadavī-s, out of the seven texts that go under that name, have been widely known as the works of two brothers belonging to the Māttūr (Skt. Mahāvastu) family in the village of Pāññāḷ (Skt. Pāñcālagrāma), near Chelakkara in Cochin. These two works, comprising, respectively, of 36 and 43 verses, condense in themselves, independently, the prescription of auspicious times for all the major social and religious functions and indication of the baneful times which are to be avoided. Their popularity, as attested by their numerous manuscripts as available and the several commentaries on them is matched only by the obscurity that surrounded the names of their authors. It has now been possible to identify both these writers. A unique manuscript of the first of these two works, preserved in the India Office, London, (Catal. No. 8070), carries a colophon giving the name of its author as Puruṣottama :

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V(B)ṛhadāvṛtigehasambhavena dvijarajñā Puruṣottamena |
gurunathakṛpabalat kṛtam yat tad idam sadviduṣām mude 'stu nityam ||

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With regard to the second of the two works, a hitherto unnoticed commentary thereon available in the Āzhvāñceri Mana (List No. 81) etc., mentions in its introductory verse the name of the author of the text as Subrahmaṇya. Cf. :

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‘vṛddhimdheyad hitaya’sau savitā vas trayīmayaḥ
yadraśmisambhramād bhānti jyotīmṣy etāni santatam |
śrisvarṇabhumir vidvabhir sevyā, padyair iyam kṛtā
Muhūrtapadavī yena Subrahmaṇyam praṇaumi tam ||

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It is also of interest to note that the first words of the said verse, viz., Vṛddhimdheyaddhitāya (16,91,994), gives the date of composition

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ity eṣa Parakroḍavasadvijavara-samīrito yo 'rthaḥ |
sa tu Tantrasaṅgrahasya prokto 'dhyāye caturthe 'bhūt ||

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The view expressed by some scholars (cf. U¹. II. 120, Va. II. 498 and Intro., to the edn. of Tanrasaṅgraha, TSS 188) that the author of the commentary was a ‘Brāhman of the Parakroḍa village’ is not warranted by this verse.

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of the work as A. D. 1531, enabling the date of the author to be fixed correctly.¹

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¹ On Māttūr Nampūtiri-s, see K. Sankara Menon, Intro. to his edn. of *Muhūrtapadavī* with *Bālaśaṅkaram*, *Śrī Vanchi Setu Lakshmi Series*, No. 5, (Trivandrum, 1926); Ul. II.110-11 ; Va. II. 601-12.

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35. Nārāyaṇa of Kāṇvavastu (c. 15th cent.) : Nārāyaṇa II

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Nārāyaṇan Nampūtiri hailing from the village of Kāṇvavastu, which is differently identified with Tṛkkaṇṇapuram and Kaṇṇanparampu in Malabar, was the son of Keśava.² Nārāyaṇa's *Muhūrtadīpaka* is a comprehensive treatise in about 400 verses on the selection of auspicious times for social and religious functions and has been cited as an authority by Śaṅkara of Mahiṣamaṅgalam (see below).³

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² Ulloor (II. 107) suggests that Nārāyaṇa might have been one of the teachers of Parameśvara of Vaṭaśreṇi. But this is not possible, for the name of the father of the present Nārāyaṇa is Keśava (cf.: *kaścid dvijo guṇakhyāta-Keśavakhyadvij-ātmajaḥ | Kāṇvavastv-āhvayagrāmajanmā Nārāyaṇāhvayaḥ ||*), while the name of the father of Parameśvara's teacher Nārāyaṇa was Parameśvara (cf. Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī's statement on the subject: *Parameśvaras tu Rudra-Parameśvarātmaja-Nārāyaṇa-Mādhavādibhyo golavidbhyo gaṇitagolayuktir api balya eva samyag gṛhītvā* etc. (*Āryabhaṭīya-bhāṣya*, Gola. 48 ; edn., Pt. III, p. 154).

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³ On Nārāyaṇa, see Ul. II. 107 ; Va. II. 612-13.

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36. Rudra Vāriyar (c. 1475-1550) : Rudra II

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Rudra (Mal. Uzhuttira) Vāriyar belonged to the Deśamaṅgalam Vāriyam, in South Malabar, which, during the middle ages, was a renowned centre of Sanskrit studies and a rich repository of manuscripts.⁴ Rudra wrote in A.D. 1527 his elaborate commentary called *Nauka* or *Vivarana* on Varahamihira's *Hora*.⁵ His other known work is the *Aṣṭamaṅgalapraśna* on a type of astrological query which is very popular in Kerala.⁶

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⁴ For an account of this repository of Mss., see K.V. Sarma, 'Deśamaṅgalam Mss. collection' (in Mal.), *Mathrubhumi Weekly*, (Kozhikode), 8.2.1957.

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⁵ Ed. *TSS*, No 91, Trivandrum, 1926; 2nd edn., Trivandrum, 1958.

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⁶ On Rudra, see Ul. II. 114-17; Ul. Sup. I. 531-34.

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37. Śaṅkara of Mahiṣamaṅgalam (1494-1570) : Śaṅkara III

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In the matter of the popularisation of studies on Jyotiṣa among the masses in Kerala, Śaṅkaran Nampūtiri of Mazhamaṅgalam (Skt. Mahiṣamaṅgalam) family had an important part to play. Śaṅkara hailed from the Perumanam village near Trichur but spent most of his active life at Chengannoor with his teacher Parameśvaran Poṭṭi of Vāzha-māveli house. In his work, Rūpānayapaddhati, on grammar, Śaṅkara gives the date of his birth in the chronogram jatoyam haṃsatulye('hani) (Kali day 16,78,168), which falls in A.D. 1494.

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