Mathurān

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MATHURāNāTHA ŚARMAN

(fl. Bengal, India, 1609)

astronomy

Mathurānātha, who enjoyed the titles Vidyālānkāra (“Ornament of Wisdom”) and Cakravartin (“Emperor”), composed the Ravisiddhāntamañjarī; in 1609. This is an astronomical text in four chapters accompanied by extensive tables (see Supplement) based on the parameters of the Saurapakşa with the admixture of some from the adjusted Saurapakşa; the epoch is 29 March 1609. His is one of the primary sets of tables belonging to this school in Bengal. Another set of tables, the Viśvahita, is sometimes attributed to him, but its author is, rather, Rāghavānanda Śarman. Mathurānātha also wrote a Praśnaratnā̄nkura and a Pañcā̄ngaratna, but little is known of either.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Ravisiddhāntamañjari was edited by Viśvambhara Jyotişārņava as Bibliotheca Indica, no. 198 (Calcutta, 1911); the tables are analyzed by D. Pingree, Sanskrit Astronomical Tables in England (Madras, 1973), 128–134.

David Pingree