ŚRīPATI

(fl. Rohinīkhanda, Mahārāstra. India, 1039–1056)

astronomy, astrology, mathematics.

Śrīpati, who was the son of Nāgadeva (or Nāmadeva) and the grandson of Keśava of the Kāśyapagotra, 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 Marāthī prose extant. They include the following:

1. The Dhīkotidakarana, 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 Dhīkotidakarana was edited by N. K. Majumdar in Calcutta Oriental Journal. 1 (1934). 286–299–see also his “DhikotiKaranam of Śrīpati,” 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 Dhruvamānasa, 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 Siddhāntaśekhara, a major work on astronomy in nineteen chapters, follows, in general, the Brāhmapaksa, 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 pātas 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 Ganitabhūsana was composed by Makkibhatta (fl, 1377); unfortunately. only the portion on the first four chapters survives. The Siddhāntaśekhara, with Makkibhatta’s commentary on chapters 1–4 and the editor’s on chapters 5–19, was edited by Babuāji Miśra 2 vols. (Calcutta, 1932– 1947).

4. The Ganitatilaka is a mathematical treatise apparently based on the Pātīganita or Triśatikā of Srīdhara; there is a commentary by Simhatilaka Sūri; (fl. 1269 at Bijāpura, Mysore). Both text and commentary were published by H. R. Kapadia (Baroda, 1937).

5 and 6. The Jyotisaratnamālā, in twenty chapters, is the most influential work in Sanskrit on muhūrta 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 Jyotisaratnakośa of Lalla. Śrīpati 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 Gautamī composed by Mahādeva in 1263, for it contains numerous citations from lost or little-known astronomical and astrological texts. There are also commentaries by Dāmodara (Bālāvabodha), Paramakāraṇa (Bālabodhinī in Prākṛt), Śrīdhara (Śrīdharīya), and Vaijā Pandita (Bālāvabodhinī). The Jyotiṣaratnamālā was published twice with Mahādeva’s Gautamī: at Bombay in 1884 and by Rasikamohana Caṭṭopādhyāya (2nd ed. , Calcutta, 1915). The first six chapters were edited by P. Poucha, “La Jyotiṣaratnamālā ou Guirlande des joyaux d’astrologie de ṣrīpatibhaṭṭa,” in Archiv orientální, 16 (1949), 277-309.

7. The Jātakapaddhati or Śrīpatipaddhati, 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 Sūryadeva Yajvan (b. 1 19 1), Jātakālankāra; Parameśvara (ca. 1380- 1460); Acyuta (fl. 1505- 1534), Bhāvārthamanjarī-see D. Pingree, Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit, ser. A, I (Philadelphia, 1970), 36a-36b; Krsna (fl. 1600-1625), whose udāharana was edited by J. B. Chaudhuri (Calcutta, 1955)- see also D. Pingree, Census, 11 (Philadelphia, 1971), 53a-55b; Sumatiharsa Gani (fl. 1615); Mādhava; and Raghunātha. Acyuta Piṣārati (ca. 1550-1621; see D. Pingree, Census, 1, 36b-38b) wrote an imitation. the Horāsāroccava. The Jātakapaddhati 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 Varāhamihira (fl. ca. 550); its real author remains unknown. It was published with the Hindī translation, Subodhinī, of Nārāyaṇa (fl. 1894) at Bombay in 1905, in 1915 -1916, and in 1937.

There is no reliable discussion of Śrīpati or study of his works.

David Pingree