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A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (in Perspective) c10.s3: 6. Govindasvāmin (c. 800-850)

A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (in Perspective) c10.s3

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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.

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