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An attempt is made here to set correct the record of the 1500-year-old tradition of Āryabhatīyam. Ārya-
bhata’s immortal work had been alleged of mistake by Brahmagupta in AD 629 and the modern researchers
too did concur with him as they failed to see any rationale in the statement of Āryabhata vide verse 31 of
Gola. Effort has been made to establish that the statement of Āryabhata, viz. ‘sun in northern hemisphere
enters the prime vertical when the agra is less than Rsine latitude’ reflects the ingenuity of the astronomer
who worked at the low latitudes of Kerala. At the low latitudes declination (δ) is very nearly equal to agra
when it equals the latitude (φ) – limiting condition (δ = φ) for the prime vertical shadow of the gnomon. In
view of the special situation as above at his latitude of 10°51′N, Āryabhata chose to instruct the sun’s entry
to prime vertical in terms of the cut-off in agra equal to Rsine of the latitude of the place. Latitude of the
place was the most basic parameter in the use of the gnomon and therefore given the errors of observation and
measurement, it was more pragmatic to state the sun’s entry into prime vertical in terms of Rsineφ. Refer-
ence has been made to the evidence of spasta-bhūparidhi, viz. Āryabhata’s choice of 3299 as equatorial cir-
cumference to facilitate the spasta-bhūparidhi of 3240 or 9 Yojanas per degree at the latitude of 10°51′N
where the coastline of Kerala intersected the meridian of Ujjayinī.
Beginning with Brahmagupta, many followers like Bhaskara-I, Lalla, etc. have astronomers of his times in observing that
scholars and astronomers have found fault brought out the fact that Āryabhata did the earth rotated and the starry heavens
with Āryabhata for verse 31 of the commit the mistake which Brahmagupta were stationary, could not have made such
Golapāda of Āryabhatīyam. Āryabhata’s had brought out in the following words1: a mistake as is being alleged since the
precept is concerned with the condition ‘The statement (of Āryabhata) that the 7th century CE, when Brahmagupta began
for the existence of prime vertical alti- sun, in the northern hemisphere, enters his tirade against him. Expressed in modern
tude and the relevant verses are: prime vertical when the (sun’s) agra is terms, the prime vertical altitude h is:
less than the Rsine of the latitude is in-
{É®ú¨ÉÉ{ÉGò¨ÉVÉÒ´ÉÉʨɹ]õVªÉÉvÉÉǽþiÉÉÆ iÉiÉÉä ʴɦÉVÉäiÉÂ*
VªÉÉ ±É¨¤ÉEäòxÉ ±É¤vÉÉEòÉÇOÉÉ {ÉÚ´ÉÉÇ{É®äú ÊIÉÊiÉVÉä ||30||
correct, because this happens when the sin h = sin δ /cos φ,
ºÉÉ Ê´É¹ÉÖ´ÉVVªÉÉäxÉÉ SÉänÂù ʴɹÉÖ´ÉnÖùnùM±É¨¤ÉEäòxÉ ºÉRÂóMÉÖÊhÉiÉÉ* Rsine of the sun’s declination satisfies
ʴɹÉÖ´ÉVVªÉªÉÉ Ê´É¦ÉHòÉ ±É¤vÉ& {ÉÚ´ÉÉÇ{É®äú ¶ÉRÂóEÖò& ||31|| this condition (and not the sun’s agra).’ where δ is the declination of the sun and
Shukla1,2 has mentioned that the com- φ the latitude. Declination δ has to be
Verse 30 describes the computation of the mentator Bhāskara-I (AD 629), committed more than φ for the altitude h to be posi-
‘agra’ of Sūrya, i.e. the departure of the the same error in his Mahā-Bhāskarīya, tive. This fact could have been obvious to
rising or setting sun from the east-west line. but had corrected himself in his Laghu- a mathematician who is rightly believed
‘Rsine of the maximum declination ( ω) Bhāskarīya. (Shukla1 has discussed the is- to be the originator of the modern trigo-
multiplied by Rsine of the longitude (λ) sue quoting important astronomers like nometric functions. What then inspired
and divided by the Rsine of the co- Sūryadeva (b. AD 1191), Someśvara, etc.) him to make the wrong statement as is
latitude (90°– φ) gives the deviation of being alleged for 14 centuries? Table 1
sun at the horizon’ (Note 1). Āryabhata, the great observer of the furnishes the situation where δ = φ
Rsin λ*R sin ω /R cos φ = agra = α, where heavens for the declination of the sun up to
φ is the latitude of the place and α shall ω = 24°.
be used to denote agra in the following Āryabhata, the great astronomer and Notable aspects of the data shown in
discussion. mathematician who was far ahead of the Table 1 are as follows:
Verse 31 mentions: ‘When that (agra)
is less than the Rsine of the latitude and Table 1. Agra for δ = φ
the sun is in the northern hemisphere, mul-
tiply that by the Rsine of the co-latitude Sun Latitude sin δ /cos φ = Agra R sin agra –
( δ) ( φ) R sin φ R sin agra in degrees R sin φ agra – δ
and divide by the Rsine of the latitude to
obtain the Rsine of the sun’s altitude 3 3 179.93 180.17 3.004 0.24 0.00
when the sun is on the prime vertical’. 6 6 359.37 361.33 6.033 1.96 0.03
i.e. Rsin h = α *R cos φ /R sin φ = α /R tan φ, 9 9 537.82 544.49 9.113 6.67 0.11
in modern terms. 10.85 10.85 647.16 658.90 11.050 11.74 0.20
12 12 714.8 730.72 12.272 15.92 0.27
15 15 889.82 921.15 15.542 31.33 0.54
Criticism of Brahmagupta 18 18 1062.4 1117.00 18.961 54.60 0.96
21 21 1232.1 1319.64 22.573 87.57 1.57
All modern studies of Ārybhatīyam and
24 24 1398.4 1530.60 26.438 132.24 2.44
researches on the works of Āryabhata’s
Edited and published by P. Balaram, Current Science Association, Bangalore 560 080.
Typeset by WINTECS Typesetters (Ph: 2332 7311), Bangalore 560 021 and Printed at Printek Printers, Bangalore (Ph: 2328 7763)