VIKRMADITYA - THE GREAT EMPEROR

 

VIKRMADITYA - THE GREAT EMPEROR

 

Born: 102 BCE

Father: Gandharvasena

Died: 15 CE

Reign: 77 BCE - 15 CE

Vikramaditya was a great emperor of ancient India. Often referred as an ideal king, he is known for his generosity, courage and scholarly patronage. Vikramaditya is depicted in hundreds of traditional Indian stories, including Baitala (Vampire) and Singhasan Battisi. Many describe him as a universal ruler, his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or the establishment in a few stories). The name Raja Vikramaditya is derived from the combination of 'Vikram' and 'Aditya' which means 'the sun of might' or 'mighty like the sun'. Meaning is Sun). Vikram era It is said to have been initiated by the king after his victory over Shakas in 56 BCE.

 Emperor Vikramaditya was born in 101 BCE after 3000 years of Kali period.

He ruled for 100 years. - (Gita Pradhan, Gorakhpur Bhavishpuran, p. 245).

Vikramaditya sat on the throne of Ujjayini, the ancient city of India. Vikramaditya

was famous for his wisdom, valor and generosity, in whose court Navratna resided.

It is said that Vikramaditya was very powerful and he depicted Shakas.

Introduction to Personal Life Vikramaditya

 According to Vikram Samvat, King Gandharvasen, son of Nabovahana, was also the Chakravarti emperor. His father was also called Mahendraditya. He had other names such as Garda Bhill, Gadbarabesh.

Gandharvasen had sons Vikramaditya and Bhartrihari. Vikram's mother's name was

Saumardarshana, who was also called Veeramati and Madanrekha. He had a sister called

Manavati. Other Than His brother Bhartrihari, also had Alaka Shankh and others.

The War With Shakas

 Malwa is said to have been ruled by Vikramaditya's brother Bhartrihari. The invasion of Shako 

had increased during the rule of Bhartrhrit. When Bhartrihari renounced the kingdom by

assuming renunciation, the Vikram army took over the rule and he first drove Shako out of his

territory in 57-58 BC. In memory of this, he started the expansion of his kingdom by starting the

Vikram era.

Vikramaditya launched a massive campaign to liberate India's land from foreign rulers. It is said

that he re-formed his army. His army was the most powerful army in the world, which launched

an campaign in all directions of India, liberating India from foreigners and tyrannical kings.

 Historical Person

According to Kalhan's 'Rajatarangini', anarchy spread in Kashmir around 14 AD when King

Hiranya of blind Yudhishthira dynasty died childless. Seeing this, on the advice of the ministers

there, King Vikramaditya of Ujjain sent Matrugupta to take over the kingdom of Kashmir

. According to the Nepalese dynasty, there is a mention of the arrival of King Vikramaditya of

Ujjain in Nepal during the time of King Anshuvarman of Nepal (first century BC).

Raja Vikram is found in the texts of Sanskrit, Prakrit, Ardhamagadhi, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi,

Bangla etc. languages ​​of India. Many stories of his valor, generosity, kindness, forgiveness etc.

are found in Indian literature.

 Names of Vikramaditya's Navaratnas

The tradition of keeping the Navaratnas started from the great emperor Vikramaditya

who was also adopted by the emperor Akbar.

The Navaratnas of Emperor Vikramaditya are called

1. Amarasimha

2. Dhanavantari

3. Ghatakarapara

4. Kalidasa

5. Kshapanaka

6. Shanku

7. Varahamihira

8. Vararuchi

9. Vetala Bhatta

 

These Navratnas included high-quality scholars, top poets, arithmetic scholars and science experts.

Promoter of Vikram Samvat

There have been many scholars in the country who believe that Vikram Samvat was promoted by

King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. The enforcement of this era is confirmed by the Jyotirvidabharana

Granth, which was written in 3068 Kali i.e. 34 BCE. According to this Vikramaditya ran the

Vikram Samvat in 3044 Kali i.e. 57 BC

 Historisity And Early Life

 

Although some authors believe Vikramaditya was a mythological character, others 
speculate that he was a historical Malava king from around the first century BCE.
 Still others believe that he was based on a historical character, distinguished as
 Chandragupta II, Gautamiputra Satakarni or Y Referman.
According to historians, the kingdom of Ujjain's Emperor Vikramaditya was in the
 Indian subcontinent as well as Iran, Iraq and Arabia. The Arab conquest of 
Vikramaditya is described by the Arabic poet Jarham Kintoi in his book 'Saiyar-ul
-Okul'. According to the Puranas and other history texts, it is found that Arabs and
 Egypt were also under Vikramaditya.
Saqr-ul-Okul is a historical book in the famous library Maktab-e-Sultania of the city of
 Istanbul, Turkey. It mentions an inscription relating to King Vikramaditya
 which states that '… those people are fortunate to have been born at that time and 
lived in the kingdom of King Vikram. He was a very kind, generous and dutiful ruler 
who thought about the welfare of every person.
... He spread his holy religion among us, sent scholars even faster than the sun of
 his country to this country so that the light of education could spread. These 
scholars and scholars have done a philanthropy by telling us about the presence
 of God and the true path to truth. All these scholars came here to teach their religion
 on the instruction of King Vikramaditya…
 Other emperors whose name 
has been named Vikramaditya
Sriharisa, Shudraka, Hal, Chandragupta II, Shiladitya, Yashovardhana etc. Actually, the word Aditya
 is used from the gods. Later, after the fame of Vikramaditya, the kings were given 
the title 'Vikramaditya'.
 
There have been more Vikramadityas before and after Vikramaditya, leading to confusion. Emperor 
Vikramaditya of Ujjain was followed by Samudragupta's son 
Chandragupta II or Chandragupta Vikramaditya
 in 300 AD.
One Vikramaditya II took place in the 7th century, the son of Vijayaditya (Vikramaditya I). Vikramaditya II 
also kept the power of the Chalukya kingdom intact in his time. It was during the time of Vikramaditya II 
that the Arabs attacked Lat Desh (southern Gujarat). Due to the valor of Vikramaditya II, the Arabs were not
 successful in their efforts and this majestic Chalukya king was able to protect his empire from Arab invasion.

The Several Vikramadityas

The Pallava king defeated Pulakesan and killed him. His son Vikramaditya, 

who was as great a ruler as his father, ascended the throne. 

He again started a struggle against his enemies of the south.

 He recovered the old glory of the Chalukyas to a great extent. 

Even his great-grandson

 Vikramaditya II was a great warrior.

In 753 AD Vikramaditya and his son were overthrown by a chief named Danti Durga. 

He established another great empire in Maharashtra and Karnataka, 

which was called Rashtrakuta.

Vikramaditya II was followed by Emperor Hemachandra Vikramaditya 

'Hemu' in the 15th century.

 After 'Emperor Hemachandra Vikramaditya' Vikramaditya Pancham 

'Satyashraya ascended the

 throne of Kalyani. He assumed the throne of the Chalukya kingdom in about 1008 AD. This was

 Vikramaditya during the time of Raja Bhoja of Bhopal.

Vikramaditya V fought several wars following the policies of his ancestors. 

In his time, the Chalukyas clashed with the Paramaras of Malwa and in retaliation for 

the defeat and murder of 

Vakpatiraja Munj, Parmar Raja Bhoj attacked and defeated the Chalukya kingdom, 

but in a battle

Vikramaditya V also defeated Raja Bhoj. Had given.

 The Legendary Stories Of 

Vikramaditya

 
The whole cycle of stories around Vikramaditya is very intresting. The two most popular Sanskrit series
 are the Betal Pachisi ("25 Tales of Vampires") and the Throne-Dwatrinsika ("32 Stories of the 
Throne" also known as Sihnson Battisi). Many conversions of these two are found in Sanskrit and regional
 languages.



In the stories of the vampire (Betal), Betal narrates twenty-five stories, in which the king wants to take Betal
 captive and he confuses the king with confusing stories and ends by placing a question to the king. In fact, 
first a monk begs the king to bring him to Betal without uttering a word,
Otherwise, the betel will fly back to its place. The king could remain silent only when he did not know the 
answer, otherwise the head of the king would be torn. Unfortunately, the king realizes 
that they know the answer
 to all his questions;
That is why till the last question confusing Vikramaditya, the process of capturing Betal and then leaving him
 goes on twenty-four times. A conversion of these stories can be seen in Katha-Saritsagar.
The accounts of the throne are linked to the throne of Vikramaditya which was lost and recovered by Bhoja,
 the Paramara king of Dhar several centuries later. King Bhoj himself was also very famous and this series of 
stories is about his attempts to ascend the throne. This throne had 32 effigies, which could speak
And challenges the king that the king can only sit on the throne in that position 
if he is as liberal as Vikramaditya
 in the story he narrates. This leads to 32 attempts (and 32 stories) of Vikramaditya 
and each time Bhoja accepts
 his inferiority. Finally the effigies are pleased with his modesty and allow him to sit on the throne.

Achievements Of Vikramaditya

Vikramaditya was a great monarch. He defeated Sakas and ended Saka era and Vikram Samvat

era started their after. It was a time when cruel kings like Julius Ceaser of Rome wanted to prove

their sovereignty over entire world. For this they were ready to do as much bloodshed as they can.

Vikramaditya won the hearts of people of India and also other Asian countries and ruled over entire

Asian subcontinent. He brought down the glory of Julius Ceaser and forced him to accept his

Sovereignty. He promoted every religion. Peace and prosperous prevailed in his kingdom.

He regarded Judaism, Zorostrainism and Buddhism as native religions of Hinduism. He opened

many Libraries, Hospitals, Temples in Asia. He was devotee of Lord Shiva and received anointment

in the age of 12. After conquering entire Asia even the gods recognised him as an universal monarch.

He was having a golden throne with 32 dolls in his throne. Truth of this 32 dolls was they were 32

beautiful virgins which turned into dolls because of curse of Rishi Duravasa. They accepted to be a

part of the throne of Vikramaditya by accepting his suzerainty in return of protection from demons.

Even Indra king of gods was jaleous of his glory. He patronised numerous scholars and their were

numerous poets in his court. He ruled for 100 yrs and was having army of 3 crore soldiers no king

in the history of India was having such a huge army. His glory was as compared to the gods. He was

gifted with enormous powers and truely was an universal monarch.

Highlights

Vikramaditya :
·   
Born: 102 BCE
· 
Father: Gandharvasena,
Mother: Saumardarshana
Brother: Bhartrihari
Sister: Manavati
·   
Died: 15 CE
    reign: 77 BCE - 15 CE (Ujjain)

Names of Vikramaditya's Navaratnas:

The Navaratnas of Emperor
Vikramaditya are called
1.         Amarasimha
2.         Dhanavantari
3.         Ghatakarapara
4.         Kalidasa
5.         Kshapanaka
6.         Shanku
7.         Varahamihira
8.         Vararuchi
9.         VetalaBhatta

 The Legendary Stories Of Vikramaditya

Betal Pachisi ("25 Tales of Vampires")
Throne-Dwatrinsika ("32 Stories of the Throne"
also known as Sihnson Battisi
Vikramaditya was a great emperor of ancient India. Often referred as an ideal king, he is known
 for his generosity, courage and scholarly patronage. Vikramaditya is depicted in hundreds of 
traditional Indian stories, including Baitala (Vampire) and Singhasan Battisi. Many describe him as
 a universal ruler, his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or the establishment in a few stories). The name
 Raja Vikramaditya is derived from the combination of 'Vikram' and 'Aditya' which means 'the sun
 of might' or 'mighty like the sun'. Meaning is Sun). Vikram era It is said to have been initiated by the
 king after his victory over Shakas in 56 BCE.

KNOWING THE GREAT CHANAKYA

 

KNOWING THE GREAT CHANAKYA

Chanakya (l. c. 350-275 BCE, also known as kautilya and Vishnugupta) was prime minister under the reign of Chandragupt maurya (r. c. 321-c.297 BCE), founder of the maurya empire (322-185 BCE). He is best known as the author of the political treatise Arthshastra which he wrote as a kind of instruction manual for the young Chandragupt on how to rule effectively. The events of his life are known only through legends from various traditions; no historical documents have survived concerning him or his role in the establishment of the Mauryan empire.

According to one tradition, he served as advisor to the last king of the Nanda Dynasty (c. 5th century -322 BCE) Dhanananda (also given as Dhana Nanda, r. 329-322/321 BCE) who ruled the Kingdom of Magadh. According to another, he was a Vedic scholar from the university of Taxila who visited the court of Dhanananda where he was insulted at an alms-giving ceremony and, after this event, devoted himself to deposing the king.

He first attempted to enlist the king’s son, Pabbata, in his cause and is also said to have approached others before narrowing his most likely candidates down to Pabbata and a young man who was either a lesser member of the noble house or a commoner, Chandragupta. After testing the two youths, Chandragupta proved the most resourceful and Chanakya focused his efforts on training the future king for the next seven-to-nine years. When his training was completed, Chandragupta overthrew Dhanananda and assumed control of Magadha.

The Arthashastra is considered Chanakya’s training manual by which he transformed Chandragupta from a citizen to a monarch. The precepts of the Arthashastra not only enabled Chandragupta to seize power but to maintain it, passing it down to his son, Bindusara (r. 297-c.273 BCE) and then to his grandson Ashoka the great (r. 268-232 BCE) whose initial success can also be attributed to the Arthashastra until he grew disillusioned by war and converted to Buddhism. The Arthashastra is informed by the philosophical school of Charvaka (developed c. 600 BCE) which rejected the supernatural explanation of phenomena in favor of a completely materialistic world view. The practical, hands-on, nature of the Arthashastra most likely could never have developed without the foundation of Charvaka to build on.  The Arthashastra continued to exert considerable influence after the reign of Ashok but then disappeared and was considered lost until it was discovered in 1905 CE by the Sanskrit scholar Rudrapatna Shamasastry (l. 1868-1944 CE). Shamasastry published the work in 1909 CE and then translated it into English and published that version in 1915 CE which brought it greater attention.

knowing the great chanakya

EARLY LIFE

Birth

Chanakya's birthplace is unknown , possibly Acharya Chanakya born in Kusumpur near Pataliputra (modern day Patna) city in ancient India . According to the Buddhist text Mahavamsa Tika, his birthplace was Taxila. According to some other Jain accounts, he was a native of South India. His father name  was "Chanak"

When Chanakya was born he had a full set of teeth, which is a sign that he would become a king or an emperor. But since he was born in a Brahmin family, it was considered inappropriate. Thus, his teeth were broken and it was predicted that he would make another person a king and rule through him

Even as a child, Chanakya had the qualities of a born leader. His level of knowledge was beyond children of his age.

Chanakya's Education

Rishi Canak named his son as "Chanakya". Being a teacher himself, he knew the importance of education. Taxila was one of the world centres for education. At a very early age little Chanakya started studying Vedas. The Vedas; considered to be the toughest scriptures to study were completely studied and memorized by Chanakya in his infancy. He was attracted to studies in politics. In politics Chanakya’s acumen and shrewdness was visible right from childhood. He was a student of politics right from child hood. Known as a masterful political strategist, He knew how to put his own people in the opposite camp and spy the enemy without his knowledge before destroying him forever. Chanakya was an ace in turning tables in his favour irrespective of the circumstances. He never budged to pressure tactics by the ruthless politicians. In this way after studying religion and politics, he turned his attention to economics, which remained his lifelong friend. "Nitishastra", a treatise on the ideal way of life shows his in depth study of the Indian way of life

 Life as a student

Takshashila, (later corrupted as Taxila),one of the topmost centers of education at that time in India became Chanakya’s breeding ground of acquiring knowledge in the practical and theoretical aspect. The teachers were highly knowledgeable who used to teach sons of kings. It is said that a certain teacher had 101 students and all of them were princes! The university at Taxila was well versed in teaching the subjects using the best of practical knowledge acquired by the teachers. The age of entering the university was sixteen. The branches of studies most sought after in around India ranged from law, medicine, warfare and other indigenous forms of learning. The four Vedas, archery, hunting, elephant-lore and 18 arts were taught at the university of Taxila. So prominent was the place where Chanakya received his education that it goes to show the making of the genius. The very requirements of admission filtered out the outlawed and people with lesser credentials.

After acquiring vast knowledge in various branches of study he wanted everybody to get benefited. He believed in the broadcasting of knowledge and not in the storage of it. So famous was Chanakya in the vicinity of the university that he had many nicknames. He was called variously by different people, namely – Vishnugupta, Kautilya and Chanakya. The whole nation was bewildered by the cleverness and wit of this seemingly small boy who went on to single handedly unify the country with the sheer power of his character. He lived his life working to his capacity in pursuit of his vision of a happy strong and prosperous India.

 

Move towards Patliputra

Though Chanakya was just a professor in the Taxila University which seemed to be far away from the happenings in the country, he actually was able to influence the governments in a big way. His students looked at him as an ideal teacher who inspired and exemplified great knowledge. His students respected him and were ready to fight at any moment at his orders. Two of his students who have been mentioned at various instances were Bhadrabhatt and Purushdutt. In the events that unfolded in the life of Chanakya, these two played a pivotal role in the achievement of his goals. It is rumored that they acted as spies for Chanakya, collecting information about his enemies.

knowing the great chanakya

"I will destroy you"

Since Chanakya was a great scholar from Taxila, he was included in the committee for charity. Chanakya later on became the president of the ‘Sungha’ (Trust). The Sungha used to help the king in the distribution of the money allotted for charity to the different sections of the society. In the process of delegation of the funds for charity, the president of the trust had to meet the king frequently. When Chanakya met the king for the first time, he was disgusted at the ugly appearance of Chanakya. As time passed he developed contempt for Chanakya. There was no refinement in words and conduct. To increase the fire between Dhanananda and Chanakya, the courtiers dissuaded the king from having a cordial

 

relationship with Chanakya. Chanakya acted like a thorough professional and avoided praising the king. He always spoke bluntly and tersely. The king did not like the way Chanakya behaved with him. The king removed Chanakya from the post of president without any reasons. Chanakya was enraged at the proposition of being exploited by the less knowledgeable king. So, he erupted like a volcano on the king, and said, " Arrogance in you has eroded the respect which I had for you. You have removed me from the presidentship for no fault of mine. You can’t act in a way detrimental to the demeanor of a king. You think there is none to question you? You have removed me from my rightful place and I will dethrone you !"

Defeat of the Nanda king

Before defeating the Nandas, Chanakya had to employ various strategies before victory. Chanakya firstly tested the policy of attacking the core of the city. The policy met with defeats again and again. With the change in strategy, Chanakya and Chandragupta began the attack on the borders of the Magadha Empire. Again there were mistakes. The troops were not stationed in the areas conquered. So when they marched forward, the people of the conquered areas joined together  again and encircled their army. Thus those who had been defeated had to be fought again and again

Chandragupta and Chanakya learnt lessons from these mistakes. They now stationed troops in the conquered regions. So those enemies would not raise and cause any trouble. Chanakya with his cleverness had earlier won the friendship of king Parvataka (or Porus Second). Now Parvataka, his brother Vairochaka and son Malayeketu came with their armies to help them. The Nanda king had the support of a big army. The other equally important support was the guidance of his very able minister, Amatya Rakshasa. This minister was very intelligent and had unlimited loyalty to the king. Chanakya knew that getting Amatya out of his way was the only way of defeating King Nanda. Chanakya devised a plan which involved planting of spies in the enemy camp. In a very short span of time, the weaknesses of the Nandas became visible. Parallely, the Nandas and Amatya Rakshasa made plans to counter any attacks by Chanakya.

Details are not available regarding the war between the Nandas on the one hand and Chandragupta and Chanakya on the other. But it was a keen and bitter fight. The Nanda king died. His sons and relatives also died. Even Amatya Rakshasa was helpless. Chandragupta was victorious proving the foresight of Chanakya regarding his abilities. The old king and his wife retired to the forest. It is said that after sometime Chanakya had the old king and his wife killed , because he thought that if Amatya Rakshasa made them take a son by the rights of adoption, there would be claimants to the throne. He wanted the lineage of the Nandas should be totally eliminated.

knowing the great chanakya

Literary works

Two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra and - Neetishastra (also known as Chanakya Niti).

The Arthashastra discu- sses monetary and fiscal p- olicies, welfare, internatio- nal relations, and war strategies in detail. The text also outlines the duties of a ruler. Some scholars believe that Arthashastra is actually a compilation of a number of earlier texts written by various authors, and Chanakya might have been one of these authors.

Neetishastra is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's deep study of the Indian way of life. Chanakya also developed Neeti-Sutras (apho- risms – pithy sentences) that tell people how they should behave. Of these well-known 455 sutras, about 216 refer to raja-neeti (the dos and don'ts of running a kingdom). Apparently, Chanakya used these sutras to groom Chandragupta and other selected disciples in the art of ruling a kingdom.

knowing the great chanakya

Legacy

Chanakya is regarded as a great thinker and diplomat in India. Many Indian nationalists regard him as one of the earliest people who envisaged the united India spanning the entire subcontinent. India's- National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon praised Chanakya's Arthashastra for its clear and precise rules which apply even today. Furthermore, he recommended reading of the book for broadening the vision on strategic issues.

The diplomatic enclave in New Delhi is named Chanakyapuri in honour of Chanakya. Institutes named after him include Training Ship Chanakya,Chanakya National Law University and Chanakya Institute of Public Leadership. Chanakya circle in Mysore has been named after him.

nowing the great chanakya

Death

(around 275 BCE)The real cause of Chanakya's death is unknown and disputed. According to one legend, he retired to the jungle and starved himself to death. According to another legend mentioned by the Jain writerHemachandra, Subandhu, one of Bindusara's ministers, did not like Chanakya. One day he told Bindusara that Chanakya was responsible for the murder of his mother. Bindusara asked the nurses, who confirmed the story of his birth. Bindusara was horrified and enraged. Chanakya, who was an old man by this time, learnt that the King was angry with him, he decided to end his life. In accordance with the Jain tradition, he decided to starve himself to death. By this time, the King learnt the full story: Chanakya was not directly responsible for his mother's death, which was an accident. He asked Subandhu to convince Chanakya to give up his plan to kill himself. However, Subandhu, pretending to conduct a ceremony for Chanakya, burnt Chanakya alive.

  knowing the great chanakya

 चाणक्य के सर्वश्रेष्ठ विचार 

1) डर को नजदीक न आने दो अगर यह नजदीक आ जाय तो इस पर हमला कर दो.

2) भगवान मूर्तियो मे नही बसता बल्कि आपकी अनुभूति ही आपका ईश्वर है और आत्मा आपका       मंदिर

3) भाग्य उनका साथ देता है जो कठिन परिस्थितयो का सामना करके भी अपने लक्ष्य के प्रति ढृढ रहते है

4) मनुष्य स्वयं ही अपने कर्मो के दवारा जीवन मे दुःख को बुलाता है

5) जो तुम्हारी बात को सुनते हुए इधर-उधर देखे उस आदमी पर कभी भी विश्वास न करे

6) दूसरो की गलतियो से सीखो अपने ही ऊपर प्रयोग करके सीखने पर तुम्हारी आयु कम पड़ जायेंगी

7)  कभी भी अपनी कमजोरी को खुद उजागर न करो

8) कोई भी व्यक्ति ऊँचे स्थान पर बैठकर ऊँचा नहीं हो जाता बल्कि हमेशा अपने गुणों से ऊँचा होता है

9) बुद्धि से पैसा कमाया जा सकता है,पैसे से बुद्धि नहीं

10)  बहुत से गुणो के होने के बाद भी सिर्फ एक दोष सब कुछ नष्ट कर सकता है

UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

 UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

Aryabhatta, also known as Aryabhatta I was born possibly around 476 C.E. around the region of the river Godavari. Aryabhatta was one of the earliest Indian mathematicians and astronomers whose pioneering work in these fields is still referenced by many modern scholars. The work in Aryabhatiya is so extensive and detailed that it was years ahead of any work of the time. With so much wisdom compiled in one single book, let’s have an insight into the book and how its composer created it.

Aryabhatta was only 23 when he composed the Aryabhatiya. Before the book, there were Vedic scriptures which detailed mathematical relationships in geometrical shapes for the construction of altars and temples.

There were also other Jain mathematicians whose work also contributed to mathematics. But what makes Aryabhatiya so different is the way it was written.

The entire script was written in Sanskrit and hence reads like a poetic verse rather than a practical manual. There are exactly 123 stanzas in the book and without a tutor, the book would seem ambiguous.

The book is divided into four sections– Gitikapada, Ganitapada, Kalakriyapada and the Golapada, each covering various fields.

Gitikapada dealt with time, especially large units of time. Ganitapada covered mathematics of measurement, arithmetic and geometric progressions.

Kalakriyapada told how one could determine the positions of the planet for any given day and finally, Golapada dealt with the earth’s shape and its celestial presence.

He also said that the moon has no light and shines because it reflects light from the sun. He also proved wrong the false belief that eclipse is caused because of the shadows formed by the shadows cast by the earth and the moon. Aryabhatta used epicycles in a similar manner to the Greek Philosopher Ptolemy to illustrate the inconsistent movement of some planets. This great astronomer wrote the famous treatise Aryabhatiya, which was based on astronomy in 499 AD. This treatise was acknowledged as a masterpiece. In honour of this excellent work Aryabhatta was made head of the Nalanda University by the Gupta ruler Buddhagupta.

 UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

EARLY LIFE

CHILDHOOD

Aryabhata was born in the region lying between Narmada and Godavari, which was known as Ashmaka and is now identified with Maharashtra, though early Buddhist texts describe Ashmaka as being further south, dakShiNApath or the Deccan, while still other texts describe the Ashmakas as having fought Alexander, which would put them further north. Other traditions in India claim that he was from Kerala and that he traveled to the North, or that he was a Maga Brahmin from Gujarat.

CAREER AND ADULTHOOD

A verse mentions that Aryabhata was the head of an institution (kulapa) at Kusumapura. Since, the University of Nalanda was in Pataliputra, and had an astronomical observatory; it is probable that he was its head too.

Direct details of his work are known only from the Aryabhatiya. His disciple Bhaskara I calls it Ashmakatantra (or the treatise from the Ashmaka).

The Aryabhatiya is also occasionally referred to as Arya-shatas-aShTa (literally, Aryabhata’s 108), because there are 108 verses in the text. It also has 13 introductory verses, and is divided into four pādas or chapters.

Aryabhatiya’s first chapter, Gitikapada, with its large units of time — kalpa, manvantra, and Yuga — introduces a different cosmology. The duration of the planetary revolutions during a mahayuga is given as 4.32 million years.

Ganitapada, the second chapter of Aryabhatiya has 33 verses covering mensuration (kṣetra vyāvahāra), arithmetic and geometric progressions, gnomon or shadows (shanku-chhAyA), simple, quadratic, simultaneous, and indeterminate equations.

Aryabhatiya’s third chapter Kalakriyapada explains different units of time, a method for determining the positions of planets for a given day, and a seven-day week with names for the days of week.

The last chapter of the Aryabhatiya, Golapada describes Geometric/trigonometric aspects of the celestial sphere, features of the ecliptic, celestial equator, shape of the earth, cause of day and night, and zodiacal signs on horizon.

He did not use a symbol for zero; its knowledge was implicit in his place-value system as a place holder for the powers of ten with null coefficients.

He did not use the Brahmi numerals, and continued the Sanskritic tradition from Vedic times of using letters of the alphabet to denote numbers, expressing quantities in a mnemonic form.

He worked on the approximation for pi thus — add four to 100, multiply by eight, and then add 62,000, the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 20,000 can be approached.

It is speculated that Aryabhata used the word āsanna (approaching), to mean that not only is this an approximation, but that the value is incommensurable or irrational.

In Ganitapada, he gives the area of a triangle as: “for a triangle, the result of a perpendicular with the half-side is the area”. He discussed ‘sine’ by the name of ardha-jya or half-chord.

Like other ancient Indian mathematicians, he too was interested in finding integer solutions to Diophantine equations with the form ax + by = c; he called it the kuṭṭaka (meaning breaking into pieces) method.

His contribution to the study of Algebra is immense. In Aryabhatiya, Aryabhata provided elegant results for the summation of series of squares and cubes through well tried formulae.

His system of astronomy was called the audayaka system, in which days are reckoned from uday, dawn at lanka or “equator”. His later writings, which apparently proposed the ardha-rAtrikA, or midnight model, are lost.

He correctly believed that the earth rotates about its axis daily, and that the apparent movement of the stars is a relative motion caused by the rotation of the earth, challenging the prevailing view.

In Aryabhatiya, he writes that ‘setting and rising of planets’ is a perception similar to that of someone in a boat going forward sees an unmoving (object) going backward.

He correctly asserted that the planets shine due to the reflection of sunlight, and that the eclipses occur due to the shadows of moon and earth, and not caused by a demon called “Rahu”!

He correctly deduced that the orbits of the planets are ellipses; this is another great discovery not credited to him but to Johannes Kepler (a German astronomer, born AD 1571).

   UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

WORKS AND INVENTIONS

1. Aryabhata (476–550 CE) was the first of the major mathematician- astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy

2. : Works . Aryabhatiya :mathematics Place value system and zero Pi as irrational Mensuration and trigonometry Indeterminate equations Algebra :astronomy Motions of the solar system Eclipses Sidereal periods Heliocentrism

3. His most famous work, Aryabhattiya is a detailed text on mathematics and astronomy. The mathematical part of the Aryabhatiya covers arithmetic, algebra and trigonometry. It also contains continued fractions, quadratic equations, sums of power series and a table of Aryabhattiya

4. Place value system and zero The place-value system, first seen in the 3rd-century Bakhshali Manuscript, was clearly in place in his work. He used letters of the alphabet to denote numbers, expressing quantities, such as the table of sines

5. Pi as irrational Aryabhata worked on the approximation for pi and may have come to the conclusion that pi is irrational. How he arrived it?? He wrote that if 4 is added to 100 and then multiplied by 8 then added to 62,000 then divided by 20,000 the answer will be equal to the circumference of a circle of diameter twenty thousand. This calculates to 3.1416 close to the actual value Pi (3.14159).

actual value Pi (3.14159)

6. trigonometry In Ganitapada 6, Aryabhata gives the area of a triangle as : tribhujasya phalashariram samadalakoti bhujardhasamvargah that translates to: "for a triangle, the result of a perpendicular with the half-side is the area. Aryabhata discussed the concept of sine in his work by the name of ardha-jya, which literally means "half-chord".

7. find N = 8x+5 = 9y+4 = 7z+1??? Aryabhata's method of solving such problems, elaborated by Bhaskara in 621 CE, is called the kuṭṭaka (कु ट्टक) method. Kuttaka means "pulverizing" or "breaking into small pieces", and the method involves a recursive algorithm for writing the original factors in smaller Indeterminate equations

8. Algebra In Aryabhatiya, Aryabhata provided elegant results for the summation of series of squares and cubes.

9. Motions of the solar system Aryabhatta was aware that the earth rotates on its axis. The earth rotates round the sun and the moon moves round the earth. He discovered the positions of the nine planets and related them to their rotation round the sun.

10.  solar and lunar eclipses were scientifically explained by Aryabhata. He states that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight. Instead of the prevailing cosmogony in which eclipses were caused by Rahu andKetu (identified as the pseudo- planetary lunar nodes), he explains eclipses in terms of shadows cast by and falling on Eclipses

11.  Sidereal periods Considered in modern English units of time, Aryabhata calculated the sidereal rotation (the rotation of the earth referencing the fixed stars) as 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds; the modern

12.  Heliocentrism as mentioned, Aryabhata advocated an   astronomical model in which the Earth turns on its own axis. His model also gave corrections (the śīgra anomaly) for the speeds of the planets in the sky in terms of the mean speed of the sun. Thus, it has been suggested that Aryabhata's calculations were based on an underlying heliocentric model, in which the planets orbit the Sun.

  UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

ARYABHATIYA

Aryabhatiya is the book written by aryabhatta.Direct details of Aryabhata's work are therefore known only from the Aryabhatiya. The name Aryabhatiya is due to later commentators, Aryabhata himself may not have given it a name; it is referred by his disciple, Bhaskara I, as Ashmakatantra or the treatise from the Ashmaka. It is also occasionally referred to as Arya-shatas-aShTa, literally Aryabhata's 108, which is the number of verses in the text. It is written in the very terse style typical of the sutra literature, where each line is an aid to memory for a complex system. Thus, the explication of meaning is due to commentators. The entire text consists of 108 verses, plus an introductory 13, the whole being divided into four pAdas or chapters:

1.  GitikApAda: (13 verses) Large units of time—kalpa, manvantra, yuga, which present a cosmology that differs from earlier texts such as Lagadha's Vedanga Jyotisha (c. first century B.C.E.). It also includes the table of sines (jya), given in a single verse. For the planetary revolutions during a mahayuga, the number of 4.32mn years is given.

2.  GaNitapAda: (33 verses) Covers mensuration (kShetra vyAvahAra), arithmetic and geometric progressions, gnomon/shadows (shanku-chhAyA), simple, quadratic, simultaneous, and indeterminate equations (kuTTaka)

3.  KAlakriyApAda: (25 verses) Different units of time and method of determination of positions of planets for a given day. Calculations concerning the intercalary month (adhikamAsa), kShaya-tithis. Presents a seven-day week, with names for days of week.

4.  GolapAda: (50 verses) Geometric/trigonometric aspects of the celestial sphere, features of the ecliptic, celestial equator, node, shape of the earth, cause of day and night, rising of zodiacal signs on horizon etc.

In addition, some versions cite a few colophons added at the end, extolling the virtues of the work, etc.

The Aryabhatiya presented a number of innovations in mathematics and astronomy in verse form, which were influential for many centuries. The extreme brevity of the text was elaborated in commentaries by his disciple Bhaskara I (Bhashya, c. 600) and by Nilakantha Somayaji in his Aryabhatiya Bhasya (1465).

 UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

LEGACY

Aryabhata's work was of great influence in the Indian astronomical tradition, and influenced several neighboring cultures through translations. The Arabic translation during the Islamic Golden Age (c. 820), was particularly influential. Some of his results are cited by Al-Khwarizmi, and he is referred to by the tenth century Arabic scholar Al-Biruni, who states that Āryabhata's followers believed the Earth to rotate on its axis.

His definitions of sine, as well as cosine (kojya), versine (ukramajya), and inverse sine (otkram jya), influenced the birth of trigonometry. He was also the first to specify sine and versine (1-cosx) tables, in 3.75° intervals from 0° to 90° to an accuracy of 4 decimal places.

In fact, the modern names "sine" and "cosine," are a mis-transcription of the words jya and kojya as introduced by Aryabhata. They were transcribed as jiba and kojiba in Arabic. They were then misinterpreted by Gerard of Cremona while translating an Arabic geometry text to Latin; he took jiba to be the Arabic word jaib, which means "fold in a garment," L. sinus (c. 1150).

Aryabhata's astronomical calculation methods were also very influential. Along with the trigonometric tables, they came to be widely used in the Islamic world, and were used to compute many Arabic astronomical tables (zijes). In particular, the astronomical tables in the work of the Arabic Spain scientist Al-Zarqali (eleventh century), were translated into Latin as the Tables of Toledo (twelfth century), and remained the most accurate Ephemeris used in Europe for centuries.

Calendric calculations worked out by Aryabhata and followers have been in continuous use in India for the practical purposes of fixing the Panchanga, or Hindu calendar, These were also transmitted to the Islamic world, and formed the basis for the Jalali calendar introduced in 1073, by a group of astronomers including Omar Khayyam, versions of which (modified in 1925) are the national calendars in use in iran and afghanistan today. The Jalali calendar determines its dates based on actual solar transit, as in Aryabhata (and earlier Siddhanta calendars). This type of calendar requires an Ephemeris for calculating dates. Although dates were difficult to compute, seasonal errors were lower in the Jalali calendar than in the Gregorian calendar.

  UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

NAMED IN HIS HONOUR

• India's first satellite Aryabhata, was named after him.
• The lunar crater Aryabhata is named in his honor.
• The interschool Aryabhata Maths Competition is named after him.

 UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

LAST DAYS

Aryabhata is believed to have died around 550 A.D. He has left an amazing legacy to be sure. A great many modern mathematicians and astronomers look towards his early work for inspiration.

 UNDERSTANDING THE ARYABHATTA

SOME FACTS ABOUT ARYABHATTA

Aryabhata is credited to have set up an observatory at the Sun temple in Taregana, Bihar.

Some sources suggest that Kerala was Aryabhata's main place of life and activity but others refute this statement.

He served as the head of an institution (kulapa) at Kusumapura and might have also been the head of the Nalanda university.

Some scholars claim that the Arabic text ‘Al ntf’ or ‘Al-nanf’ is a translation of one of his works.

His most famous text, ‘Aryabhatiya’, consists of 108 verses and 13 introductory verses.

Aryabhata did not use the Brahmi numerals; he used letters of the alphabet to denote numbers.

It is probable that he might have come to the conclusion that 'pi' is irrational.

He discussed the concept of ‘sine’ in his work by the name of “ardha-jya”, which literally means "half-chord".

Calendric calculations devised by Aryabhata are used for fixing the ‘Panchangam’ (the Hindu Calendar).

He correctly stated that the earth rotates about its axis daily.