INDIAN ASTRONOMICAL EPOCH - 310 CE 18 FEBRUARY IMPLICATIONS OF ĀRYABHAṬA'S WORKS TO INDIAN CHRONOLOGY by K. Chandra Hari

Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
INDIAN ASTRONOMICAL EPOCH: 310 CE 18 FEBRUARY IMPLICATIONS OF ĀRYABHAṬA'S WORKS

TO INDIAN CHRONOLOGY
Author(s): K. Chandra Hari
Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 90 (2009), pp. 59-80
Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
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INDIAN ASTRONOMICAL EPOCH: 310 CE 18 FEBRUARY
IMPLICATIONS Of ARYABHATA'S WORKS
TO INDIAN CHRONOLOGY
By
K. Chandra Hari
Abstract
Presentpaper is an attemptto discuss the implicationsof the correct
readingof theGítikã 5 of ÃryabhatTyam on Indian Chronology.Prevailing
reading 'Bhãratãt pürvam' and interpretationlinks the Yugãdi -3101 CE
epoch of ÃryabhatTyam withthe Mahãbhãrata War even thoughthe epic
itselfofferedcontradicting references.Innumerableefforts have takenplace
in the past to date the MahãbhãrataWar around -3101 CE based on Epic
astronomicalreferenceswith no success. Paper explains the anomalous
situationby renderingthecorrectreadingforGítikã5 as 'Bharatätpürvam'
- interpretingtheverse as referring
to theBharata,universalemperorof the
Jain mythswhose reign corresponded to the beginning of Apasarpini
Kaliyuga as per theJaintradition.Similar is thesituationin thecase of the
Aihole inscriptionwhichfollowedthe'Bhãratãtpürvam'and interpretation
linkstheYugädi-3 1OICE epochofÃryabhataand JainreckoningofKaliyuga.
Prevalence of Kalidina reckoning in Kerala before the time of

Ãryabhatais given illustration
withmanyexamplesofchronogramsor dates
in alpha-numericnotationknownthroughlegends.Astronomicalrationale
underlyingthe chronogram'Bhümaubhüpoyampräpya' is explained and
CE2 15 is shown to be theanchorpoint of Kerala traditionand the MahS-
Magha congregation. Impact of MahS-Magha of Kali 3601 on the
Ãryârdharãtra epoch ofKali 3600 or 2 1 MarchCE 499 is explainedbringing
to lightthe close quartersthatÃryabhatahad with Cera capital of Tondi
(modernPonnâni) and Tirunâvaya,theplace ofMahã-Maghã congregation.
Discussion is made ofthebeginningofKollam Era againstthebackdrop
of the astronomicaltraditionof Kerala. Calendar reckoningin Kerala and
theNew Year at the earliestepoch of 215CE is shown to have been based
on the zenith transitof Sun at the latitude 10°N 51' of Tirunnväya,the
60 AnnalsBORI,XC (2009)
venue of the Mahämaghä congregation. Ãryabhata epoch of 499 CE,

Haridattaepoch of 684CE and Kollam Era epoch are shownto be based on
thesame astronomicalrationaleand observationat 10N5 1. Sidereal epoch
of Kollam Era 25 Aug 825CE is shownto have consideredthezenithtransit
of Sun at 10°N, markedby theTrkkãkkaratemple.
Key Words :
Ãryabhata,Indian Chronology,Bhãrata War,Bharata,Jaintradition,
Kaliyuga, -3 10 ICE, Aihole, Kerala, Chronogram, Mahã-Maghã,
Keyapperumâl,215CE
I. Introduction
One ofthecardinalaxiomsuponwhichtheedificeofIndianChronology
was attempted tobe builtbysectionofthehistorianshad beenthepresumption
thatthesiddhänticbeginningof Kaliyuga on 18 February-3 10 1CE marked
also the epoch of Mahâbhãratawar1.Attemptsto understandtheEpic and
Purãnic chronologyvis-á-vis genealogies of the Kings always faced the
insurmountable ofreconciling
difficulty thesamewiththeKaliyugãdiimported
fromtheastronomicaltradition viz., Mean sunriseat UjjayinTon 18 February
3102 BC. Earliest referencesto theYugas as available in theYugapurãna2
(dated to 25 BC) contain no mentionof any planetaryconflagrationas
indicativeof any of the fourYugas viz Krta, Tretã,Dväpara and Kali. It
becomes thereforeapparent that the Epic or Purãnic allusions to the
astronomicalKaliyuga as havinghistoricalsignificancehad theiroriginmost
likelyafterthetimeof Ãryabhata3who definedtheepoch of Kaliyugadi by
equatingSaka 421 or AD499 with60x 60 = 3600 yearsof Kaliyuga.
The mainstreamof Indianhistoriansand archaeologicalevidences that

have become available discountthe historicalrelevance of the epoch of -
3101CE to the MahâbhãrataWar.But a minorityclaimingdeeper scale of
antiquityforIndian historyhad been intentupon arguingand fabricating
humbugdepictionsof Indian antiquitylinkingthe MahâbhãrataWar with
the astronomicalepoch -3101CE of Ãryabhata.Basic argumentsof this
alternateschool of thoughtare:
1. Greek sources Pliny and Arrianhave referredto legends of Maurya

times(-300CE) thatsuggestCalendar and genealogical reckoningin
India from- 6677 CE.
2. Centennial Calendar having cycles of 2700 years (Saptarsi Era) is
traceableto such antiquityas - 6677CE.
K. Chandra Hari : IndianAstronomical
Epoch 61
3. Äryabhatahad mentionedthe Bhãrata War to have takenplace 3600

years priorto the epoch of his Ãrdharãtrikasiddhãnta(CE499) and
thisplace theWar in -3 10 1CE.
4. Mumbojumbo discussionson thedatingof theincoherentastronomical
referencesin the Mahãbhãratawithwhich the War got dated to a 100
epochs from say -5500 to - 800 CE. Innumerable results of the
astronomicaldating itselfoffersa commentaryon the quality of the
astronomicalreferencesin the Epic and the Purãnas.
5. Mahãbhãrata 's Yugãdi epoch even thoughinterpretedas referring to
the BhãrataWar,none has produced any astronomicalevidence from
theMahãbhãratato substantiatethesame. In facttheEpic itselfplaces
the Yugãdi 36 years after the Mahãbhãrata War not as is being
out of Âryabhatïya.
interpreted
Presentwork is an effortto rescue the name of Âryabhatïyafromthe

chronologicalconflictsassociated withtheMahãbhãrataWar in thelightof
the Jain mythunderlyingÄryabhata's referenceto the -3101CE epoch.
Efforthas been made also to place the works of Äryabhataagainst the
backgroundof Mahã-Maghã festival,thetraditionof which may be traced
to 3 centuriesbefore Äryabhatabased on chronogramsknown through
legends vis-à-visthe BrahmnicaltextKeralotpatti.
II. Historicityof the Mahãbhãrata and Ascribed Dates for the War
The rivetingplot the epic story,the fratricidalwar at Kuruksetra
according to most scholars may have a historicalelement. But the epic
narrationis a mix up of cosmological speculations,mythsand history,the
beginningof whichare lost in themistof time.Undoubtedly,itsumsup the
happenings over a long period of time which the bards may have been
singingand recitingthroughtheprehistoricages, gãthãs,ãkhyãnasetc,all
mythicizedin course of timeby notone singlepersonbutby a succession of
poets adept in articulation.The historicalcontextof the epic accordingto
modernstudiescan be summarizedas:
1. The Indusor Harappancivilizationis scientificallydatedto 2700-1 300

BC, but most of the scholars treatit as a different
developmentthan
theVedic civilization.
2. Upanisads,thelaterVedãntictextsoriginatedduringthetimeofBuddha
-550CE whose contemporaryAjãtasatru is one of the charactersin
the dialogues of Brhadãranyaka.
3. Epic phase appears ratherlate and the chronologicalplacementof the

KuruksetraWar remainsa much debated issue even today. Scientific
notionsprevailingon thistopic as emergedfrommodernstudiesmay
be understoodfromthefollowing:
(a) Rajesh Kochhar dated the Mahäbhärata war to have taken place
in 856 BC and as regardstheastronomicalclues available in thetextmakes
thefollowingobservations:12»
"Astronomicaldata in the Mahäbhärata have been interpretedby a

nuitiberof scholars to yield a wide spectrumof dates rangingfrom3140
BC to 1151 BC. A 2000-year spread in the time bracket shows thatthe
astronomicaldatingof the literarytextson thebasis of straystatementsin
themis a highlydubious exercise. This bracketis no improvementon the
dates assigned otherwise.It is however significantthat no one has ever
suggested for the Bhãrata battle a date very much younger than 900
BC".
(b) Pusalkeralso has expressedthesame opinion on theastronomical

data available in theMahäbhärata:<3)
"According to the Aihole inscription of Pulakešin II (seventh
centuryAD) the Bhãrata War took place in 3102 BC., which is the
starting point of the Kaliyuga era according to the astronomical
traditionrepresentedby Äryabhata. But Fleet has pointed out that the
reckoningwas notfound in Vedic times; it was firststarted about 3500
years afterthe timefor thepurposes of calculation, and was not known
to astronomersbeforeÄryabhata. Anotherschool of Hindu astronomers
and historians,representedby Vrddha-Garga,Varahamihiraand Kalhana,
places the BhãrataWar 653 years afterthe Kaliyuga era, i.e. in 2449 BC.
These two schools thuspresentconflictingviews, and as theyare based on
a hypothetical reckoning of a late date, we can hardly attach much
importanceto them...."
It is thereforeapparent fromwhat is stated by Pusalkar that the
historianshave made äryabhataa partyto the conflicton the date of the
MahäbhärataWarand theinscriptionalsupportto thenotionis available in
theAihole inscriptionofAD634.
III. Truth of Äryabhata 's Statement and Aihole Inscription

As shownelsewhere4ãiyabhata did not at all referto theBhärataWar
and thepopularnotionsof thekindexpressedby Pusalkaroriginatedout of
a misreadingof verse 5 of Dasagïtika -
Epoch 63
Kãho manavo dha manuyugãh škha gataste ca manuyugãh chüna ca

Kalpãderyugapãdã ga ca gurudivasãcca bhãratãtpürvam (5)
Scholars since the time of ãryabhatahad construedand interpreted
thisverse wronglywiththe ending words as 'Bhãratãtpürvam' to see the
Mahãbhãrata war in the above verse. According to Mahãbhãrata the
Kaliyuga as per the Smrtisbegan 36 years afterthe Kuruksetrawar when
Dvãraka got engulfedby the sea. It was only when Dvãraka got engulfed
by the sea thatthe Pãndavas could understandthat Kaliyuga had begun
withtheexit of Krsna fromtheworld. GãndhãrTscurse upon Krsna forthe
destructionof the Yãdava clan was also for 36 years afterthe war at
Kuruksetra.How can then Ãryabhatasay thatthe Kali Era began before
the Bhärata war as is interpretedout of the Gïtikâ 5?
In factthecorrectreadingof theverse is - Bharatãtpürvam- tRrïï^^jçf-

i.e. beforethe timeof Bharata, the son of Rsabhanãtha TTrthañkara from
whomBhäratavarsareceiveditsname. Bharatais thefirstuniversalemperor
of Jainsand Yugãdi markedhis accession to thethronewhen Lord Rsabha
retiredto the forests.It mustbe notedhere thataccordingto Jainalegends
Bähubali thebrotherof Bharata was thefirstsaintto attainliberationin the
Apasarpinïkãla coincidingwithKaliyuga and hence thetimeofYugãdi was
of importanceto Ašmaka where Bähubali did penance afterenthroning
Bharata.Bharatain Jainalegends symbolizedApasarpinïyuga by his wish
to conquer thematerialworld and become CakravartTwhich got thwarted
by saintlyBähubali who achieved liberation.5
Influenceof theJainatextTiloyapannatti6 is veryclear fromtheYuga

cycle given'as per Jain canons and as such Ãryabhatahad no reasons to
referto the Bhärata war as a chronological markerin the Jaina cycle of
Yugas or definitionof Mahãyuga/Kalpa. In fact,itwill be a contradictionif
we are to presume that the great astronomerwho rejected the Purãnic,
epic and smrtibased Yugas shall resortto definetheYugãdi based on such
Brâhmnicaltreatises.
Aihole Inscription7
Apartfromtheabove citedmisreadingof Âryabhatïyaverse,themajor
plank of theschool which postulatestheBhärataWar epoch as -3 101 CE is
theAihole inscriptionwhich is of criticalsignificancein view of thelightit
casts on the limits of many Indian chronological problems like date of
Kâlidãsa and the firstknown use of the Kaliyuga Era as defined by
Ãryabhata.But in the lines ofAihole inscription7too, it is themisreading

thatbringsin BhärataWar.Relevantlinesmaybe readkeepingin mindthat-
(a) Pulikesi-11was a JainKing and theinscriptionbeginswiththepraise
of JinaMahâvïra8.
-
(b) Translationof theverses 33 35 and the incongruitiesbetweenthe
contentsand the Puränic data are illustrativeof the fact thatthe
reading Bhärata is out of contextas such a usage of the termto
referthe War is strange.
(33) When thirty(and) three thousand and five years besides, joined
with seven hundred years, have passed since the Bhärata war;
(3735 years - 634CE)
(34) And whenfifty(and) six and five hundredyears of the Šaka kings
also have gone by in the Kali age; (556 years of Saka Era =
556+ 78 = 634)
(35) This stone mansion of Jinendra, a mansion of every kind of
greatness, has been caused to be built by the wise RavikTrti,who
has obtained the highestfavour of that Satyashraya whose rule is
bounded by the three oceans.
(c) Translationgives the word War but the inscriptionhas no such term
and is theoutcome of the misreadingof the inscription.The Sanskrit
textof theinscriptionis -
I WoldKj, <I£3^F[11
It has been broughtout thattheuse of theword 'Bharatãt' is theright

readinginsteadof Bhãratâtin Gítikã 5 of ÃryabhatTyam. Here too the
rightreadingis Bharatãt and notBhãratât as is being read to interpret
and make BhärataWarsynchronouswithKaliyuga beginningas given
by Ãryabhataas per theJaintradition.
(d) Itis farfetchedimaginationthattheWarhad been such a chronological
pointer as to personifyit or identifyit in AD 522 or AD 634 as
synonymouswiththe epic name Bhärata.
(e) Further,synchronizingtheBhärataor Epic WarwiththeKaliyugãdi is
in contradictionof thewell knowndetails available in thePuränas.As
evidence it may be noted that the well known commentator of
Ãryabhatlya,Paramešvarahad interpreted the misreading'Bhäratat'
Epoch 65
to mean the day of Mahãprasthãnaby the Pãndavas afterthe demise

of Krsna and the destructionof Dvãrakã. i.e. 36 years afterthe War
according to the Epic and otherPurãnic sources. Šastri and Šarma9
have given a detailed discussion in reference(9).
(f) Šastri and Šarma have also mentioned the Jinavijaya tradition10
according to which Yudhisthira got crowned only in 2634BC.
Varãhamihiratoo has mentioneda similarnotionin Brhatsamhitã
while
referringto the motionof the Saptarsis.
"The Saptarsis were stationedin Maghã when king Yudhisthirawas
rulingover the Earth. Šaka Era began 2526 years afterthe coronationof
the Great JainMonarch"11
(g) How could Varãhamihira place Yudhisthira in 653 Kali of

Ãryabhata if the notion of synchronicity of Bhãrata War and
Kaliyuga as is being interpretedout of Aihole inscriptionexisted
at the time of Varãhamihira]
It is apparent from the above discussion that the tradition of

synchronizing theastronomicalbeginningofKaliyugaviz. epochof-3 10 1CE
withtheEpic Warhas no sound footingin thetraditionalhistoricalsources
likeAryabhatïyaortheAihole inscription oftheJainKing Pulikesi-II.Purãnic
and Epic referencescontradictthenotioninterpreted out of themisreading
of theinscriptionthattheKaliyugãdi was synchronuswiththeBhãrataWar.
Epoch of-310 1CE, as introducedby Ãryabhatavide his classificationof the
Yugas as per the Jaintraditionand as appearing in theAihole inscription
chronologicallyrefersto the date of coronationof Bharata,the Universal
Emperorof the Jainswho succeeded Rsabha.
IV. Tradition of Kaliyugãdi or Kalidina in Kerala
Even thoughthehistoricalrecords,literary
and inscriptional
oftheNorth
India and Deccan are silent about the Kaliyuga reckoning,in legends of
Kerala we meetwithmanydates expressedas Kalidinam in theKatapayãdi
notation.12
1. Bhümaubhüpoyampräpya, Kalidina of 1211454, 30,hNovember,

215CE, correspondto the beginningof the 12 year reign of Ceran
Keyapperumãlon Mãrgaslrsa Krsna sasthland Maghã naksatra,also
knownas Skanda Sasthl,mythicallunardate of Skanda's ascension as
the General or Perumãl of the 'Army of Gods'(Devasenâpati).
2. Vararuci,the legendaryauthorof the GírnasreyãdiCandravãkyasand

the fatherof Agnihotr T can be dated to the 3rdcenturyCE based on
thetwo chronogramsavailable about thelifeofAgnihotrî.Agnihotrïis
said to have ignitedthesacrificialfireforthefirsttimein Kerala on the
Kalidina of 'Yajñasthánasamraksyam'1270701, correspondingto 13
February378 CE. Date fallson amäväsyä and itis likelythatAgnihotr
lightedfireon Phâlguna-pratipadãthenextday.
3. Kadavallur ŠrTRáma templeaccordingto legends was establishedon
the Kalidina "Kadavallüranyonyam" 1123411 which correspondsto
Sukla-navamï (Rãmatithi)of Mãrgasírsa and thedate 13 November -
26CE.
4. Šrivallabhatemplein Tiruvallahad theidol installedon theKalidina of
1111526 corresponding to 29 April -58CE which corresponds to
Uttarabhadra,and Dasamï tithiauspicious forsuch functions.
5. Tirumandhãmkunnu temple had its renovation on the day
st
"Cembakadešeramye"1258116 correspondingto 3 1 August343 AD,
Pusya naksatraof Kanyã and tithiis Dasamï.
6. PeruvanamSiva templegives "Ãyãtusivalokam"Kalidinam 1345610,
18 March 583 CE.
Chronogramsknown in Kerala traditionhave the colloquial name

Paralperu' which may be translatedinto a more familiarterminologyas
'Aksarasamkhyã'.Numerals,especially lafge ones like theKalidina count
of days derivedusing the 'Parais' or cowries were given an alpha-numeric
representationby the technique called Katapayãdi.13It was a method of
expressionthatcould be handled by scholars and especially astronomers
who were adept in computingthe Kalidina and tithi-naksatrasof date.
Because of thisreason,chronogramsassociated withhistoricaleventsmay
have an astronomicalbasis relatedto the eventand therespectivedate and
eventmay be validated ifwe can findsupportingastronomicaldetails. An
ordinaryperson or novice of ulteriormotives could not have inventeda
chronogramforinterpolating the same into a textafterhundredsof years.
Further, we must keep in mind thatthepurpose of Kalidina reckoningwas
astronomicalcomputationsand as such everychronogrammay have some
astronomicaland socio-religioussignificance.
When viewed against the above computational and astronomical

backgroundof alpha-numericchronograms,it becomes veryclear thatthe
chronogramslike Bhûmaubhûpoyamprâpya,Kalidina of 1211454 cannot
Epoch 67
be brushed aside as the handwork of some novice who compiled the

Keralotpatti.
evidentthattheKalidina reckoningand theastronomical
It is therefore
computationshave been prevalentin Kerala centuriesbefore Ãryabhata.
In factthe notationin which the alpha-numericchronogramswere given
viz. Kat- apayädi was not used by Ãryabhataeven thoughthe technique
was prevalentin Kerala in his times (522CE). So it can rightlybe judged
thatthe Yugädi notion and Kalidina reckoninghad the same method and
notationbefore and afterÃryabhata.It is pertinentto note here that the
notation that Ãryabhata introducedto give the numbersfailed to take
root in Kerala even though the name of Ãryabhata is held in high
esteem in Kerala.
Authorhas shownelsewhere14 thattheKeyapperumãjepoch of 2 15CE

characterizedby Vrscika-Guru is astronomicallyrelatedto thelaterepochs
in Kerala historylike thebeginningof Përumâlreignsof 820CE and 844CE
and also to theepochal beginningof Kòllam Era in 825CE. 30thNovember
215CE, MargašTrsaKrsna SastT,mythioalday of coronationof Skanda as
DevasenSpati and the Mahä-Maghä are inter-relatedby the fact thatthe
Mahã-MaghS celebrationsbegan with the Pausa-PaurnamTon Pusya, the
celebratedbirthday of Skanda and endedwiththeMaghä naksatraof Mãgha,
whichis celebratedeven in moderntimesas themostimportant festivalday '
associated withBhagavatTor Durgã at Gottanikkara.
V. Ãryabhata and the Parahitaganita Adopted inMahã-Maghã

Congregation
Haridatta'5is knownto be thepromulgator
of 'Parahita-ganita'inKerala
throughhis work Grahcäranibandhanam.It is knownfromlegends thatin
Kerala astronomicaltraditionthe Parahitaganitaof Hâridattagot accepted
in the PantTrãnduSabha of AD 683 or 684. But thislegend is fraughtwith
thefollowinginfirmities:
• Accordingto theVriscikã-Gururationaleidentified
above Mahã-MaghS
Satram (PantTrãndu-sabhã)was not possible in AD 683 or 684, the
date of Haridatta.
• Haridattahad introducedonly bïjas or correctionsto the Ãryabhata
system16and as such it may not have been as importantas of the
introductionof a new Siddhäntaor reckoningas in Ãryabhatiyam
to be
referredto as a new system called Parahitaganitamwhich was to
continue in Kerala till the 19thcenturyCE despite the introduction

Drgganitaby Paramešvara in 1451 CE.
It can thereforebe inferredthatthe legends concerningParahita in
factreferto the systemof Äryabhatawhich got accepted in a PantTrãndu
Sabha or Mahã-Maghã session when Jupiterwas in Vrscikã.
Origin of the Kali 3600 epoch - Ãrdharãtrikapaksa Epoch:

Kalidina 1314931
When theÃrdharãtra-siddhãnta epoch Kali 3600 elapsed i.e. Kalidina
1314931.5, JD: 1903397.0,21 MarchCE 499, 12:00 Ujjain Noon, is viewed
against the backdrop of the Mahã-Maghã traditionin Kerala, it strikes
immediatelythattheepoch had Jupiterin Tula, the sign precedingVršcika
in the Zodiac. It is thereforelikely thatÄryabhatamay have chosen the
epoch Kali 3600 forpresentingthe same in the PantTrãnduSabhã of Kali
3601 orCE 500, Vrscika-Guru, whenMârgasïrsadiCalendarbeganon Friday,
Pratipadã, 22 November. PantTrãnduSabhã would have been from22
December 500CE to 20,hJanuary50 ICE.
Itmaybe notedherethattheplace of Äryabhata,Camravattam( 10N5 1,

75E45) is same as Ponnãni,theancientcapital of Ceras and a portknown
formerchandisesince ancient times,described as Tondi in chroniclesof
foreigners.Thus Äryabhatamusthave been familiarwiththeCera tradition
and also of theMahã-Maghã congregationat Tirunãvãya- on thebanks of
Bharatappuzha- rivernamed afterthelegendaryEmperorBharataof Jains.
I would like to elaborate further
forthe sake of those who are not familiar
with the geography of Kerala that the place of Äryabhata was in the
neighborhoodof theplace whereMahã -Maghã was held witha periodicity
12 yearsdecided by Jupiter. We can see a similarsituationin NorthIndia in
the case of Kumbha Mela held once in every 12 years based on Jupiter.
Mahã -Maghã as per the solar calendar in Kerala happened in the solar
monthof Kumbha when Moon occupied the Maghã naksatra.
Mahã -Maghã of Kali 3601 and thelocation of Äryabhataclose to the
ancientportofTondi and Cera capitalwhichhad traderelationswithGreek,
Roman and Babyloniansourcesrendersupportto thenotionthatÄryabhata
improvedtheprevalentnativeastronomyusing Greco-Babyloniancontacts
available at theplace.
ÄryabhatTyam also supportsthe above contentionbecause the Kali
yearGirituñga(3623) was Kanyã -Gurui.e. Jupiterin 2 signs behind
Epoch 69
Vršcika and hence thecompletedSiddhäntacould have been presented

in theMahã-Maghã session of Kali 3625 in which MärgasTrsahad its
beginning on 29 November 524CE with Krsna pratipadä afterthe
heliacal rise of Jupiter.Mahä-Maghä in MärgasTrsawas on 1stor 2nd
December while Maghä-Maghä PantTrantuSabhä could have been
from 27 December 524 CE to 25,h January 525, Mägha-Maghä
paurnamï.
• The fact that Ãryabhata had used Greco-Babylonian resources in
creatingthe new Siddhänta was known to the assembly is evidence
fromthe name 'Parahita-Ganita'(Ganita of others)given to it by the
PantlränduSabhä.
• Extinction of Ärdharätrasiddhänta in Kerala and elsewhere

Above discussion on the role of Mahä-Maghä traditionand the
Parahitaganitam explains thedisappearanceof Ärdharätrasiddhäntam even
fromitsbirthplace viz., Kerala.As shownabove, theÄrdharätrika introduced
to thePantlränduSabhä in 500CE was supersededby Audayika siddhänta
or Ãryabhatíyamin Kali 3625 and as is well known the decrees of the
assembly had to be adhered to and so it can be inferred that the
Ärdharätrasiddhänta fell intodisuse in Kerala as earlyas CE524 and then
disappeared. Nothingwas known in Kerala about it throughany work of
the Keratitesunless we are to assume thatBhäskara belonged to Kerala
and migratedto Vallabhi.Even duringthetimesof Bhäskara-I,Ãryabhatíyam
had been in limelight and only Brahmagupta adopted and worked on
ÄrdharätrikaSiddhäntato produce his workKhandakhädyakä.
VI. Origin of Kollavarsam in Kerala

(a) Historical Information Available11
From a historian'spoint of view no definiteinformationis available
about the Calendar reformthatwe see in Kerala in 825CE. A numberof
legends can be found,like -
1. CyrianChristianMerchantswho arrivedin Kollam (Quilon Port)started
thisreckoningwhich came to be knownas Kollam.
2. Marks the death of SundaramürthiNãyanãr or Ceramãn Perumäl
3. Startedfromthe foundationday of the Kollam Port
4. Venäd King UdayamärthandaVarma had the consecrationof the Siva
temple at Kollam and began the New Calendar on the insistenceof
Sankarãcãrya. The chronogramof the beginning date is given as

"Ãcâryavãgabhedyâ" Kalidinam 1434160, 25 August 825 CE, 1stday
of Solar Kanyã,Mahãnavamí,Mülam naksatram.The tithiand naksatra
suggestthatthe legend regardingthe consecrationof thetemplemay
be right.
5. Šarma has quoted Logan18as referenceforthe above alpha-numeric
chronogramand inadvertentlyhas quoted the date wrongly as 25
September824CE. He has also demonstratedthe conflictof legends
relatingto the two Kollam ports viz., Pantalãyani Kollam in North
Malabar where theCeramãn Perumal is said to have embracedIslam
and Kollam in South Kerala wheretheVenâd kingis believed to have
foundeda Šiva temple.
Even thoughthe tithiand naksatramsuggests the occasion at which

the Era was introduced,we are in dark as to what rationale may have
impelledthemin thechoice of theparticularyear.The Kalidina cited at the
beginning,"Bhömaubhüpoyampräpya"and the epoch we identifiedviz
215CE as markingthereignof thenew Perumãlcomes to our rescue here.
When we look at the intervening610 years with solar year length of
ÃrdharãtrikaSiddhãnta,we can find: 610 x 365.25875 = 222808 days =
7545 lunation
(b) Why and how the two Epochs 215CE and 825CE have got
resemblance?
Beginningof Kollavarsam or the Kollam Era on 25 August 825 CE,
withthe 1stday of thesolar monthof Kanyä gives us a veryvaluable clue on
thecardinalprincipleunderwhich Calendar reformstook place in Kerala
since 21 5CE.
=
Epochs: 25 August 825 CE, 12:00, Sun tropicalX 155:33, sidereal X=
150:30
25 August21 5CE, 12:00, Sun tropicalX = 150:24, siderealX= 150:24.

to note that-
It is interesting
(i) The epochs are connected by the sidereal year but both the epochs
differedby 5° in thecase of sun's tropicallongitude.As such thesolar
phenomenamay have been different if the same place is considered.
(ii) But the two epochs as explained above had been with referenceto
NorthKerala (215CE) and South Kerala (825CE) respectively.
Epoch 71
(iii) Calendar beginningwiththe solar monthof Kanyã is still a Malabar

custom (NorthKerala) and thus we may inferthatthe Kollam Era is
an adoption of the Calendar prevalent in North Kerala by the
Kulašekharas.19
(c) Identifyingthe Astronomical Rationale

The astronomicalobservationunderlyingthe above Calendar reform
in Kerala witha shiftof theseat of politicalpower fromNorthto South can
be understoodfromthefollowingdata:20
Sun Transiting Zenith for the Latitudes of Kerala (8°-12°N)
Latitude Sun : co = 24°
<|> X 1 forÔ = <(> X.2 for5 = <|)
12 30.74 149.26
11 27.98 152.02
10.85 27.57 152.43
10 25.27 154.73
9.5 23.94 156.06
9 22.62 157.38
8 2001 159.99
(i) 25 August 825 CE epoch at Mahodayapuramor Kollam corresponds

to the date when sun transitedZenith forthe latitude10°N.
(ii) Further,it may be inferredthatthe Onam celebrationsmay be a relic

of theNew Year celebrationsof ancienttimesfixedon thebasis of the
Zenithtransitof Sun.
(iii) Epoch 25 August2 15CE markedtheZenithtransitof Sun at Tirunävaya

or TondT (ancient Cera capital) which lay close to the place of
Ãryabhata(10N51, 75E45) who in CE 499 and CE 522 reformedthe
computationswiththeÃrdharâtrikaand theAudayika siddhäntas.
(iv) InterveningÃryabhata Epoch of Kali 3600 elapsed: Kanyä year

beginningon 23.08.499 CE with Bhädrapada Šukla-pratipada.New
Moon occurredat 22.08.499 CE, 20:57 on theUjjayinï meridianwith
Xsun= Xmoon= 150°00' precisely.Declination of thenew moon Sun
72 AnnalsBORI. XC (2009)
had been 11°34' and two days aftersun had transitedthe Zenith at
10N5 111°N. Kanyã yearbeginningon 23.08.499 had theobservation
of Moon in Hasta aftersunsetand the 10thday was Onam withMoon
in Šravana naksatra. Calendar as above reflectsthe thumbrule of
Onam reckoning'Attam Pattonam' i.e the 10thday is Onam. It may
be notedfromthetable thatfortropicalX = 150 to 160, sun transitsthe
Zenith forthe Kerala latitudesof 12°N to 8°N (Kanyäkumäri).
(v) Rationale as seen in ÃryabhatTyam

Golapäda verse 32 says:21
TIT
gj vřgT
fêlfcMI^HdTPTFÏÏ I
Ï5TU CK-shII
The Rsineofthesun's altitudeat meridiantransitis thegreatestgnomon
of the day. The Rsine of the zenithdistance of the sun at thattime is the
shadow of thegnomon.
Sun's zenith distance at mid-day - Ô. For zenith transit- ô = 0 or =

Ô, condition forwhich X 1 and X 2 have been derived.
VII. Zenith Transit of Sun - Signatures in Kerala's socio-cultural

traditions.
(a) Onam, is therelic of theNew Year celebrationsmarkedby thezenith

transitof Sun at 10N51, the legendarylocation of the Mahãmaghã
congregationand also theplace of ï ryabhata.
(b) At theEpoch of Ãryabhata(CE 499) Onam could be reckonedby the
firstvisibilityof the crescenton Hasta Naksatra - the day on which
sun transitedZenith in theNorthKerala at 11°N and in the following
10 days the Sun transitedzenithat the southerlylatitudesof Kerala.
For X = 160° sun transitedthezenithat Kanyäkumäri,thesoutherntip
named afterKanyaräsT.
(c) At theepoch of Kollam Era 25 Aug 825 CE, sun transitedthezenithat

10°N - place preciselymarked 10 KM west of Kochi as Trkkâkkara',
meaning the location of the sacred Bamboo or Gnomon which
underwenttransformation as Vãmana (dwarfshadow of Sun or Visnu
during the 10 days of Onam season fromAttamto Onam) temple.It is
interestingto note thatVãmana refersto a dwarfthe conditionof the
gnomonicshadow at thezenithtransitof the Sun.
Epoch 73
(d) Sun's zenithtransitforX = 150° to 160°, correspondsto stellararea of

the Seven Sages and Draco spread across Kanyã. Ernãkulammarks
the mid-zone by the zenithtransitof Sun and thereforeis said to be
derivedfrom"Rsi-Nãga kulam".
(e) Onam celebrations are marked by games like 'Play of Bears' and
'Play of Lions' in which we meettheresemblanceof names withthe
constellationGreat Bear and the Leo. Further,the swing marksthe
oscillatorymovementof sun betweenthe- toand + codeclinationsand
the circularflowercarpet (Attappãkkalam)with the Bamboo on the
highrise centrereflectstheancientmethodof fixingthezenithtransit
usingthegnomon.
(f) Haridatta22 Epoch of 684CE, Kali 3785 elapsed. A glance over theô -
X,relationshipsuggestthatthebeginningof thesolar monthof Kanyã
(150° as per Siddhãntas) had a tropicallongitudeof 152.70 in 684CE
and thereforethe sidereal New Year withKanyã coincided thezenith
transitof Sun at the latitudeof Tirunãvãya (10N51), the venue of
Mahãmaghâ, Ponnãni, Camravattam etc. We see exactly parallel
situationin 825CE when 150° oftheSiddhãntashad tropicalX of 155:03
and thereforetheNew Year coincided withthezenithtransitof sun at
thelatitudeof 10°.
These surmiseson theantiquityof the Solar Calendar and astronomy
of Kerala and also on the antiquityof Onam findsupportin the historical
informationavailable about Onam. We can findthe followinghistorical
information fromtheCulturalHeritageof Kerala byA. SreedharaMenon:23
1. Traditioncurrentin Southand CentralKerala linksthefestivalwiththe
Purãniclegendof Vãmana defeatingthelegendarykingMahãbali while
in North Kerala the tradition is associated with the Mãmãnkam
(Mahãmaghã) festival.
2. There are referencesto Onam in ancient literatureand inscriptions
and thefestivalwas popularin MaduraiduringtheSanghamage. Onam
was celebrated at Trkkãkkaraduring the ages of Kulasekharas of
Mahodayapuram 800- 1100CE under imperialauspices and it gave a
new impetusto the Vaisnava movement.
It is apparentthatthefestivalhas a long historyof 2000 yearsand had
different connotationsto people of southKerala and NorthKerala. Vãmana
legend became popular in South underthe influenceof the Kulasekharas
who were ardentVaisnavas while in NorthKerala the festivalis looked
upon as relatedto theMahãmaghã tradition.
4. Solar Myths in Indian Antiquity

Related to the above legend of Onam are the Purãnicand Samhitã24
referencesto Indradhvajacelebrationswhich Prof.Senguptahas dated to
be summersolstice observationsof 4000BC. Battotpala'scommentaryon
theGarga's verses quoted by Varähamihirasays:25
"The Asuras on seeing that flags were struckby its brilliance,got

confounded and of broken ranks, defeated and fled in the month of
Bhãdrapada. The thousand-eyedIndraby his thunderboltkilledtheAsuras
inthenightinwhichthemoonwas atAntares,wentto heavenafterwinning
thebattle,on thenightwiththemoon, whom he meton theway at thestar
Srãvanã (Altair)".
Sengupta has interpretedthe legends as referringto gnomonic

observationsof shadow in ancient times to fix the day of the solstice26.
Contrastingthe solstice mythof Visnu's incarnationas Vãmana (Dwarf)
on Šravana naksatraof Bhãdrapada withtheanalogus legends thatwe see
in Kerala of Vãmana and Bali, is illustrativeof the role of the celestial
phenomenain thecreationof mythsand also as to how the same celestial
phenomenamaylead to different characterizationsdue to historicalreasons
or an older or foreignlegend may be used to mystifya different celestial
observation at a differentplace. With Onam it is apparent that the
coincidenceofthedeclinationvis-á-viszenithtransitfactorwiththetithiof
Indradhvajäinspiredpeople to modifythemythofVãmana to suitthesouth
latitudes.
VIII. Era of Paraéurãma and Kerala as ParašurSma Ksetra

How thescience of astronomymay get transformed to myths,legends
and fictitioushistoryfindsbest illustrationin thelegendsabout Parasurâma
in Kerala. End of the Cera dynastyin Kerala according to the legends
compiled under the name of Keralolpatti,markedthe end of the Era of
Parasurâma.Brahmnicalhistoryeulogizes Parasurâmaas a legendaryhero
who led theAryanstowardsSouth fromAhiccatramin NorthIndia. In fact
thewhole legend is astronomicalas may be understoodfromthefollowing
facts:27
1. Paraáurãma according to legends was born on Aksaya-trtTyãi.e.

Vaiáãkha sukla-trtTyã,thedate which is east of summersolstice when
the Sun had a declinationof 12 to 8° as explained earlierso thatsun
transitsthezenithat latitudes12 to 8° of Kerala.
Epoch 75
2. XI and X2 as shown below are placed symmetricalto the summer

solstice and bothrepresentedthe same phenomenonof zenithtransit
of Sun.
3. To cite an epoch, 20thApril215 CE, 12:00at75E45,XlSu„ = 28°35'and
Sun transitedthezenithpreciselyoverTirunavâyaand at theconfluence
of Bharatappuzha(10N51). Moon being at an elongation of 40° the
elapsed tithiwas Vaisäkha sukla-trtTyä.Justas the499CE epoch, new
mooncorrespondedto 16 April2 15CE, 20: 18 UjjayinTmeridianand X=
25°04' withÔ = 10°. Each tithimeant a declinationincrementof 15'
and thus Sun transitedthe Zenith at 10N51 forthe Vaisäkha šukla-
tritTyä.
Zenith Transits of Sun: 12°N - 8°N
Latitude. Sun: 0 = 24°
X 1 forÒ = X2-A1 X 1-A2
<|> 4) X2 forÔ = <|>

12 30.74 149.26 118.52 241.48
11 27.98 152.02 124.05 235.96
10.85 27.57 152.43 124.86 235.14
10 25.27 154.73 129.45 230.54
9.5 23.94 156.06 132.12 227.88
9 22.62 157.38 134.76 225.24
8 2ÕÕÍ 159.99 139.98 220.02
4. Epoch of zenithtransitof Sun X1 received the name Parasurãmaas

colloquial adoption of the constellationname Perseus. Fig.l may be
noted and the fact that a - Perseus rose at 2 ghatis or 48 minutes
earlierthansun at 04:58 (at 75E45) and a-Perseus could be seen rising
at thehorizoncoincidingwiththebeginningoftwilight.Fordatesearlier
to X1 = 28, theheliacal rise of a-Perseus was notvisible at 10N5 1 and
the heliacal rise of Perseus and the zenithtransitof sun coincided at
10N51.
5. a-Perseus of magnitude1.82 risingat 04:58 had sun below by 12° and
thusthestarwas onlyjustvisibleintwilight
at 10N5 1. Forhigherlatitudes
and highervalues of X1, Perseus increasinglybecame visible on the
day ofzenithtransitofSun. This phenomenonled to thevariouslegends

thatlinkParasurãmawiththeKonkan coast and places like Gokarnam
(14°). On 29thAprilwhenSun transitedthezenithat Gokarnam,Perseus
was visible in theearlymorningwell beforethetwilightas thesun was
below by 17°.
6. X2 as given in theTable is separatedfromXI by nearly4 monthsand
X2 is markedby theheliacal risingof Delta Leonis (Uttara-Phâlgunï),
Regulus, a-Hydrae (Ãslesã), Seven Sages etc. Seven Sages or
Saptarsis and a - Hydrae or the WaterSnake risingheliacally at the
timewhen sun transitedthezenithat 10°N, gave thename 'Rsi-nâga-
kulam' to Ernakulam.
It is apparentfromthe above discussion thatastronomyhad taken

strongrootsinthesocio-culturallifeof Kerala sinceancienttimesas 2 15CE.
Threedistinctstageslike2 15CE, 499CE, 684CE and 825CE can be identified
intheCalendarhistoryof Kerala. Prevailingsolar calendarand thetradition
of Onam festivalare relicsof a scientificpast whenastronomicalrationales
werefollowedwithoutdilutionto decidetheCalendar.The place ofÃryabhata
(10N51, 75E45) had been the epicenterof the astronomicaltraditionof
Kerala in many ways.
VII. Conclusions
Above discussion on the implicationsof the works of Ãryabhatato
IndianChronologythusleads us to thefollowingimportant conclusions:
1. Indian Chronologyderivedon thebasis of equatingMahãbhãrtaWar
withtheastronomicalKaliyugãdiof-3 10 1CE is erroneousas itis based
on themisreadingof theGltikã 5 of ÃryabhatTyam.
2. Gltikã 5 of ÃryabhatTyam by the words "Bharatät Pürvam" in fact
refersto Bharata, the Universal Emperor of Jain myths.'Bhãratãt
pürvam' is a misreadingas the epic itselfplaces the beginningof
Kaliyuga 36 years afterthe Epic War and so no connectioncould be
possible fortheepoch -3 10 ICE withtheBhãrata War.
3. Aihole Inscriptionalso refersto Bharataof Jainmythsand notBhãrata
War. Thereforethe chronologythatequates the -3 10 ICE epoch and
Kali zero year withBhãrata War has no basis.
4. Facts as above explains the failure of the numerous attemptsto
convincinglydate the Bhãrata War around -3101CE based on the
astronomicalreferencesin the Epics which have nothingto do with
thedistantepoch of -3 10 1CE.
Epoch TI
5. Notion of an antiquitythatpredatesthe Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

fortheEpic eventsthusstandstotallyrefutedby thecorrectreadingof
the Gítikã 5 of Äryabhataand theAihole inscriptionwhich followed
theÄryabhatatradition.
6. Illustrationis given forthe existence of Yugãdi concept and Kalidina
reckoning before the time of Äryabhata in Kerala. Chronogram
'Bhümaubhüpoyamprãpya' is shown to representthePerumãl epoch
of 215CE and the astronomicalrationale underlyingMahã-Maghã
congregationhas been presented.
7. Mahã-Maghã influenceon theüryabhataepoch ofKali 3600, 2 1 March
499CE is explained. Reasons forthe name 'Parahita-ganita' forthe
Äryabhata tradition, rejection of the alpha-numeric notation of
Äryabhata in Kerala and the obsolescence met by the
Ärdharätrikapaksain Kerala have been explained.
8. Astronomical rationale underlyingthe Kanyãdi Solar Calendar of
Kerala is shownto be theZenithTransitof Sun at latitudes10N5 1 and
the southerlyones up to 8°N of Kanyãkumãrt.
9. Onam celebrationis shown to be the relic of the ancient New Year
markedby the zenithtransitof Sun at the latitudeof Tirunãvãya,the
venue of Mahãmaghã congregation.
10. Zenithtransitof Sun at 10N51 leads us to theepochs 21 5CE, 499CE,
684CE and 825CE throughwhichwe can see a continuityof Calendar
and astronomicaltradition.Further,it is demonstratedthatthe myths
of Vamana and Parasurãma in Kerala had their origin from the
astronomicalphenomenamarkingthedate of thezenithtransitof Sun.
11. Observationaland mathematical Astronomyis shownto have influenced
the socio-culturallife of Kerala in a significantway at least fromthe
epoch of 215CE.
VIII. References
1. Basham, AL., The WonderThat was India, Rupa &Co, New Delhi,
1997, p. 39. Basham says: "According to the most popular later
tradition,the Mahãbhãrata War took place in 3102 BC, which in
"
the light of all evidence is quite impossible
2. Mitchiner,John.E., Then Yuga Purãna,The Asiatic Society,Calcutta,
1986 furnishes an elaborate account of the concept of Yugas
independentof the lateraccounts seen in the Epic Mahãbharataand
Purãnas.
3. http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/MahabharataII.pdf
4. Hari,Chandra.K., Paperunderpublication:Intricacyof CertainVerses
of ÄryabhatTyaand Jain Tradition - Identificationof Asmaka as
Sravanabelgola-CamravattamJainCountry.
5. to note thatat Camravattamtheplace identified
It may be interesting
to be thatof Ãryabhata(10N51, 75E45) the deityinstalledis Sãsthã
who too is regardedas a deityof Kaliyuga (Kaliyugavarada) and in his
laterlegends of Ayyappahe is portrayedas a Princewho relinquished
the kingdomand retiredto forestsforpenance, in the same mould as
theancientlegend of Bãhubali.
6. Jain,LC, IJHS 12 (2), Nov 1977, p. 139, INSA, New Delhi-2
7. English textof theinscriptionas is commonlyaccepted is available at
thefollowingsite:http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/docs/HISTORY/
html.
primarydocs/Epigraphy/Aiholelnscription.
8. "Victorious is the holy Jinendra- he who is exempt fromold age,
death and birth- in the sea of whose
knowledge the whole world is
comprisedlike an island" (Verse 1 of theinscription).
9. Sãstri, Kuppanna, TS and Šarma, KV, The Untenabiliîy of the
Postulated Saka of 550 BC, Journalof Indian History,XXXVII,
pp.20 1-24, presentsdetailed discussion of the Purãnicevidences and
of RãjataranginTof Kalhana.
10. Ibid, p.205, presentsdetaileddiscussionquotingvarious references.
11. Bhatt, Ramakrishna,M., BrhatsamhitaPart-1,Motilal Banarsidass
(1988), Delhi, p. 161 may be noted for the verse Ãsan Maghãsu
Munayah...etcwhich gives thetimeof Yudhisthira.
12. Pillai, BalakrishnaPillai, A, Kesariyude Lokañgal (in Malayãlam), p.
20-30.
13. Šarma,KV., Kollam Era, IndianJournalof Historyof Science, 31 (1),
1996, pp. 93-99 INSA, New Delhi-2. Paper presentsa discussion on
theKatapayädi notation.
14. Hari,Chandra,K. 'On theDate of EarlyCera Kings' undersubmission
to CurrentScience.
15. Hari, Chandra, K Date of Hari Datta, Promulgatorof the Parahita
Astronomyin Kerala, IJHS 37 (3), 2002, pp.223-236, INSA, New
Delhi-2
Epoch 79
16. Hari, Chandra, K Genesis and Antecedents of Aryabhatiya. IJHS

37(2), 2002, pp. 101-113
17. Šarma, KV., Kollam Era, Indian Journalof Historyof Science, 31 ( 1),
1996, pp. 93-99 INSA, New Delhi-2. Papercontainsgeneralinformation
about thereckoningof Kollam Era. To avoid confusionitis added that
theepoch given in thiswork is wrong.
18. Logan, William,Malabar,Reprinted1989, Asian EducationalServices,
New Delhi.
19. Šarma in reference13, p.93 has pointedout thename Malabar Era for
theKollam Era reckoning.
20. X1 and X2 are longitudessymmetrically placed to thesummersolstice
and having the same declinationforSun equal to the local latitude«)).
Basic relationshipinvolvedis Sin X*Sin co= Sin Ô.
21. Shukla, KS and Sarma, KV., Aryabhatïyam,Indian National Science
Academy,(1976), p. 144.
22. Sarma, KV, ObservationalAstronomyin Medieval India, Journalof
Asiatic Studies,Vol. XXX, Nos. 1-4,p.32. Kali year 'Mandasthala' or
3785 corresponding to 684CE is shownto be epoch of Haridattaquoting
originalsources.
23. Menon, Sreedhara,A., Cultural Heritage of Kerala, S. Visvanathan
Pvt.Ltd,Chennai,(1996), pp.64-67
24. Bhatt, Ramakrishna,M., Brhatsamhitã Part-1,English translation,
MotilalBanarsidass,Delhi, 1986,p.344-345
25. Sengupta, PC., AncientIndian Chronology,p.90-92, Universityof
Calcutta, 1947.
26. Ibid., pp. 155-164: "If we assume thatthe observationwas made at
thelatitudeof Kuruksetra(about 30° N) and whentheobliquityof the
ecliptic was about 24° 15', and the heightof the pole was takenequal
to, say,6ft.,then:
(a) Whenthesunhad a longitudeof 80°, thelengthofthenoon shadow

=7.44 inch.
(b) Whenthesunhad a longitudeof 87°, thelengthofthenoon shadow

=6.98 inch.
(c) Whenthesun had a longitudeof 90°, thelengthofthenoon shadow

= 6.93 inch. Now 7.44 - 6.98 = 0.46 inch and 6.98 - 6.93 = 0.05
inch.Hence byuse ofanysortofmeasuringrods,theycouldperhaps
easily discerna change in thenoon shadow of about halfan inch,
but a differenceof 0.05 inchwas, of course,was quite impossible
ofperceptionwiththem.Theycould thusinferthatthesunremained
stationaryat the summersolstice for7 days when theyused any
measuringrods and when theyused roughermethodstheycould
concludethatthesunremainedstationary for2 1 days at thesummer
solstice...
27. Astronomicalallusions in Purãnicand otherancientlore on mythical
heroes is receivingincreasedattentionwiththeadventof planetarium
softwarewhich accuratelymimicsthe ancientskies. Few remarkable
papersin thisrespectare: (a) Iyengar,RN, Some CelestialObservations
Associated with Krsna-Lore, IJHS 41.1 (2006), pp. 1-13, (b)
Archaeoastronomyat Bhubanesvar: A Polygonal & Mathematical
Model - Tãraka. All over theworld,celestial phenomenahave played
a significantrole in theevolutionof mythsand portrayalof mythical
heroes.

INDIAN ASTRONOMICAL EPOCH - 310 CE 18 FEBRUARY IMPLICATIONS OF ĀRYABHAṬA'S WORKS TO INDIAN CHRONOLOGY by K. Chandra Hari

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Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

INDIAN ASTRONOMICAL EPOCH: 310 CE 18 FEBRUARY IMPLICATIONS OF ĀRYABHAṬA'S WORKS

Prevalence of Kalidina reckoning in Kerala before the time of

venue of the Mahämaghä congregation. Ãryabhata epoch of 499 CE,

The mainstreamof Indianhistoriansand archaeologicalevidences that

1. Greek sources Pliny and Arrianhave referredto legends of Maurya

3. Äryabhatahad mentionedthe Bhãrata War to have takenplace 3600

Presentwork is an effortto rescue the name of Âryabhatïyafromthe

1. The Indusor Harappancivilizationis scientificallydatedto 2700-1 300

3. Epic phase appears ratherlate and the chronologicalplacementof the

"Astronomicaldata in the Mahäbhärata have been interpretedby a

(b) Pusalkeralso has expressedthesame opinion on theastronomical

III. Truth of Äryabhata 's Statement and Aihole Inscription

Kãho manavo dha manuyugãh škha gataste ca manuyugãh chüna ca

In factthecorrectreadingof theverse is - Bharatãtpürvam- tRrïï^^jçf-

Influenceof theJainatextTiloyapannatti6 is veryclear fromtheYuga

Ãryabhata.But in the lines ofAihole inscription7too, it is themisreading

It has been broughtout thattheuse of theword 'Bharatãt' is theright

to mean the day of Mahãprasthãnaby the Pãndavas afterthe demise

(g) How could Varãhamihira place Yudhisthira in 653 Kali of

It is apparent from the above discussion that the tradition of

1. Bhümaubhüpoyampräpya, Kalidina of 1211454, 30,hNovember,

2. Vararuci,the legendaryauthorof the GírnasreyãdiCandravãkyasand

Chronogramsknown in Kerala traditionhave the colloquial name

When viewed against the above computational and astronomical

be brushed aside as the handwork of some novice who compiled the

Authorhas shownelsewhere14 thattheKeyapperumãjepoch of 2 15CE

V. Ãryabhata and the Parahitaganita Adopted inMahã-Maghã

continue in Kerala till the 19thcenturyCE despite the introduction

Origin of the Kali 3600 epoch - Ãrdharãtrikapaksa Epoch:

Itmaybe notedherethattheplace of Äryabhata,Camravattam( 10N5 1,

Vršcika and hence thecompletedSiddhäntacould have been presented

• Extinction of Ärdharätrasiddhänta in Kerala and elsewhere

VI. Origin of Kollavarsam in Kerala

Sankarãcãrya. The chronogramof the beginning date is given as

Even thoughthe tithiand naksatramsuggests the occasion at which

25 August21 5CE, 12:00, Sun tropicalX = 150:24, siderealX= 150:24.

(iii) Calendar beginningwiththe solar monthof Kanyã is still a Malabar

(c) Identifyingthe Astronomical Rationale

Sun Transiting Zenith for the Latitudes of Kerala (8°-12°N)

Latitude Sun : co = 24°

<|> X 1 forÔ = <(> X.2 for5 = <|)

(i) 25 August 825 CE epoch at Mahodayapuramor Kollam corresponds

(ii) Further,it may be inferredthatthe Onam celebrationsmay be a relic

(iii) Epoch 25 August2 15CE markedtheZenithtransitof Sun at Tirunävaya

(iv) InterveningÃryabhata Epoch of Kali 3600 elapsed: Kanyä year

(v) Rationale as seen in ÃryabhatTyam

Sun's zenith distance at mid-day - Ô. For zenith transit- ô = 0 or =

VII. Zenith Transit of Sun - Signatures in Kerala's socio-cultural

(a) Onam, is therelic of theNew Year celebrationsmarkedby thezenith

(c) At theepoch of Kollam Era 25 Aug 825 CE, sun transitedthezenithat

(d) Sun's zenithtransitforX = 150° to 160°, correspondsto stellararea of

4. Solar Myths in Indian Antiquity

"The Asuras on seeing that flags were struckby its brilliance,got

Sengupta has interpretedthe legends as referringto gnomonic

VIII. Era of Paraéurãma and Kerala as ParašurSma Ksetra

1. Paraáurãma according to legends was born on Aksaya-trtTyãi.e.

2. XI and X2 as shown below are placed symmetricalto the summer

<|> 4) X2 forÔ = <|>

4. Epoch of zenithtransitof Sun X1 received the name Parasurãmaas

day ofzenithtransitofSun. This phenomenonled to thevariouslegends

It is apparentfromthe above discussion thatastronomyhad taken