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| India,
the land of Rig Veda and the mesmerizing epics
like Ramayana and Mahabharata and the treasures
of wisdom in the form of her ancient scriptures,
also has long drawn traditions
in panchanga
which has carved a special niche for themselves
in more than 5,000 years old Indian history. |
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| In
the early decades of 20 th century, there
were panchangas, one published by the Nirnaysagar
Press of Mumbai and two others by a press
at Surpur near Gulbarga now in Karnataka.
Besides these, there were two/three panchangas
in Karnataka and one or two sampradaik panchangas
brought by certain sects. However, there was
no unanimity among these panchangas. |
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| Astronomical
mathematics plays a crucial role in the compilation
of a panchanga. The Late
Shree Laxmanshaastree Date
(Nana) used to wonder how these
panchangas differed from one another even
though they were based on astronomical mathematics.
He felt that this was because these calculations
were based on the theories propounded in the
two scriptures, Surya Siddhanta and
Grahalaghava. The Grahalaghava was
compiled some 600 years ago and Surya Siddhanta
was available ages before that. Therefore
these had become outdated by Nana's times.
The calculations based on these theories did
not match the actual celestial positions,
yet the editors of the panchangas preferred
to stick to these theories since there was
no option for them. They went to the extent
of saying that the calculations only from
Grahalaghava had the sanction of the
Dharmashaastras. |
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| The
issue of discrepancies among various panchangas
in India was discussed threadbare in 1906
at a conference of Akhil Bharatiya Jyotish
Parishad organised at the instance of Lokmaanya
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who himself was a mathematician
besides being a veteran journalist and the
freedom fighter. |
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| Lokmaanya
Tilak did not discuss anything about Dharmashatra,
the Bharatiya ethical traditions and guidelines
for the daily chores. He insisted, however,
that a panchanga should be a mirror of the
sky. The mathematical calculations should
be able to provide the positions of grahas
(the planets) and nakshatras (constellations)
in the sky as they are observed. He appealed
to the scholars to adopt Drukpratyayi (what
you calculate is what you see) mathematics,
but they were in no mood to agree to his views.
They continued to argue that Grahalaghaviya
mathematics had the sanction of Dharmashaastras.
They felt that any new theory would have no
religious sanction. |
