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Tantrasägraha, composed by the renowned Kerala astronomer N¿lakantha Somay¿j¿ (c. 1444–1545 AD), ranks along with
¿ryabhä¿ya of ¿ryabhäa and
Siddh¿ntäiromäi of Bh¿skar¿c¿rya as one of the major works which significantly influenced further work on astronomy in India. One of the distinguishing features of this revised and expanded edition of the book is the introduction of a major revision of the traditional Indian planetary model. N¿lakä¿ha arrived at a unified theory of planetary latitudes and a better formulation of the equation of centre for the interior planets (Mercury and Venus) than was previously available.
In preparing the translation and explanatory notes, the authors have used authentic Sanskrit editions of
Tantrasägraha by Surand Kunjan Pillai and K. V. Sarma. All verses have been translated into English, which have been supplemented with detailed explanations including all necessary mathematical relations, illustrative examples, figures and tables by using modern mathematical notation.
List of contents
Mean longitudes of planets.- True longitudes of planets.- Gnomonic shadow.- Lunar eclipse.- Solar eclipse.- Vyat¿p¿ta.- Reduction to observation.- Elevation of lunar horns.- Appendix A.- Appendix B.- Appendix C.- Appendix D.- Appendix E.- Appendix F.
About the author
K. Ramasubramanian, Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Maharashtra, India, is a renowned scholar in the history of Indian sciences, mathematics and astronomy. With expertise in Sanskrit, Vedic teachings and Indian philosophy, he inspires students and scholars through teachings blending science, Sanskrit and spirituality. His contributions include preparing detailed explanatory notes on several important source works that showcase the Kerala School’s contributions to mathematics and astronomy. His erudition earned him the coveted title of "
Vidvat Pravara" from Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, and the prestigious "Maharshi Badarayan Vyas Samman" from the President of India. Additionally, he has served as an elected council member of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPST) for two consecutive terms. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and was an invited speaker at ICM2022. He also serves as the Editor of the
Indian Journal of History of Science.
M.S. Sriram did his Ph.D. in Physics in 1978 from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. He worked in the University of Allahabad before joining the University of Madras, from where he retired as the Professor and Head in 2011. Currently, he is with the Prof. K.V. Sarma Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Apart from his research in physics, he has been working in the field of Indian astronomy and mathematics for nearly 30 years. He has published several papers on Indian astronomy and mathematics. As one of the authors behind the detailed explanatory notes on the renowned works
Gäita-yukti-bh¿¿¿ (Rationales in Mathematical Astronomy),
Tantrasägraha and
Karäapaddhati, he has highlighted the Kerala School’s significant contributions to mathematics and astronomy. His 'Bh¿skar¿c¿rya's
Siddh¿ntäiromäi - Grahagäita with the
V¿sanbh¿¿ya' with co-authors has been published recently. He is working on
D¿kkaräa, a Kerala text on astronomy with a co-author. He was elected as a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy recently for his contributions in the area of Indian astronomy and mathematics.
