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A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (in Perspective) c9.s10: 18. Kerala-Jyotiṣa outside Kerala

A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (in Perspective) c9.s10

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English

18. Kerala-Jyotiṣa outside Kerala

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That some of the characteristic innovations, extensions and practices evolved in Kerala in the discipline of Jyotiṣa, especially in its astrological aspect, have travelled beyond its borders and become current in certain other parts of India is but natural. It is again natural that, as these theories and practices grew popular in those regions, local treatises came to be composed incorporating the new ideas. Most of these treatises are distinguished by the term ‘Kerala’ tacked on to their titles.¹ However, what seems highly significant in this matter is the variety and profusion of the works that have been composed in this manner. About 80 works of this nature have been identified in the different Manuscripts Libraries.² Their non-Kerala origin has been determined from one or more of the following indications: (1) Clear mention of alien authorship, (2) the addition of the term ‘Kerala’ to the title, (3) the popularity of the works in other parts of India, while they are virtually unknown in Kerala, (4) the availability of manuscripts of these works only in non-Kerala scripts and (5) the general absence of manuscripts of the works in Kerala. While the bulk of these works are anonymous, some are apocryphal texts attributed to ancient sages or said to be parts of larger Tantras and Samhitās. Only a few of these are known under the names of their real authors. The disciplines of Jātaka and Praśna claim the largest number of these works, the former about 20 and the latter about 35.

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¹ This phenomenon is found, in varying degrees, also in the case of certain other disciplines like Tantra, Śrauta, Dharma and Mantraśāstra.

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² For a classified and documented list of the manuscripts of these non-Kerala works, see Appendix, below.

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In horoscopy, some of the works are comprehensive treatises, like for example, Kerala-rahasya or Kerala-jātakananda ascribed to Śukrācārya, Kerala-sūtra ascribed to Marici, Kerala-śastra-sūtra or Jatakalaṅkara ascribed to Nikaṣā, and the two anonymous works Keraliya-jataka and Keraliya-jataka-saṅgraha, while the others are devoted to specific aspects of astrology like bhava-s, daśa-s and yoga-s. An interesting work is Kerala-horāvyākhya by Sarvartupaṇḍita who composed that work at Vijayanagar at the instance of his patron Gopāla.

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Most of the texts on Praśna are anonymous. Among those whose authors, real or apocryphal, have been indicated are: Kerala-praśna-grantha and Kerala-granthodaharaṇa both by Mūladeva, Kerala-śastra, Kerala-praśna and Pāśaka-kerali, all by Garga, Kerali by Rāvaṇa, and Keraliya-praśnaratna by Nandarāma Paṇḍita. Of peculiar subjects dealt with are prognostication (1) on the basis of letters in the Akṣaracintāmaṇi section of Keralamata ascribed to Śiva, Keralapraśna or Keraliya-jñāna and Akṣarakevalipraśna, both anonymous; (2) on the basis of the throw of the dice in Kerala-pāśavalī of Garga and the two anonymous works Kerali-praśnavicāra and Keraliya-śakunāvalī; and (3) on the basis of arecanuts in *Keralapraśna* (anonymous, Mithila III. 180). Of works on natural astrology, a mention might be made of *Keralayātrā* on setting out on a journey, and *Keralī* on the throbbing of the limbs and on dreams, both anonymous, and *Keralī-śakuna*, on omens, the last being attributed to Vyāsa.

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*The desideratum.* The non-Kerala works on Kerala Jyotisa, mentioned above, demonstrate how the specialities of a discipline as evolved in one region of India have been transmitted to the other regions of the country and how they have been accepted, preserved and propagated in those parts under the label of their original place of origin. It is well to remember here that it is but natural that during their transmission and propagation through the centuries, some of the original ideas might have undergone some modifications. It is also possible that some new or local ideas have come to be incorporated in these works and paraded as Keralite views. It would be extremely instructive to investigate this subject fully. Comparative studies between the non-Keralite works and allied Keralite works could show how far the former represent the original views. The textual or other sources from Kerala, if any, of the individual non-Keralite works have to be identified. It would also be interesting to examine why these works are almost always unknown in Kerala, the land to which the ideas expressed therein are supposed to belong.

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