PGP 2021-23

Submission 1(Discover IKS Exercise)

Chapter – 9 (Astronomy)

Submitted To:
Prof. B. Mahadevan

Submitted By:
Group 9

2111159 B Raviraj
2111189 Vivek Oraon
2111210 V Ramakrishnan Iyer
2111219 Yogesh Kumar
Q1.
a) What is your understanding of the western approach to calendaring? What are some of
its limitations?
The Westerners had very limited knowledge about Mathematics and Astronomy. They wanted to
fix the zero point of the calendar in the 6th century to calculate the date of easter, and to do that
they needed help from the Egyptians. Even the Greeks copied their calendar from the Egyptians.
Westerners were unable to maintain the calendar as it required complex arithmetic calculations
and they weren’t good at it. Romans had to reform their calendar with the help of Egyptians, to
realign the calendar with the equinox, a year of 445 days was needed showing how much in error
the roman calendar was. The Sosigenes (Egyptian) calendar started with 7 months of 30 days
alternating with 5 months of 31 days, with a leap year every fourth year. Romans grabbed credit
by naming it after Julius.
They were predominantly arithmetically and astronomically challenged. Tropical year is the time
between two equinoxes of the same type (summer equinox to summer equinox say) Its duration
is approximately 365.242 (tropical) days and NOT 365.25 days. In early Greek and Roman
numerals there is no way to state so accurate a fraction as 365242/1000. Romans had names for
only a few simple fractions (parts of 12) Hence, they chose 365 1/4 since they could not even say
the right length of the year. In 4th century the Julian calendar was adopted. The slip in the date
of easter was a result of the error of 0.01 days in 1 year (in the length of the year on the roman
calendar) meant an error of 1 day in 100 years. Hence, the date of easter slipped within a century.
b) Compare and contrast the Indian Calendar and Western Calendar. Which one is more
scientific? Why?
In India we had very precise fractions. Duration of sidereal year, is given by Aryabhata as a
precise fraction. (1582237500-4320000)/4320000 = 365.25868. This value for sidereal year was
365.2586 compared to its modern value of 365.2563. The error was in the 3rd place after the
decimal point. Indian calendar has been in continuous use since the Rgveda, and the Vedanga
Jyotisa (Scientific manual on timekeeping) from around -1500 (at least) Indian Scientific calendar
which involves Indian pancang is a moon-solar calendar (not a lunar calendar): keeps track of
both sun and moon. A month always has 30 tithi’s since a thithi is defined as the time it takes for
the sun and moon to move apart by 12 degrees. However, a thithi does not correspond to a civil
day and intercalary months are needed. Two key means of wealth production in India were
Agriculture and Overseas trade. The successful practice of both required a good calendar (to
determine the rainy season) and good knowledge of astronomy (to build a good calendar, and for
celestial navigation)
In contrast westerners were inferior and backward in mathematics and astronomy compared to
Indians. This is contrary to all sorts of bosh about Greek achievements claimed on the strength
of late. Western inferiority in mathematics and astronomy persisted for centuries, realizing that
they started importing knowledge from the time of the crusades (12th century). Indian knowledge
of arithmetic was first imported in the 10th c. through the Hisab al Hind of al Khwarizmi.
Westerners needed exact measurements of the latitudes since that impacted trade processes
which intern led to wealth generation. Hence, their poor knowledge of arithmetic and astronomy
has never allowed them to be great in calendaring.
Q2.
a) Identify four key observations made by Prof R N Iyengar with respect to the
astronomical thought and developments in Ancient India
In the epic Mahabharata, there is a statement in the texts during the war period where it is said
that the Dhruva star was moving during the war time giving reference to change of pole stars.
Professor also gives reference to the current practice of marriages where the groom is asked to
show the bride the Dhruva star, which in today called the alpha Draconis
Professor comments on the different way of astronomy before the Aryabhata period where the
astronomer's way of life was completely different and for them the sky and the earth were the one
and the same, “a whole”.
Comments on the Agastya star which is called Canopus star in the current period which the kings
used to worship for the welfare. Professor talks about the tracking of the Agasthya star which
according to current knowledge happens during January 14th which in fact occurs around
December 21st I.e., the winter solstice Uttarayana.
b) Who are Parasara and Vrddha-Garga? What are his major contributions in the area of
Astronomy?
Indian Astronomy can be divided into two distinct periods called the pre-siddhantic and siddhantic,
where the word siddantha can be translated as computational astronomy or mathematical
astronomy. Ancient astronomers Parasara and Vrdhha – Garg belonged to the pre-siddhantic
period of astronomy. Both astronomers comment on the planets and comets based on their
observations. One such thing is about the occurrence of the comets, where they have commented
that the first comet appears around the flood, which can be dated to around 3000BC flood where
a massive event occurred in the country. Parasara also talks about the occurrence of the comets,
no of days between two comets. He also talks about the lunar eclipses stating that lunar eclipses
occur every six months, which is the case in today’s world and talks on the sequences of the
eclipses called the 7 Parvadevatas for the 7 lunar eclipses staged, which he has observed during
his stay in the Pushkar, Rajasthan. Apart from the lunar eclipses, they also comment on the lunar
and solar zodiacs as well. However, Vriddha-Garga also commented along the same lines as
Parasara, and parallels can be drawn between their observations on planets, comets, and other
astronomical bodies.
c) What is the connection between Vedic practices and astronomy?
Indian Astronomy can be traced to the Vedic literature starting from the Rigveda and the puranas,
where the ancient astronomers in this text's present descriptions on celestial bodies. One such
description is about the constellation named Sisumara comprising of 14 stars which in today’s
case would be the polar star ursa minor which can be perfectly dated back to the Vedic times and
has 7 stars. Hence, a reference to two pole stars, which is a rarity for any culture.
Q3.
a) What is Surya-Siddhanta? What does it deal with?
The Surya Siddhanta is an Indian astronomy treatise in Sanskrit language having 14 chapters,
500 verses and is dated back to 580 CE. It is a text on time keeping and astronomy and represents
a working system that generated forecasts that were reasonably accurate. The Hindu luni-solar
calendar's solar year calculations were influenced by the scripture.
Many intriguing observations in Surya Siddhanta have been utilized to date the treatise. One such
calculation is made in chapter 2 for the Earth's axis's exact obliquity (tilt), which is 23.975°. North
Star and South Pole Stars are mentioned in Chapter 12 as being visible along the horizon in the
equatorial zone. Surya Siddhanta again indirectly conveys the exact 24° obliquity in the same
chapter.
The Surya Siddhanta explains formulas to compute the diameters of several planets and the
moon, as well as the motions of numerous celestial bodies, with respect to various constellations.
According to the book, the universe has a spherical shape. Out of all the Indian astronomical
writings, the Surya Siddhanta has the most commentators. It contains details on the planets'
orbital properties, such as the number of revolutions each Mahayuga and the longitudinal
variations of their orbits, as well as supporting documentation and computation techniques.
b) How old is this text and what is its importance?
The text is around 1500 years old and is dated back to 580 CE. The Surya Siddhanta is a
remarkable illustration of the high level of Indian prehistoric thought. The origins of trigonometry
as well as the development of crucial mathematical innovations like the decimal system and
standard notation are covered in this text. The work also discusses gravity in detail almost a
millennium before to Sir Isaac Newton's formulation of his theory in 1687. It explains sidereal
revolutions and the eastward motion of planets. The length of a tropical year, the duration since
creation, and the size and location of far-off planets are all precisely calculated. Finally, it contains
the seeds of relativity in its description of how time moves at various rates depending on the
situation.
In the development of Western culture, the Surya Siddhanta has a significant impact. The ancient
Indians laid the foundation for the growth of Islamic mathematics and astronomy by retaining and
enhancing the knowledge of the Ancient Greeks. Surya Siddhanta was translated into Arabic,
making it one of the few Sanskrit works to do so. Over the course of years and cultures, this
information was developed and passed from one generation to the next, eventually returning to
the West.