Actual computations according to ancient siddhantic method

[Guest guest]

It is in response to wrong statements issued by Mr Chandra Hari today at :

 

/message/17338

 

Actual computations according to ancient siddhantic method is very

easy now-a-days, due to computers. Even a middle school student can

learn the method, which many so-called experts do not know due to

their hatred for ancient things. I am here illustrating this technique

with one example.

 

The earliest existing complete tables of Suryasiddhanta are Makaranda

Tables constructed around 1478 AD, which has been published in many

languages during past two centuries, and its first verse declares that

it is Suryasiddhantic. Earlist existing commentary or complete text of

Suryasiddhanta belongs to the time of Jehangir.

 

No panchanga can be made directly by siddhantic method, ie, by

computing from the beginning of Creation (Shrishti). For instance,

midnight of mean Mesha Samkranti of 2009 AD has an ahargana (number of

days from zero date, ie start of Creation) equal to 714404162734 days.

To compute planetary positions by computing with such large quantities

is beyond the powers of mortals without the aid of computers. For

instance, moon revolves 57753336 times in its orbit during one

mahayuga of 4320000 years or 1577917828 days according to

Suryasiddhanta, which gives a daily mean motion of :

 

( 57753336 x 360 degrees ) / 1577917828 = 13.17635214652 degrees

per day

 

Now, 714404162734 x 13.17635214652 = 9413240823122.975086 degrees

or 26147891175.34159746 revolutions since Creation.

 

By multiplying the fraction with 360 degrees, we get 122.975086

degrees (Nirayana Simha or Leo) which is value of mean Moon on the

next mean Mesha Samkranti.

 

Can anyone compute entire panchanga for a whole year without any

computers from this Siddhantic method ( I made above computations on a

34-digit precision Microsoft software, but show the results here in

concise forms) ?

 

To make the task easy, Tantra and Karana texts were prepared (Kaliyuga

start for Tantra text, nearby date for Karana text) , in which

planetary positions for any convenient date were given readymade, and

panchanga makers had to make computations only from this nearby date.

But even this much was too labourious a process. Therefore, some

tables were prepared to make task easy.

 

Varaha Mihira clearly states that his Panchsiddhantika was for a zero

date of 505 AD, which makes it a Karana text. I repeat my request to

Mr Chandra Hari to throw light on the actual method of computation

used by Varaha Mihira, showing his value of beej which he declares to

be a " mystery " .

 

I am now convinced that Mr Chandra Hari has no experience of actual

computations according to ancient Indian siddhantas. He wrongly

assumes that cowries were used instead of tables. Mr Chandra Hari

does not even know that siddhantic method cannot be used to make

panchangas directly without the help of computers, cowries or

abracadabras are helpful for integers, not for irrational quantities

requiring a minimum of well over 20 digits of precision. I has to wait

for CVar function in Visual Basic to arrive in market whill

facilitated 29 digits of precision, before that popular computer

languages like VB or C & c were not able to make Suryasiddhantic

computations from the start of Creation.

 

Proofs of earlist Suryasiddhantic tables were unearthed from Thailand

in 19th century by a French ambassador. The manuscript is later but

its zero date proves that this Siamese Table, as it is called, was

created in 7th century AD. It is still intact as it was found,

although it was incomplete even when it was discovered ; please ask Mr

Chandra Hari to locate it instead of spreading rumours that there were

no tables in ancient period. Ask the authorities of ancient Indian

astrology, who teach it in recognized universities, whether Makaranda

Table preceded oldest extant manuscript or commentary or not, and

whether Makaranda Table declares itself to be Suryasiddhantic or not

in its first verse. If Reverend Burgess did not mention these facts

clearly, it was his fault, not mine, for which I am being abused a

person who wrongly poses as an expert in ancient Indian astronomy /

astrology. It is wrong to declare that Makaranda Tables are later

fabrications (I am using the term " wrong " ; not terms like " fraud "

& c, because I think use of such terms should be reserved only for

criminals, not for men of letters, even if they are in the wrong).

 

I am ready to give telephone numbers of some of the topmost

authorities in this field, who are acceted as authorities by govt and

courts of law as well, who may be directly contacted to clarigy the

doubts created by Mr Chandra Hari's wrong statements :

 

Dr Radhakant Mishra, Professor & Head of Dept & of Faculty of

Jyotisha, KSD Sanskrit University (Darbhanga)

 

Dr Nagendra Pandey, Head of Dept of Jyotisha, Sampoornanand Sanskrit

University (Varanasi)

 

Dr Kameshwar Upadhyaya, former editor of Vishva Panchanga of BHU

(Benaras University)

 

Dr Shivakant Mishra, Professor in Jyotisha, KSD Sanskrit University

(Darbhanga)

 

Dr Udishta Narain Jha, Reader in Jyotisha, KSD Sanskrit University

(Darbhanga)

 

I can give telephone numbers of hundreds of such authorities who are

entitled to teach this subject in institutions recognized by UGC and

Govt of India. It is wrong to allege that all those authorities are

" monkeys " whom Mr Chandra Hari does not like !!

 

-VJ

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