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Jyotrivid Brijendra S. Shrivastava .Director Apara Jyotisham, Member Board of Studies in Jyotirvigyan Jiwaji University Gwalior. He specializes in Medical Astrology & teaches as Guest Lecturer in UGC approved PG courses in Astrological Science in Jiwaji University Gwalior. Has presented more than 50 research papers in

national & international forums of science, engineering, technology, medical science, astronomy, astrology and vedic

sciences organized

/sponsored by Universities IITs, etc and published in research journals like Science India (recipient of award from the Prime Minister in 93rd Indian Science Congress), Vigyan Bharati Pradeepika, AIFAS Research Journal of Astrology etc

India-Central Asia: Reflections From Astronomy

& Astrology By

Brijendra S. Shrivastava, India

Full of pearls a bowl I kept Upside down on every ones crown In all directions the bowl moves But Not a single pearl rolls down

A Hindi folk Childs Quiz

ky has always fascinated human psyche as the history of Astronomy suggests. When we look at sky it

evokes mixed feelings of joy, wonder, admiration, mysticism and challenge. It has an unconscious yet constantly expanding horizon of individual human consciousness and has transformed into social consciousness because sky is one of those natural phenomena which is common to all. With its early advent from anthropocentric universe to geocentric universe and from geocentric to heliocentric universe and from there to galaxy centric universe; from multi galactic cosmos up to Cosmology of universal oneness, our awareness about we has undergone a paradigm shift every time affecting our understanding of global relationships. Sky has also contributed in the advancement of mathematics, science and philosophy.

V.Komarov, science writer has observed that if we trace the history of many sciences we find that mankind has been

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immensely benefited by the study of the universe 1 . Einstein had every reason to say that intellectual potential, without which modern technology would have been inconceivable, is mainly drawn on observations of the stars.

1Contribution of Brahmagupta and Other Astronomer Mathematicians

1.1Indian AstronomersAstrologers through cultural synergy with Central Asia between early 8 th century to 12 th century have also contributed in the advancement of various sciences particularly astronomy and mathematics and also astrology. This IndoArab relationship gave both momentum and direcion to this Expansionof consciousnessmission carried out by mankind in this part of world, when Europe was in slumber 2 . The Arabic translation of Sanskrit Greek and other literature later translated in Latin provided a great help to European great Renaissance or reawakening from around 11 th 12 th century AD onwards as acknowledged by many European scholars and historians

1.2After Mohammad Sahib, Caliph Al Mansoor founded Baghdad in 762AD Indian scholars visited the Caliph during 772773 AD with Astronomical Astrological books, which were translated in Arabic, on the order of Al Mansoor. Confirming this, Ebenezer Berges in his translation (1860) of Surya Siddhant of Hindu Astronomy has quoted Bin Al Admi from the astronomical tables of planetary positions worked out by Admi and published in 920AD that during the regime of Caliph Al Mansoor (773AD) one Indian Astrologer visited the court along with table of planets, observations on eclipses and coordinates of zodiacal signs. This fact was also quoted by Colebrooke in his Hindu Algebra 2 .

1.3At that time, arithmetic, geometry, spherical trigonometry and algebra were part of Astronomy. In Arabic two works are most famous: SindHind and Al Arkand, both were translation of BrahmaGuptas Braahma Sphuta Siddhantas Sindhind and Khand Khandak as Al Arkand These works were translated by Persian scholar Yakoob Ibn Taatiq and Arabian AlFazaaris son Mohammad in Arabic with the help of Indian Pundits. Later on several translations were done and Al Beruni (9731048AD) also did one.

1.4Edward C. Sachau, a German scholar who translated AlBeruni has observed that in the history of science and knowledge in eastern countries, Brahmagupta ranks very high.Brahmagupta taught AstronomyAstrology to Arabs before they came to know about Ptolemy 3 . From Brahmaguptas Brahmasphuta Siddhant, Arabic scholar Ibrahim Ibn Habib AlPhazaari took basic elements and computation method and prepared tables in Mohammadan lunar months.

1.5Yakoob Ibn Taarik authored TarqueebAlAflaaqor Construction of Astronomical Sphere based on elements of Brahmagupta brought by another group of scholars in 161Hizri or 777778AD in Baghdad from India.

1.6Great Islamic Mathematician Al Khwaarismi (b783 AD) authored two books on Indian ganita and Beeja ganitaHisaab Al Hind or Kitaab al zaam and Tafreek Bi Hisaab Al Hind explaining zero based decimal place value mathematics Number system called Hind

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Kaa Hisaab. Hisaab al Hind is not available in Arabic but was found from Spains Arabic center (1126 AD) in Latin as Liber Algorizmi de Numero Indurum meaning book of Alkhwarizmi on Hinds Numbers. 1.7Impact of the work titled Alkhwarizmi on Hinds Numbers on Europe was so great that Indian Number System was named as Alkhwarismi now known as Algorithm in Mathematics. AlKhwarizmi has called the Indian Numerals used in the book as Haroof Al Gubaar. Gunakar Muley 4 has pointed out that these numbers are Indian which were developed from Brahmi script. Muley further strengthens his assertion by bringing a manuscript written in Spain in 976AD.It should be remembered that Spain was under Islamic rule and to quote Rahul Sankratyaayan, Spains capital Kardova had become Baghdad of the West in the matter of knowledge and culture during 10 th century. 5

Sanskrit word Jeeba in trigonometry was translated as JB. Latin translation mistook it for Jeb or pocket on chest and translated it sinus or chest which is now called sine in English is an example of the impact of IndoArabic relations on European reawakening.

Alkhwarizmi was born in Kheewa city of Khwarism region of todays Uzbekistan of Central Asia. Al Beruni (7931048) was also born here.

1.8 Indian Astronomer Aryabhat (b476AD) was first in Astronomy to expound daily rotation of Earth. Abul Hasan Al Ahwaazi compiled his theories of planetary motions as Al Arjbhad during 8 th century AD. Faizi in Persian translated Bhaskaracharyas Leelavati a book on mathematics in 1587AD.

Therere hundreds works which deal with contribution of Indian astronomer mathematicians ranging from value of Pi to different branches of mathematics, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, spherical trigonometry etc and the joint impact of IndoArabic literature on European thought process. However, only an outline has been given here to arouse curiosity among scholars and readers for further exploration in IndoArab cultural relations.

2. Ramal Vidya 2.1Ramal or the art of prediction through dice is an excellent example of cultural synergy. It is based on four elements fire or aatashi, air or khhaarva, water or aabi and earth or baadi of saankhya philosophy.

2.2Science historian Paul Tannery (1897 AD) translates Ilm Ul Ramal as Sand Time or earth element based time calculation which in my opinion is erroneous. It reminds Dhooli Karma because in India mathematic earlier was called Dhooli Karma spreading dust or sand on a board or earth for calculation, which was translated in Arabic as Haruf Al Gubaar, as pointed out while referring to AlKhwarizmi.

2.3However, names of all 16 shapes formed on dice kabzul daakhil etc are Arabic and its muhurta is based on moons counting in Hizri calendar. This leads us to ascribe Ramal to Arabic origin.

2.4S.B.Dixit in his monumental work on History of Indian Astrology 6 has disproved this assumption with a chronological analysis on the basis of a book found by Babur a European

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scholar written between 350500AD and mentioned in Bengal Asiatic Society Journals which mentions Ramal type system of answering questions with Sanskrit and Prakrat nouns. Dixit further refers to GargSamhita of Tanjor Museum, which contains a chapter with 235 Shlokas on Paashavali, Paash in Sanskrit means Dice. He therefore concludes that since Sanskrit books were lost, later Sanskrit books on Paashavali or Ramal were written from Arabic text basis. Whatever might be the fact the Vidya of Ramal is an excellent exmple of IndoArabic exchange of knowledge.

3. Annual Horoscopy 3.1In this system planetary chart is worked out for the moment when the sun after completing one year arrives at the same degrees in birth chart this system is called Taazik which is an Arabic Word. All its 16 planetary combinations employed in predictions are Arabic in name like Itthashaal Eeshraaf etc. However, mutual degreewise angles of planets called Dristis or aspects are Arabic and differ from traditional Hindu Natal Horoscopy despite their names being in Sanskrit. Again in assessing strength of planet Hadda strength is used in Taazik only which is nowhere used in any Indian predictive system while working out six fold strength of a planet called shadbala.

3.2In 1592 Balbhadra who living with King Shah Shuza authored Haayan Ratna on Taazik System of prediction and acknowledged its Arabic origin by stating yavanacharyen paarseek bhaashayam praneetam jyotish shastra etc.

3.3It is pertinent to note that AlFazari and Al Beruni while translating predictive astrology from Sanskrit to Arabic has adopted 1 day =1 year system which was later adopted by westerners as secondary direction system of prediction for one year this is acknowledged by Alfraid Pears in his Text Book of Astrology written some 100 years ago. 7 Nevertheless, all these systems are somewhat different from Taazik Annual system of prediction.

4. Sawai Jai Singhs Observatories 4.1When European Astronomers were following circular orbits of planets Jai Singh (1686 1743AD) had discovered elliptical orbits. During the regime of Mohammad Shah, Jai Singh worked out new tables of planetary positions after rectifying astronomical tables of Mirza Ulug Beg, which had accumulated difference of 4 degrees and 8 minutes of arc by then. These tables are contained in his work called ZizMohammad Shahi for determination of Hindu and Muslim festivals more accurately.

4.2Sawai Raja also constructed Astronomical observatories in five places with due consent from his ruler Mohmmad Shah, for more accurate positions of planets including the moon which was crucial in determining Hindu and Muslim festivals as both were moon based, because he found that metallic instruments get eroded in use and do not give precision. He sent Father Manual to Europe for collecting observation table prepared 30 years before for comparison. These observatories which were viewed by Jagannath Pandit as lighthouse of knowledge are also illustrations of ancient IndoArabiccooperation. We can still draw some inspiration from them. He also got translated Ptolemys work Syntaxes called Almagest in Arabic into Sanskrit as Samrat Siddhanta. Sawai Jai Singh had also a good collection of instruments like AtroLabs from Samarkand because these instruments were being prepared in Arab countries with good precision in 17 th century. Sawai Raja Singhs work and attitude is of immense value because his period was of political instability yet he showed high

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wisdom in strengthening Hindu Muslim relations through calenderic Astronomy and also IndoArabic relations.

efore this is concluded we draw attention to recent research done by Prof.C.K.Raju of Nehru Museum who played a leading role in the CDAC team which built Param our supercomputer. In his research, 8 he has established that in the field of European Gregorian calendar reform and in streamlining European navigation system Indo

Arabic techniques and rules of Laghu Bhaskariya a text on Indian astronomy authored by Bhaskar I (550630AD) had played a decisive role. The object of this paper is to remind that historical and scientific relations are part of a larger social spectrum which act like a bridge often abandoned; but visiting the past through such conferences can reaffirm our faith to evolve new patterns of relationships for making the planet called earth more better. To quote AlBeruni:

Knowledge in its true sense is always universal. Thoughts and inventions originating from any geographical region benefit all nations.

References:

1. V.Komarov : The Fascinating Astronomy ,Mir Publication Moscow 2. Euclid Ptolemy and other great mathematician and astronomer of Greece and Alexenderia Egypt, flourished during around 300BC to 300AD. After that there was no development of knowledge. The European world was unaware of these works till the great European Renaissance starting around 12 th

century AD when European scholars came in contact with the works of Greek, Egyptian, Indian and Arabic scholars translated from Arabic to Latin. During that time Spain was under Islamic rule and that is why several Latin translations of Arabic works were found at first in Spain. 2 Colebrooke:Hindu Algebra P64 3.Edwrd C. Sachau translation of AlBerunis Kitaab Ul Hind in English as Alberunis India pxxxi 4. Gunakar Muley: Great Mathematicians of World p6466 5.Rahul Sankratyaayan: Darshan Digdarshan p146. Alfraid Hupar historian of mathematics has observed that Arabs were first to introduce Indian numerals in Spain. It was a new and revolutionary system. This method has paved the way of modern science and engineering .Laplace, French mathematician (17491827) has observed that this wonderful Indian method of expressing all figures only in10 symbols appears so simple that we dont consider its importance 6.p640 7. 1Alfraid Pears: Text Book of Astrology P175 Published by American Federation of Astrologers 7.2Shri Awatar Krishna Kaul an eminent Astronomer in his article on Indian Astronomy and Astrology of 1996 at p35 has quoted Robert Zoler from his Last Keys to Prediction at p8 that Arabs established a link between India and Spain. Kaul says that it is to be noted that Spains St.Placidus translated several astrological works in Spanish later translated in English, which included AlBerunis Elements of Astrology, which is an amalgam of astrology prevailing in Central East Asia, Persia and India. That was the period when Arabs were spreading Astrology and Astronomy in Europe. 8.Prof C. K. Rajas article http/www/hinduwisdom.info

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