?R?PATI

(fl. Rohin?khanda, Mah?r?stra. India, 1039–1056)

astronomy, astrology, mathematics.

?r?pati, who was the son of N?gadeva (or N?madeva) and the grandson of Ke?ava of the K??yapagotra, is one of the most renowned authorities on astrology in India, although his works on astronomy and mathematics are not negligible: in many he follows the opinions of Lalla (fl. eighth century; see essay in Supplement), His numerous works include not only Sanskrit texts but also one of the earliest examples of Mar?th? prose extant. They include the following:

1. The Dh?kotidakarana, written in 1039, a work in twenty verses on solar and lunar eclipses. There are commentaries by Harikrsna (fl 1708–1714 at Delhi) and Dinakara. The Dh?kotidakarana was edited by N. K. Majumdar in Calcutta Oriental Journal. 1 (1934). 286–299–see also his “DhikotiKaranam of ?r?pati,” in Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, n.s. 17 (1921), 273–278 —and by K. S. Shukla, in Rtam, 1 1969), supp.

2. The Dhruvam?nasa, written in 1056, is a short treatise in 105 verses on calculating planetary longitudes, on gnomon problems, on eclipses, on the horns of the moon, and on planetary transits. It is very rare and has not been published

3. The Siddh?nta?ekhara, a major work on astronomy in nineteen chapters, follows, in general, the Br?hmapaksa, The chapters are on the following subjects:

1. Fundamentals.
2. Mean motions of the planets.
3. True longitudes of the planets.
4. On the three questions relating to the diurnal rotation.
5. Lunar eclipses.
6. Solar eclipses.
7. On the syzygies.
8. On the p?tas of the sun and moon.
9. On first and last appearances.
10. On the moon.
11. On transits of the planets.
12. On conjunctions of the planets with the constellations.
13. Arithmetic.
14. Algebra.
15. On the sphere.
16. On the planetary spheres.
17. On the cause of eclipses.
18. On the projection of eclipses.
19. On astronomical instruments.

A commentary on this work, the Ganitabh?sana was composed by Makkibhatta (fl, 1377); unfortunately. only the portion on the first four chapters survives. The Siddh?nta?ekhara, with Makkibhatta’s commentary on chapters 1–4 and the editor’s on chapters 5–19, was edited by Babu?ji Mi?ra 2 vols. (Calcutta, 1932– 1947).

4. The Ganitatilaka is a mathematical treatise apparently based on the P?t?ganita or Tri?atik? of Sr?dhara; there is a commentary by Simhatilaka S?ri; (fl. 1269 at Bij?pura, Mysore). Both text and commentary were published by H. R. Kapadia (Baroda, 1937).

5 and 6. The Jyotisaratnam?l?, in twenty chapters, is the most influential work in Sanskrit on muh?rta or catarchic astrology, in which the success or failure of an undertaking is determined from the time of its inception, It is based largely on the Jyotisaratnako?a of Lalla. ?r?pati himself wrote a Marathi commentary on this (edited and studied for its linguistic content by M. G. Panse [Poona, 1957]): but of much greater historical importance is the commentary Gautam? composed by Mah?deva in 1263, for it contains numerous citations from lost or little-known astronomical and astrological texts. There are also commentaries by D?modara (B?l?vabodha), Paramak?ra?a (B?labodhin? in Pr?k?t), ?r?dhara (?r?dhar?ya), and Vaij? Pandita (B?l?vabodhin?). The Jyoti?aratnam?l? was published twice with Mah?deva’s Gautam?: at Bombay in 1884 and by Rasikamohana Ca??op?dhy?ya (2nd ed. , Calcutta, 1915). The first six chapters were edited by P. Poucha, “La Jyoti?aratnam?l? ou Guirlande des joyaux d’astrologie de ?r?patibha??a,” in Archiv orientální, 16 (1949), 277-309.

7. The J?takapaddhati or ?r?patipaddhati, in eight chapters, is one of the fundamental textbooks for later Indian genethlialogy, contributing an impressive elaboration to the computation of the strengths of the planets and astrological places. It was enormously popular, as the large number of manuscripts, commentaries, and imitations attests. The more important of these commentaries are S?ryadeva Yajvan (b. 1 19 1), J?tak?lank?ra; Parame?vara (ca. 1380- 1460); Acyuta (fl. 1505- 1534), Bh?v?rthamanjar?-see D. Pingree, Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit, ser. A, I (Philadelphia, 1970), 36a-36b; Krsna (fl. 1600-1625), whose ud?harana was edited by J. B. Chaudhuri (Calcutta, 1955)- see also D. Pingree, Census, 11 (Philadelphia, 1971), 53a-55b; Sumatiharsa Gani (fl. 1615); M?dhava; and Raghun?tha. Acyuta Pi??rati (ca. 1550-1621; see D. Pingree, Census, 1, 36b-38b) wrote an imitation. the Hor?s?roccava. The J?takapaddhati was edited with an English translation by V. Subrahmanya Sastri (Bombay, 1903; 4th ed. , Bangalore, 1957).

8. A Daivajnarallabha on astrology, in fifteen chapters, sometimes is attributed to Sripati and sometimes to Var?hamihira (fl. ca. 550); its real author remains unknown. It was published with the Hind? translation, Subodhin?, of N?r?ya?a (fl. 1894) at Bombay in 1905, in 1915 -1916, and in 1937.

There is no reliable discussion of ?r?pati or study of his works.

David Pingree