Venvaroha
Encyclopedia
Veṇvāroha is a work in Sanskrit
composed by Mādhava (c.1350 – c.1425) of Sangamagrāma
the founder of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. It is a work in 74 verses describing methods for the computation of the true positions of the Moon
at intervals of about half an hour for various days in an anomalistic cycle. This work is an elaboration of an earlier and shorter work of Mādhava himself titled Sphutacandrāpti. Veṇvāroha is the most popular astronomical work of Mādhava. It is dated 1403 CE
. Acyuta Piṣārati
(1550–1621), another prominent mathematician
/astronomer
of the Kerala school
, has composed a Malayalam commentary
on Veṇvāroha. This astronomical treatise is of a type generally described as Karaṇa texts in India
. Such works are characterized by the fact that they are compilations of computational methods
of practical astronomy
. The title Veṇvāroha literally means Bamboo
Climbing and it is indicative of the computational procedure expounded in the text. The computational scheme is like climbing a bamboo tree, going up and up step by step at measured equal heights.
The novelty and ingenuity of the method attracted the attention of several of the followers of Mādhava and they composed similar texts thereby creating a genre of works in Indian mathematical tradition collectively referred to as ‘veṇvāroha texts’. These include Drik-veṇvārohakriya of unknown authorship of epoch 1695 and Veṇvārohastaka of Putuman Somāyaji
.
In the technical terminology of astronomy, he ingenuity introduced by Mādhava in Veṇvāroha can be explained thus: Mādhava has endeavored to compute the true longitude
of the Moon by making use of the true motions rather than the epicyclic astronomy of the Aryabhatan tradition. He made use of the anomalistic revolutions for computing the true positions of the Moon
using the successive true daily velocity specified in Candravākyas
for easy memorization and use.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
composed by Mādhava (c.1350 – c.1425) of Sangamagrāma
Madhava of Sangamagrama
Mādhava of Sañgamāgrama was a prominent Kerala mathematician-astronomer from the town of Irińńālakkuţa near Cochin, Kerala, India. He is considered the founder of the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics...
the founder of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. It is a work in 74 verses describing methods for the computation of the true positions of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
at intervals of about half an hour for various days in an anomalistic cycle. This work is an elaboration of an earlier and shorter work of Mādhava himself titled Sphutacandrāpti. Veṇvāroha is the most popular astronomical work of Mādhava. It is dated 1403 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. Acyuta Piṣārati
Achyuta Pisharati
Acyuta Piṣāraṭi was an Sanskrit grammarian, astrologer, astronomer and mathematician who studied under Jyeṣṭhadeva and was a member of Mādhava of Sañgamāgrama's Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics...
(1550–1621), another prominent mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
/astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
of the Kerala school
Kerala school
Kerala school may refer to*Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics, a school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Kerala, South India which flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries CE....
, has composed a Malayalam commentary
Close reading
Close reading describes, in literary criticism, the careful, sustained interpretation of a brief passage of text. Such a reading places great emphasis on the particular over the general, paying close attention to individual words, syntax, and the order in which sentences and ideas unfold as they...
on Veṇvāroha. This astronomical treatise is of a type generally described as Karaṇa texts in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Such works are characterized by the fact that they are compilations of computational methods
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
of practical astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. The title Veṇvāroha literally means Bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
Climbing and it is indicative of the computational procedure expounded in the text. The computational scheme is like climbing a bamboo tree, going up and up step by step at measured equal heights.
The novelty and ingenuity of the method attracted the attention of several of the followers of Mādhava and they composed similar texts thereby creating a genre of works in Indian mathematical tradition collectively referred to as ‘veṇvāroha texts’. These include Drik-veṇvārohakriya of unknown authorship of epoch 1695 and Veṇvārohastaka of Putuman Somāyaji
Puthumana Somayaji
Puthumana Somayaji was a 15th century mathematician from Kerala, India. He was born into the Puthumana Illam, and is believed to have been a contemporary of Vatasseri Namboodiri....
.
In the technical terminology of astronomy, he ingenuity introduced by Mādhava in Veṇvāroha can be explained thus: Mādhava has endeavored to compute the true longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
of the Moon by making use of the true motions rather than the epicyclic astronomy of the Aryabhatan tradition. He made use of the anomalistic revolutions for computing the true positions of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
using the successive true daily velocity specified in Candravākyas
Candravakyas
Candravākyās are a collection of numbers, arranged in the form of a list, related to the motion of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth. These numbers are couched in the katapayadi system of representation of numbers and so apparently appear like a list of words, or phrases or short sentences...
for easy memorization and use.
Further reading
- For a fuller technical account of the contents of Veṇvāroha see :
- Veṇvāroha with the Malayalam commentary of Achyuta PisharatiAchyuta PisharatiAcyuta Piṣāraṭi was an Sanskrit grammarian, astrologer, astronomer and mathematician who studied under Jyeṣṭhadeva and was a member of Mādhava of Sañgamāgrama's Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics...
has been edited by K.V. Sarma and published by Sanskrit College, ThrippunithuraThrippunithuraThrippunithura or Tripunithura is a suburb of the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India and an integral part of the Kochi metropolitan area. In local administration it is a municipality...
, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1956.
See also
- Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics
- Madhava of SangamagramaMadhava of SangamagramaMādhava of Sañgamāgrama was a prominent Kerala mathematician-astronomer from the town of Irińńālakkuţa near Cochin, Kerala, India. He is considered the founder of the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics...
- Indian mathematicsIndian mathematicsIndian mathematics emerged in the Indian subcontinent from 1200 BCE until the end of the 18th century. In the classical period of Indian mathematics , important contributions were made by scholars like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, and Bhaskara II. The decimal number system in use today was first...
- Indian mathematicians