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{{Short description|Indian mathematician (1340–1400)}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} | ||
[[Jainism]] had a strong influence on mathematics particularly in the last couple of centuries BC. By the time of Mahendra Suri, however, Jainism had lost support as a national religion and was much less vigorous | '''Mahendra Sūri''' (c. 1340 – 1400)<ref name=":0" /> is the 14th century [[Jainism|Jain]] [[astronomer]] who wrote the ''Yantraraja'', the first [[India]]n treatise on the [[astrolabe]].<ref>{{cite book | editor = Glick | display-editors = etal | title = Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia | date = 2005 | publisher = [[Routledge]] | isbn = 0-415-96930-1 | quote =the Jain astronomer Mahendra Suri ([[floruit|fl.]] 1370)...wrote the first Indian treatise on the astrolabe, called the ''Yantraraja'' (1370) | page = 464}}</ref> He was trained by Madana Sūri, and was teacher to Malayendu Sūri.<ref name=":0" /> [[Jainism]] had a strong influence on mathematics particularly in the last couple of centuries BC. By the time of Mahendra Suri, however, Jainism had lost support as a national religion and was much less vigorous. | ||
==Works== | ==Works== | ||
Mahendra Suri's fame rests on the work Yantrarāja, which introduced the astrolabe to the Indian astronomer.<ref name=":0" /> Mahendra Sūri was patronized by the | [[File:Yantraraja_Folio_3.jpg|right|thumb|300x300px|Image of folio 3 of Malayendu Sūri's commentary (1382) on Mahendra Sūri's Yantrarāja (1370). [[iarchive:wg1207/page/n15/mode/2up|(Internet Archive)]]]] | ||
is also interesting because it provided, for the first time to | Mahendra Suri's fame rests on the work ''Yantrarāja'', which introduced the astrolabe to the Indian astronomer.<ref name=":0" /> Mahendra Sūri was patronized by the [[Tughlaq dynasty|Tughluq]] ruler of Delhi, [[Firuz Shah Tughlaq|Firūz Shāh]] (r. 1351–1388), who evinced keen interest in astronomy. Firūz Shāh had earlier caused the ''Bṛhatsaṃhitā'' of Varāhamihira to be translated into [[Persian language|Persian]]. At the sultan's instance, Mahendra Sūri studied the astrolabe and introduced it to the Sanskrit audience in 1370 in his ''Yantrarāja''. Its circulation was largely, if not wholly, confined to astronomers who worked within the Islamic and Ptolemaic traditions.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> | ||
Malayendu made a list of latitudes for 32 stars, which were identified as relevant for purposes of calculations in India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/31248872 | |||
The ''Yantrarāja'' is best described as an [[astrolabe]] user's manual. It explains how this king (''rāja'') of instruments (''yantra'') is to be constructed and commissioned for purposes of observation. The ''saumya'' ''yantra'' (northern instrument) projected from the [[South Pole]] and the ''yāmya'' ''yantra'' (southern instrument) projected from the North Pole are discussed separately, followed by a description of the ''phaṇīndra'' ''yantra'' (the serpentine instrument), which combines both.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> | |||
A detailed discussion on the application of the astrolabe is found in Malayendu Sūri's commentary on the ''Yantrarāja''. This commentary is also interesting because it provided, for the first time to Indian astronomers, tables for ready reference, which helped simplify calculations. The commentator gave latitudes of 75 cities. Malayendu made a list of latitudes for 32 stars, which were identified as relevant for purposes of calculations in India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/31248872|title=Academia website|website=Academia |last1=Devadevan |first1=Manu V. }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Gaṇaka Taraṅgiṇī or Lives of Hindu Astronomers|last=Padmakara Dvivedi (ed).|first=Dvivedi, Sudhakara.|publisher=Jyotish Prakash Press.|year=1933|location=Benaras}}</ref><ref name=":2">Pingree, David. (1981). Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit, Series A, Vol 4. | |||
Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.</ref><ref>Raikwa, K.K. (ed). (1936). Yantrarāja of Mahendraguru with the Commentary of | Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.</ref><ref name=":3">Raikwa, K.K. (ed). (1936). Yantrarāja of Mahendraguru with the Commentary of | ||
Malayendu Sūri. Bombay: Nirnaya Sagar Press.</ref> | Malayendu Sūri. Bombay: Nirnaya Sagar Press.</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[Indian mathematicians]] | * [[Indian mathematicians]] | ||
* [[Yantraraja]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
== Sources == | |||
* [[K. V. Sarma]] (2008), "Mahendra Suri", [[Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures]] (2nd edition) edited by [[Helaine Selin]], Springer, {{ISBN|978-1-4020-4559-2}}. | * [[K. V. Sarma]] (2008), "Mahendra Suri", [[Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures]] (2nd edition) edited by [[Helaine Selin]], Springer, {{ISBN|978-1-4020-4559-2}}. | ||
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[[Category:14th-century Indian Jains]] | [[Category:14th-century Indian Jains]] | ||
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]] | [[Category:Year of birth uncertain]] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:04, 21 July 2025
Mahendra Sūri (c. 1340 – 1400)[1] is the 14th century Jain astronomer who wrote the Yantraraja, the first Indian treatise on the astrolabe.[2] He was trained by Madana Sūri, and was teacher to Malayendu Sūri.[1] Jainism had a strong influence on mathematics particularly in the last couple of centuries BC. By the time of Mahendra Suri, however, Jainism had lost support as a national religion and was much less vigorous.
Works[edit | edit source]
Mahendra Suri's fame rests on the work Yantrarāja, which introduced the astrolabe to the Indian astronomer.[1] Mahendra Sūri was patronized by the Tughluq ruler of Delhi, Firūz Shāh (r. 1351–1388), who evinced keen interest in astronomy. Firūz Shāh had earlier caused the Bṛhatsaṃhitā of Varāhamihira to be translated into Persian. At the sultan's instance, Mahendra Sūri studied the astrolabe and introduced it to the Sanskrit audience in 1370 in his Yantrarāja. Its circulation was largely, if not wholly, confined to astronomers who worked within the Islamic and Ptolemaic traditions.[1][3][4][5]
The Yantrarāja is best described as an astrolabe user's manual. It explains how this king (rāja) of instruments (yantra) is to be constructed and commissioned for purposes of observation. The saumya yantra (northern instrument) projected from the South Pole and the yāmya yantra (southern instrument) projected from the North Pole are discussed separately, followed by a description of the phaṇīndra yantra (the serpentine instrument), which combines both.[1][3][4][5]
A detailed discussion on the application of the astrolabe is found in Malayendu Sūri's commentary on the Yantrarāja. This commentary is also interesting because it provided, for the first time to Indian astronomers, tables for ready reference, which helped simplify calculations. The commentator gave latitudes of 75 cities. Malayendu made a list of latitudes for 32 stars, which were identified as relevant for purposes of calculations in India.[1][3][4][5]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Devadevan, Manu V. "Academia website". Academia.
- ↑ Glick; et al., eds. (2005). Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 464. ISBN 0-415-96930-1.
the Jain astronomer Mahendra Suri (fl. 1370)...wrote the first Indian treatise on the astrolabe, called the Yantraraja (1370)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Padmakara Dvivedi (ed)., Dvivedi, Sudhakara. (1933). Gaṇaka Taraṅgiṇī or Lives of Hindu Astronomers. Benaras: Jyotish Prakash Press.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Pingree, David. (1981). Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit, Series A, Vol 4. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Raikwa, K.K. (ed). (1936). Yantrarāja of Mahendraguru with the Commentary of Malayendu Sūri. Bombay: Nirnaya Sagar Press.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- K. V. Sarma (2008), "Mahendra Suri", Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures (2nd edition) edited by Helaine Selin, Springer, ISBN 978-1-4020-4559-2.