Q954758
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: \textit{Gaṇita-Yukti-Bhāṣā} (Rationales in mathematical astronomy) of Jyeṣṭhadeva. Volume I: Mathematics. Volume II: Astronomy. A critical translation of the original Malayalam text by K. V. Sarma. With explanatory notes by K. Ramasubramanian, M. D. Srinivas and M. S. Sriram
zbMATH Open document ID: 1160.01022
author: Jyeṣṭhadeva
published in: Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
publication date: 2008-11-17T00:00:00Z
review text: Kerala (on the southwestern coast of India) has traditionally played an important role in the history of Indian mathematics and astronomy. Some of the most important mathematicians from the area include Mādhava (14th c.) and Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī\ (ca.\ 1500), the author of the well-known astronomical work \textit{Tantrasaṅgraha}. The book under review contains an edition and English translation with explanatory notes of the \textit{Gaṇita-yukti-bhāṣā} (\textit{Rationales in Mathematical Astronomy}, ca.\ 1530) by a younger contemporary of Nīlakaṇṭha by the name of Jyeṣṭhadeva. This work provides unusually extensive explanations of the astronomical theories, constants, and planetary computations in the \textit{Tantrasaṅgraha}. It is also extraordinary in that it was written in the local language of Kerala, Malayalam, rather than in Sanskrit, the common scholarly language in pre-modern India. In spite of earlier partial and complete editions and scattered studies on particular topics, the \textit{Gaṇita-yukti-bhāṣā} is still relatively unknown. The only original division of Jyeṣṭhadeva's work is that into a mathematical and an astronomical part. The further division into topics and sub-topics as presented in the edition and translation in the book here abstracted was made by the editor of the text, K. V. Sarma. The 7 mathematical and 8 astronomical topics by which he divided the text are the following: fundamental operations, ten basic algebraic problems, fractions, rule of three, reduction and pulverisation, relation between circumference and diameter, sines; zodiac and planetary motions, the heavenly sphere, problems of spherical astronomy, shadows and rising and setting points of the ecliptic, eclipses and parallax, \textit{vyatīpāta}, reduction to the ecliptic, and lunar phases. Both the English translation of the \textit{Gaṇita-yukti-bhāṣā} and the critical edition on the basis of nine versions of the work (including various palm-leaf manuscripts, some late copies …
reviewed by: Benno van Dalen
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A75
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A32
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 83-03
zbMATH DE Number: 5367216
zbMATH Keywords: India
zbMATH Keywords: Kerala
zbMATH Keywords: Malayalam
zbMATH Keywords: Ganita-yukti-bhasa
zbMATH Keywords: Jyesthadeva
zbMATH Keywords: astronomy
zbMATH Keywords: edition
zbMATH Keywords: translation
MaRDI profile type: Publication
label: \textit{Gaṇita-Yukti-Bhāṣā} (Rationales in mathematical astronomy) of Jyeṣṭhadeva. Volume I: Mathematics. Volume II: Astronomy. A critical translation of the original Malayalam text by K. V. Sarma. With explanatory notes by K. Ramasubramanian, M. D. Srinivas and M. S. Sriram
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5367216