*The Great Surya Siddanta……
![The Surya Siddhanta is one of the earliest doctrine or tradition (siddhanta) in archeo-astronomy of the Hindus. Its original version is by an unknown author. It describes the archeo-astronomy theories, principles and methods of the ancient Hindus. This Siddhanta is supposed to be the knowledge that the Sun god gave to an Asura called Maya. Asuras were enemies of the Deva, the Gods of Hindus. Asuras were believed to residents of the nether worlds.
Significant coverage is on kinds of time, length of the year of gods and demons, day and night of god Brahma, the elapsed period since creation, how planets move eastwards and sidereal revolution. The lengths of the Earth’s diameter, circumference are also given. Eclipses and color of the eclipsed portion of the moon is mentioned. This explains the archeo-astronomical basis for the sequence of days of the week named after the Sun, Moon, etc. Musings that there is no above and below and that movement of the starry sphere is left to right for Asuras makes interesting reading.
Somethings that this text tell us:_
i)The average length of the tropical year as 365.2421756 days, which is only 1.4 seconds shorter than the modern value of 365.2421904 days (J2000).
ii)The average length of the sidereal year, the actual length of the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, as 365.2563627 days, which is virtually the same as the modern value of 365.25636305 days (J2000). This remained the most accurate estimate for the length of the sidereal year anywhere in the world for over a thousand years
iii)The Surya Siddhanta also estimates the diameters of the planets. The estimate for the diameter of Mercury is 3,008 miles, an error of less than 1% from the currently accepted diameter of 3,032 miles. It also estimates the diameter of Saturn as 73,882 miles, which again has an error of less than 1% from the currently accepted diameter of 74,580. Its estimate for the diameter of Mars is 3,772 miles, which has an error within 11% of the currently accepted diameter of 4,218 miles. It also estimated the diameter of Venus as 4,011 miles and Jupiter as 41,624 miles, which are roughly half the currently accepted values, 7,523 miles and 88,748 miles, respectively.
iv)The Surya Siddhanta contains the roots of modern trigonometry. It uses sine (jya), cosine (kojya or “perpendicular sine”) and inverse sine (otkram jya) for the first time, and also contains the earliest use of the tangent and secant when discussing the shadow cast by a gnomon in verses 21–22 of Chapter 3:
Of [the sun’s meridian zenith distance] find the jya (“base sine”) and kojya (cosine or “perpendicular sine”). If then the jya and radius be multiplied respectively by the measure of the gnomon in digits, and divided by the kojya, the results are the shadow and hypotenuse at mid-day.
v)Conservative “panchang” (almanac) makers still use the formulae and equations found in the Surya Siddhanta to compile and compute their panchangs. The panchang is an annual publication published in all regions and languages in India containing all calendrical information on religious, cultural and astronomical events. It exerts great influence on the religious and social life of the people in India and is found in most Hindu households.](https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/p235x350/8992_901536213212690_2172327357342361282_n.jpg?oh=5872d4afdecce71c0645eb800593bc08&oe=55295965&__gda__=1429780707_d2beaedff6983e9ce5db57c553e560c6)
The Surya Siddhanta is one of the earliest doctrine or tradition (siddhanta) in archeo-astronomy of the Hindus. Its original version is by an unknown author. It describes the archeo-astronomy theories, principles and methods of the ancient Hindus. This Siddhanta is supposed to be the knowledge that the Sun god gave to an Asura called Maya. Asuras were enemies of the Deva, the Gods of Hindus. Asuras were believed to residents of the nether worlds.
Significant coverage is on kinds of time, length of the year of gods and demons, day and night of god Brahma, the elapsed period since creation, how planets move eastwards and sidereal revolution. The lengths of the Earth’s diameter, circumference are also given. Eclipses and color of the eclipsed portion of the moon is mentioned. This explains the archeo-astronomical basis for the sequence of days of the week named after the Sun, Moon, etc. Musings that there is no above and below and that movement of the starry sphere is left to right for Asuras makes interesting reading.
Somethings that this text tell us:_
i)The average length of the tropical year as 365.2421756 days, which is only 1.4 seconds shorter than the modern value of 365.2421904 days (J2000).
ii)The average length of the sidereal year, the actual length of the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, as 365.2563627 days, which is virtually the same as the modern value of 365.25636305 days (J2000). This remained the most accurate estimate for the length of the sidereal year anywhere in the world for over a thousand years
iii)The Surya Siddhanta also estimates the diameters of the planets. The estimate for the diameter of Mercury is 3,008 miles, an error of less than 1% from the currently accepted diameter of 3,032 miles. It also estimates the diameter of Saturn as 73,882 miles, which again has an error of less than 1% from the currently accepted diameter of 74,580. Its estimate for the diameter of Mars is 3,772 miles, which has an error within 11% of the currently accepted diameter of 4,218 miles. It also estimated the diameter of Venus as 4,011 miles and Jupiter as 41,624 miles, which are roughly half the currently accepted values, 7,523 miles and 88,748 miles, respectively.
iv)The Surya Siddhanta contains the roots of modern trigonometry. It uses sine (jya), cosine (kojya or “perpendicular sine”) and inverse sine (otkram jya) for the first time, and also contains the earliest use of the tangent and secant when discussing the shadow cast by a gnomon in verses 21–22 of Chapter 3:
Of [the sun’s meridian zenith distance] find the jya (“base sine”) and kojya (cosine or “perpendicular sine”). If then the jya and radius be multiplied respectively by the measure of the gnomon in digits, and divided by the kojya, the results are the shadow and hypotenuse at mid-day.
v)Conservative “panchang” (almanac) makers still use the formulae and equations found in the Surya Siddhanta to compile and compute their panchangs. The panchang is an annual publication published in all regions and languages in India containing all calendrical information on religious, cultural and astronomical events. It exerts great influence on the religious and social life of the people in India and is found in most Hindu households.
![महर्षि आर्यभट्ट ने कोपर्निकस और गैलेलियो से हजारों साल पहले ही बता दिया था कि पृथ्वी सूर्य के चारो ओर चक्कर लगाती है और सूर्य-पृथ्वी-चन्द्रमा और अन्य ग्रहों के आपस का सम्बन्ध। आर्यभट प्राचीन भारत के एक महान ज्योतिषविद् और गणितज्ञ थे। आर्यभट ने 'आर्यभटीय ग्रंथ' की रचना की जिसमें ज्योतिषशास्त्र के अनेक सिद्धांतों का प्रतिपादन है। इसमें वर्गमूल, घनमूल, सामानान्तर श्रेणी तथा विभिन्न प्रकार के समीकरणों का वर्णन है। आर्यभट्ट ने अपने इस ग्रंथ में अपने से पूर्ववर्ती तथा पश्चाद्वर्ती देश के तथा विदेश के सिद्धान्तों के लिये भी क्रान्तिकारी अवधारणाएँ उपस्थित की।
भारतके इतिहास में जिसे 'गुप्तकाल' को 'स्वर्णकाल' कहा जाता है। उस समय भारत ने साहित्य, कला और विज्ञान क्षेत्रों में अभूतपूर्व प्रगति की। उस समय मगध स्थित नालंदा विश्वविद्याल ज्ञानदान का प्रमुख और प्रसिद्ध केंद्र था। देश विदेश से विद्यार्थी ज्ञानार्जन के लिए यहाँ आते थे। वहाँ खगोलशास्त्र के अध्ययन के लिए एक विशेष विभाग था।
एक प्राचीन श्लोक के अनुसार आर्यभट नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय के कुलपति भी थे।उन्होंने एक ओर गणित में पूर्ववर्ती आर्किमिडीज़ से भी अधिक सही तथा सुनिश्चित पाई के मान को निरूपित किया [क] तो दूसरी ओर खगोलविज्ञान में सबसे पहली बार उदाहरण के साथ यह घोषित किया गया कि स्वयं पृथ्वी अपनी धुरी पर घूमती है।
आर्यभट ने ज्योतिषशास्त्र के आजकल के उन्नत साधनों के बिना जो खोज की थी, उनकी महत्ता है। कोपर्निकस (1473 से 1543 इ.) ने जो खोज की थी उसकी खोज आर्यभट हजार वर्ष पहले कर चुके थे। 'गोलपाद' में आर्यभट ने लिखा है "नाव में बैठा हुआ मनुष्य जब प्रवाह के साथ आगे बढ़ता है, तब वह समझता है कि अचर वृक्ष, पाषाण, पर्वत आदि पदार्थ उल्टी गति से जा रहे हैं। उसी प्रकार गतिमान पृथ्वी पर से स्थिर नक्षत्र भी उलटी गति से जाते हुए दिखाई देते हैं।" इस प्रकार आर्यभट ने सर्वप्रथम यह सिद्ध किया कि पृथ्वी अपने अक्ष पर घूमती है।
आर्यभट के अनुसार किसी वृत्त की परिधि और व्यास का संबंध 62,832 : 20,000 आता है जो चार दशमलव स्थान तक शुद्ध है। आर्यभट ने बड़ी-बड़ी संख्याओं को अक्षरों के समूह से निरूपित करने कीत्यन्त वैज्ञानिक विधि का प्रयोग किया है। आर्यभट पहले आचार्य थे की जिन्होने ज्योतिषशास्त्रमें अंकगणित, बीजगणित और रेखागणितको शामील किया. 'आर्यभट्टीय' ग्रंथमें उन्होने ज्योतिष्यशास्त्रके मूलभूत सिध्दांतके बारेमें लिखा. आर्यभट एक युगप्रवर्तक थे.उन्होने सारी दुनियाको बताया की पृथ्वी चंद्र और अन्य ग्रहोंको खुदका प्रकाश नही होता और वे सुरजकी वजहसे प्रकाशित होते है. उन्होने पृथ्वीका आकार, गती, और परिधीका अंदाज भी लगाया था. और सूर्यग्रहण और चंद्रग्रहणके बारेमेंभी संशोधन किया था](https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/p296x100/10906071_391390821021771_8123871691142845171_n.jpg?oh=e9b775a392571ac862dccecd6080c0ae&oe=556E6097)
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