Articles on Ancient Indian Astronomy
The 'Jyotish Yantra' (Astrolabe) at the L.D. Institute
Sambodhi, 1990
This article describes the history and significance of an astrolabe preserved at the L.D. Institute. It explains that scientific instruments are essential for understanding the evolution of any discipline and laments that few have survived in India because of…
Main Characteristics and Achievements of Jaina School of Ancient Indian Astronomy
By Sajjan Singh Lishk · Jain Journal A Quarterly on Jainology, 1987
Focusing on the post‑Vedāṅga, pre‑Siddhāntic era of Indian astronomy, this paper highlights distinctive features of the **Jaina school of astronomy**. The author notes that Western histories often attribute Indian astronomical advances to Greek or…
Astronomical Evidence on the Age of the Rgveda
By Narendra Nath Law · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1961
The article examines the age of the Rgveda by analyzing astronomical evidence from Vedic texts, particularly the Taittiriya-Samhita, Tandya-Brahmana, and Kausitaki-Brahmana. The main argument is that these treatises belong to different periods, as evidenced…
Age of the Rgveda – Chapter 2: Astronomical Evidence on the Age of the Rgveda
The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1960
Chapter 2 synthesises astronomical references from the Ṛgveda and later Vedic texts to infer the age of the Ṛgveda. The author notes that scholars have used observations of the Pleiades (Kṛttikā) rising exactly in the east and descriptions of solstices to…
The Maga Ancestry of Varahamihira
By Dilip Kumar Biswas · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1949
Focusing on the celebrated 6th‑century astrologer Varāhamihira, this article investigates whether he was descended from the Magas, a community of sun‑worshipping priests said to have migrated to India from Sākadvīpa. The author surveys Varāhamihira’s…
Age of the Brahmanas
By Prabodh Chandra Sengupta · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1934
The essay addresses the longstanding debate over the chronology of the Brahmana texts, prose commentaries on the Vedic hymns. By examining internal evidence—references to metallurgy, agriculture and social customs—the author argues that the Brahmanas were…
The Two Bhaskaras
By Bibhutibhusan Datta · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1930
Aspects of the History of Hindu Astronomy
By Sukumar Ranjan Das · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1925
Focusing on the evolution of Indian astronomy, this article traces the development of astronomical ideas from Vedic ritual to the classical Siddhānta period. The author discusses how early Vedic priests observed celestial phenomena for calendrical purposes,…