List of astronomers and mathematicians of the Kerala school
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This is a list of astronomers and mathematicians of the Kerala school. The region surrounding the south-west coast of the Indian subcontinent, now politically organised as the Kerala State in India, has a long tradition of studies and investigations in all areas related to the branch of śāstra known as jyotiṣa. This branch of śāstra, in its broadest sense, incorporates several subdisciplines like mathematics, astronomy, astrology, horary astrology, etc. In Indian traditional jyotiṣa scholarship, there are no clear cut boundary lines separating these subdisciplines. Hence the list presented below includes all who would be called a jyotiṣa-scholar in the Indian traditional sense. All these persons will be, most likely, well versed in the subdisciplines of mathematics and astronomy as well. The list is an adaptation of the list of mathematicians and astronomers compiled by K. V. Sarma.[1] Sarma has referred to all of them as astronomers. K. V. Sarma (1919–2005) was an Indian historian of science, particularly the astronomy and mathematics of the Kerala school. He was responsible for bringing to light several of the achievements of the Kerala school.[2] He was editor of the Vishveshvaranand Indological Research Series, and published the critical edition of several source works in Sanskrit, including the Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata. He was recognised as "the greatest authority on Kerala's astronomical tradition".[3] Additional information about the persons mentioned in the list are available in books on the history of Malayalam literature and on the history of Sanskrit literature in Kerala.[4][5]
List astronomers and mathematicians of the Kerala school
More information The computation of the value of the mathematical constant 
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...| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vararuci I | 4th century CE | Vararuci vākyas; introduction of Kaṭapayādi system for expressing numbers; father figure in the legend of Parayi petta panthirukulam | ||
| 2 | Vararuci II | Kerala-dvādasa-bhāva-vākyani, Vārarucika, Jātakarahasya | Might be identical with Vararuci I. Apart from the works of Vararuci I cited above, there are several works in Sanskrit all attributed to Vararuci. David Pingree in his Census of Exact Sciences in Saskrit has cited as many as eleven such works.[6] | ||
| 3 | Haridatta | c.650-700 | Grahacāraṇinibandhana,[7] Mahā-mārganibabndhana (NA) | Promulgation of parahita system in 683. | |
| 3a | Devācārya | c. 689 | Karaṇaratna | Recognition of the precession of the equinoxes at the rate of 47 seconds per annum (modern value 50 seconds per annum) | |
| 4 | Govindasvāmin | c. 800 - 850 | Mahābhāskarīya Bhāshya, Govindakṛiti (NA) Govindapaddhati (NA) | Court astronomer of King Ravi Varma Kerala; teacher of Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa | |
| 5 | Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa | 825 - 900 | Laghubhāskarīya | References to the presence of an astronomical observatory at Mahodayapuram (modern day Kodungallur). | Student of Govindasvāmin |
| 6 | Udayadivākara | 11th century | A commentary called Sundari on Laghubhāskarīya | Commented on a work of Jayadeva | |
| 7 | Acyuta I | Devakerala (also known as Keralajyotisṣa) | |||
| 8 | Keralācarya | 12th century | Kerala-saṁhitā, Keralīyapraśnamārga | ||
| 9 | Vyāghrapāda | Aṅkaṇasāstra | A devotee of Lord Siva enshrined at Vaikom Temple in Central Kerala. | ||
| 10 | Kṛṣṇa | c. 1200 | Cintājñāna | ||
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 11 | Kṛṣṇa-śiṣya | c. 1200 | Commentary on Hora; Prśnaphalaprāptkālanirṇaya | A disciple of Kṛṣṇa | |
| 12 | Suryadeva Yajvan | 1191 - c. 1250 | Commentaries on Āryabhaṭa's Āryabhaṭīya, Manjula's Laghumānasa, Śrīpati's Jātaka-paddhati, Govindasvami's bhāṣya on Bhāskara I's Mahābhāskarīya | ||
| 13 | Vidyāmādhava | Muhūrtadarśana | A member of the Tulu Brahmin family of Nīlamana; six commentaries on Muhūrtadarśana have been identified. | ||
| 14 | Viṣṇu (of Nīlamana) | A commentary on Muhūrtadarśana | Son of Vidyāmādhava | ||
| 15 | Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri (of Talakkuḷam) | 1237 - 1295 | Dasādhyāyi, Muhūrtaratna, Muhūrtapadavi | Progenitor of the Pazhūr Kaniyār family of astrologers | Belongs to Alathiyur (Malappuram) village. |
| 16 | Tāmaranallūr | 14th century | Muhūrtavidhi (Tāmaranallūr Bhāāṣā) | The work uses a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit languages. | |
| 17 | Nityaprakāśa Yati | 14th - 15th century | Commentaries on Hora, both in Malayalam and Sanskrit | ||
| 18 | Kumāra Gaṇaka | 14th - 15th century | Raṇadīpikā | ||
| 19 | Rudra I | c. 1325 - 1400 | Teacher of Parameśvara | ||
| 20 | Mādhava of Saṅgamagrāma | c. 1340 - 1425 | Golavada, Madhyamanayanaprakara, Venvaroha, Chandravakyani | Discoverer of the infinite series expansions for sin x and cos x | Greatest mathematician-astronomer of the Kerala School |
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 21 | Parameśvara of Vațaśśeri (Parameśvara I) | c. 1360 - 1455 | Drigganita (1430), Bhatadipika – Commentary on Āryabhaṭīya of Āryabhaṭa I, Karmadipika – Commentary on Mahabhaskariya of Bhaskara I, Paramesvari – Commentary on Laghubhaskariya of Bhaskara I, Sidhantadipika – Commentary on Mahabhaskariyabhashya of Govindasvāmi, Vivarana – Commentary on Surya Siddhanta and Lilāvati, Goladipika – Spherical geometry and astronomy (composed in 1443 CE), Grahanamandana – Computation of eclipses (Its epoch is 15 July 1411 CE.), Grahanavyakhyadipika – On the rationale of the theory of eclipses, Vakyakarana – Methods for the derivation of several astronomical tables | Promulgator of the Drigganita system. | A proponent of observational astronomy in medieval India who had made a series of eclipse observations to verify the accuracy of the computational methods then in use |
| 22 | Dāmodara of Vațaśreņi (Dāmodara I) | c. 1410 - 1510 | Teacher of Nilakantha Somayaji | Son of Parameśvara of Vațaśśeri | |
| 23 | Ravi Nampūtiri | c. 1425 - 1500 | Ācāradīpika' (a commentary on Muhūrtadīpika) | ||
| 24 | Nīlakaņțha Sōmayāji | 1444 - 1545 | Tantrasamgraha, Golasara (Description of basic astronomical elements and procedures), Sidhhantadarpana, Candrachayaganita, Aryabhatiya-bhashya (Elaborate commentary on Aryabhatiya), Sidhhantadarpana-vyakhya, Chandrachhayaganita-vyakhya, Sundaraja-prasnottara, Grahanadi-grantha, Grahapariksakrama | Tantrasamgraha (A comprehensive treatise on astronomy) | |
| 25 | Śankara of Keļallūr | c. 1475 - 1575 | Nīlakaņțha Sōmayāji's younger brother. The person entrusted with task of popularizing Aryabhatiya-bhashya of Nīlakaņțha Sōmayāji. | ||
| 26 | Citrabhānu | c. 1475 - 1550 | Karaṇāmṛta (a manual on astronomical computations) | Pupil of Nīlakaņțha Sōmayāji | |
| 27 | Citrabhānu Śiṣya | c. 1500 - 1575 | Bhācintāvali (a work on astrology) | ||
| 28 | Mazhamaṅgalaṃ Nārāyaṇan Naṃpūtiri (Nārāyaṇa I) | c. 1540-1610 | Laghuvivṛti on Pañcabodha IV, Uparāgakriyākrama (eclipse computations), two commentaries on Līlavati, one short and the other five times longer than the short, both called Kriyākramakarī and Karmadīpikā | Son of Śaṅkara of Mahiṣamaṅgalam : Śaṅkara III | |
| 29 | Śankara Vāriyar | c. 1500 - 1560 | Laghuvivṛti (commentary on Tantrasamgraha) | Disciple of Nīlakaņțha Sōmayāji and protege of Āzhvāñceri Taṃprakkaḷ | |
| 30 | Jyeṣṭhadeva | c. 1500 - 1610 | Yuktibhāṣā (in Malayalam), Gaṣitayuktibhaṣa (in Sanskrit), Dṛkkaraṇa (in Malayalam) | Yuktibhāṣā | The name is probably the Sanskritised form of his personal name in the local Malayalam language. Pupil of Teacher of Dāmodara of Vațaśreņi and teacher of Acyuta Piṣāraṭi. |
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 31 | Jyeṣṭhadeva-Śiṣya | c. 1550 - 1625 | A metrical commentary on Tantrasamgraha | Disciple of Jyeṣṭhadeva | |
| 32 | Māttūr Naṃpūtiri-s: Puruṣottama I and Subrahmaṇya I | c. 1475 - 1550 | Muhūrtapadvī (a condensed work in about 40 verses dealing with the prescriptions of auspicious times for functions) | The book is highly popular as attested by the availability of several commentaries on it. | Lived in Pāññāḷ village in Thrissur district |
| 33 | Nārāyaṇa of Kaṇvavastu: Nārāyaṇa II | 15th century | Muhūrtadīpika (A comprehensive treatise in about 400 verses on the auspicious times for functions) | ||
| 34 | Rudra Vāariyar: Rudra II | c. 1475 - 1550 | Commentary on Varāhamihira's Hora, called Nauka or Vivarana, and Aṣṭamaṅgalapraśna | Belongs to Deśamaṅgalaṃ Vāriyaṃ | |
| 35 | Śaṅkara of Mahiṣamaṅgalam : Śaṅkara III | 1494 - 1570 | Gaṅitasāra, Candragaṅitakramaand Ayanacalanādi-gaṅita (all books on astronomy); Jatakakrama, Jātakasāra and Praśnamāla (books on astrology). All these are composed in simple Malayalam poetry or prose. His works on Sanskrit include Jātakasāra, commentaries on Pañcabodha and Laghubhāskarīya. | Popularization of astronomical works among the masses in Kerala. | Hails from Peruvanam village near Thrissur. Spent most of his life with his teacher Parameśvaran Poṭṭi of Vāzha-māveli house in Chengannur. |
| 36 | Madhava of Iñcakkāzhvā : Mādhava II | c. 1500 - 1575 | Praśnasāra (incorporates several local practices) | Hails from Ramamangalam near Muvvattupuzha | |
| 37 | Acyuta Piṣāraṭi : Acyuta II | c. 1550 - 1621 | Spuṭanirṇaya, Raśigoḷaspuṭānīti, Karaṇottama (astronomical computation), Uparagakriyākrama (eclipse computations), Chāyāṣṭaka (shadow computations); commentaries on Veṅvāroha and Sūryasidhanta | Enunciation, for the first time in Indian astronomy, of the correction called "Reduction to the ecliptic". This was introduced in Western astronomy by Tycho Brahe at about the same time. | Teacher of the poet and grammarian Melpattūr Narāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa |
| 38 | Nīlakaṇṭha II | 16th - 17th centuries | Kanakkusāraṃ couched in maṇipravāḷaṃ style which is a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit languages. The work deals also with practices relating to grain transactions, house building, weighing og gold and silver, land tenure, masonry, ground measurement, etc. | ||
| 39 | Nārāyaṇa III | date completely unknown | Laghudarśini (a short work on astrology) | ||
| 40 | Dāmodara of Maṅgalaśreṇi (Dāmodara II) | c. 1575 - 1675 | Praśnarīti, Līlāvati-vyākhyā | Hails from Kaṇṇāṭipparampu in Chirakkal taluk in North Malabar | |
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 41 | Iṭakramañceri Nampūtiri | c. 1625 - 1700 | Bhadradīpa-gaṇita (composed in maṇipravāḷaṃ style) | Pupil of Dāmodara of Maṅgalaśreṇi | |
| 42 | Maṅgalaśreṇivipra-Śiṣya | 17th century | Jyotiṣasaṃgraha (in Malayalam) | ||
| 43 | Pāṇkkāṭṭu (or, Iṭakkāṭṭu) Namputiri | c. 1625 - 1725 | Praśnamārga | Praśnamārga is the most popular and authoritative work on praśna in Kerala. | |
| 44 | Iṭakkāṭṭu (or Eṭakkāṭṭu) Kukkuṇiyāḷ | c. 1675 0 1750 | Praśnarīti | Pupil of Pāṇkkāṭṭu Namputiri | |
| 45 | Rāma-śiṣya | 17th century | An explanatory rendering in Malayalam verses of the Laghuhorā of Varāahamihira | ||
| 46 | Puruṣottama II | c. 1650 - 1725 | Uparāgapariccheda (computation of solar and lunar eclipses) | ||
| 47 | Putumana Somayāji | c. 1660 - 1740 | Karaṇapaddhati (comprehensive text on astronomical computations), Nyāyaratna, Veṇvārohāṣtaka, Mānasagaṇitam, Jātakādeś | Authorship of Karaṇapaddhati | A member of the Putuvana family of Śivapuram (Thissur). Karaṇapaddhati has been commented in Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil. It manuscripts are available in Tamil and Telugu scripts also. |
| 48 | Vāsudevasvami : Vāsudeva I | Kāaladīpa (treatise on natural astrology) | The manuscrpt of the book was procured from Punnattūrkoṭṭa Mana, Koṭṭappaṭi, North Malabar | ||
| 49 | Śyāmaḷavaāraṇa Rāja | Commentary on Kāaladīpa of Vāsudevasvami | Member of Punnattūrkoṭṭa Mana | ||
| 50 | Dāmodara of Bharadvāja Gotra : Dāmodara III | Muhūrtābharaṇa (treatise on auspicious times for functions) | Hails from Tṛpparaṛṛoṭ village in Malabar | ||
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 51 | Kṛṣṇa II | Commentary on Āryabhaṭīya in Malayalam | |||
| 52 | Keralīya-dvija | Malayalam commentary on Karaṇottama of Acyuta Piṣāraṭi | |||
| 53 | Govinda-śiṣya | Commentary called Bālaprabodhini on Jatakapaddhati of Parameśvara of Vaṭaśśeṇi | Hails from Vaikkam | ||
| 54 | Veṇād Brāhmaṇa | Jātakodaya (work on astrology in 103 verses) | |||
| 55 | Azhvāñceri Taṃprākkaḷ | c. 1725 - 1800 | Eleven books in the form of adapted texts and commentaries covering the entire field of astronomy and astrology. Jyotiśśāstra-saṃgraha, Saṃgraha-sādhana-kṛiyā, Jātaka-sāara-saṃgraha, Jātakānīti-mārga, Phalasāra-samuccaya, etc. | Efforts to propagate interest in studies on Jyotiṣa among members of the Nampūtiri community | Personal name unknown |
| 56 | Vāsudeva of Vaḷḷimana : Vāsudeva II | A metrical commentary on Muhūrtapadavi | Hails from Kaṇṇamaṅgalaṃ | ||
| 57 | Tuppan Nampūtiri of Iṭavaṭṭkkāt | c. 1725 - 1800 | Muhūrtapadavi VI | Hails from Pāakoḍe in Kunnathunad | |
| 58 | Nārāyaṇa of Iṭavaṭṭkkāt : Nārāyaṇa IV | c. 1728 - 1800 | Muhūrtapadavi VII | Younger brother of Tuppan Nampūtiri of Iṭavaṭṭkkāt | |
| 59 | Parameśvara II | Commentaries called Pārameśvarī on Varāahamihira's Horā | |||
| 60 | Parameśvara, pupil of Śankara : Parameśvara III | Commentaries called Jātakacandrikā on Varāahamihira's Horā | |||
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 61 | Bhaāradvāja-dvija | c, 1750 - 1800 | Gaṇitayuktayah (rationales of mathematical and astronomical procedures), Karaṇadarpaṇa (advanced manual on astronomical computations) | ||
| 62 | Nārāyaṇa of Peruvanaṃ (Nārāyaṇa V) | Tantrasāra | |||
| 63 | Kṛṣṇadāsa (Koccukṛṣṇan Āāśan) | 1756 - 1812 | Pañcabodha VIII (Malayalam verse), Bhāṣājātakapaddhati (Malayalam commentary on Jātakapaddhati of Parameśvara of Vaṭaśśeṇi, Kaṇkkuśāstram (mathematical procedures in Malayalam verse) | Born in the family of Neṭumpayil in Tiruvalla taluk. | |
| 64 | Śankara of Muktisthala : Śankara IV | 17th century | Mantrasāra, Sāmudrasāra, Ārūḍha-praśna, Lāñchana-śāstra (omens, palmistrym, astrological omens, etc.), Āyurpraśna (dealing with life longevity, Aṣṭamaṅgala, etc.) | Hails from Mukkola | |
| 65 | Śaṅkara V | Jātakasāra (III), Praśnasāra (I) (both in Malayalam verse) | |||
| 66 | Bhutanāthapura-Somayāji | Praśnasāra (III) | |||
| 67 | Śrīkumāra, son of Nīlakaṇṭha | Praśnāmṛta | |||
| 68 | Nārāyaṇan Iḷayatu of Maccāṭ : Nārāyaṇa VI | 1765 - 1843 | Jyotiṣa-Bhāṣāvalī, Jātakādeśaratna | Patronised by Śaktan Tampurān | |
| 69 | Parameśvara of Puradahanapura : Parameśvara IV | c. 1775 - 1839 | Commentary called Varadīpikā on Muhūrtapadavi II of Māttūr Puruṣottama Naṃpūtiri | Member of Puradahanapura (Purayannur) family in Vaḷḷuvanāṭ | |
| 70 | Śrīkaṇṭha Vāriyar of Veḷḷrakkaād | Commentary in Malayalam on Jātakapaddhati of Parameśara of Vaṭaśreṇi | The commentary is available in print. | ||
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 71 | Ghaṭigopa | c. 1800 - 1860 | Two commentaries on Āryabhaṭīya, one in Malayalam and the other in Sanskrit | A devotee of God Padmanabha, the presiding deity of Thiruvananthapuram | |
| 72 | Goda Varma, Vidvān Iḷaya Tampurān | 1800 - 1851 | Commentaries in Sanskrit on Gaṇitādhyāya of Bhāskarīya-gaṇita and the Goladhyāya of Siddhāntaśiromaṇi | Member of the royal family of Kodungallur | |
| 73 | Śaṅkara Varma of Kaṭattanāṭ | 1800 - 1838 | Sadratnamālā | The computation of the value of the mathematical constant correct to 17 decimal places | |
| 74 | Subrahmaṇya Śāstri | 1829 - 1888 | Agaṇita (procedures for computing the positions of planets for a thousand years | Hails from Nalleppalli in Chittur-Cochin | |
| 75 | Subrahmaṇya of Kunnattu Mana : Subrahmaṇya II | c. 1850 - 1900 | Commentary called Bhāvaprakāśika on the Muhūrtadarśana of Vidyāmādhava | Also known as Subrahmaṇyan Tirumunpu of Kunnattu Mana of Payyanur in North Malabar | |
| 76 | Puruṣottaman Mūssatu : Puruṣottama III | c. 1850 - 1900 | Praśnāyana (a comprehensive work in 1018 verses) | ||
| 77 | Rāma Varma Koyittampurān | 1853 - 1910 | Jyotiṣapradīpa | ||
| 78 | Rāma Vāriyar of Kaikkuḷaṅra | 1833 - 1897 | Sāmudrikaśāstra, Gauḷiśāstra, commentaries on Horā and Praśnamārga | ||
| 79 | A. R. Rajaraja Varma Koyittampurān | 1853 - 1918 | Karaṇapariṣkaraṇa, Pañcāṅgaśuddhipaddhati, Jyotiṣaprakāśna | ||
| 80 | Vāsuṇṇi Mūsstu of Veḷḷānaśśeri | 1855 - 1914 | Commentary in Malayalam on Pañchabodha | ||
| Serial number | Name | Period | Works | Known for | Remarks |
| 81 | Punnaśśeri Nampi Nīlakaṇṭha Śarma | 1858 - 1935 | Jyotiśāstrasubodhini, Pañcabodhakriyā-Bhāṣa | Works published by Bharata Vilasam Press, Thrissur | |
| 82 | P. S. Purushottaman Namputiri | 1889-? | Gaṇitanirṇaya (Sanskrit with Malayalamý exposition) (Thrissur, 1940's) and several books on astrology in Malayalam including Jyothisa Sarasagraham, Varāhamihra's Bṛhat Samhitā, Brahat Jathaka Padhathi , Prasnanusthana Padhathi, Madhaveeyam, etc. | ||
| 83 | K. V. A. Rama Poduval | (1881-1959) | Gaṇitaprakāśikā (Sanskrit with Malayalam exposition) (Kannur, 1950) | Hailed from Payyannur, Kerala | |
| 84 | V. P. Kunhikkanna Poduval | Śuddhadṛggaṇita (Sanskrit with Malayalamý exposition) (Kozhikode, 1956) |
See also
- A History of the Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy (book by K. V. Sarma)
- Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics
References
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