INTRODUCTION.

The Pañchasiddhântikâ Literally "The Five Astronomical Treatises" by Varâha Mihira A 6th-century Indian astrologer, astronomer, and polymath occupies a marked position of its own in Indian astronomical literature. As a rule, works treating of that branch of science claim either to be directly revealed—as, for instance, the Sûrya Siddhânta The "Sun Treatise," a foundational text of Indian astronomy in that form which has come down to our time—or else to base in all essential points on some older work of divine origin, as, for instance, the Siddhântas by Brahmagupta and Bhâskarâchârya, both of which are reproductions, however greatly amplified and improved, of an old Paitâmaha Siddhânta A treatise attributed to the god Brahma (the Grandfather). One of the consequences of this is, that these works claim for themselves direct or derived infallibility, propound their doctrines in a calmly dogmatic tone, and either pay no attention whatever to views diverging from their own, or else refer to such only occasionally, and mostly in the tone of contemptuous depreciation. The latter attitude is assumed, for instance, by Brahmagupta who indeed devotes a special chapter to the task of reviewing those astronomical systems which were opposed to the teaching of the Brahma Siddhânta, but who would have rendered that part of his work much more valuable and interesting, had he been less anxious to criticize and ridicule than to impart information. The astronomical writers, it is true, therein only exemplify a general mental tendency which displays itself in almost every department of Hindû Literature; but mere dogmatic assertion appears more than ordinarily misplaced in an exact science like astronomy, and the absence of all appreciative reference to the views of preceding authors is particularly vexatious, when we have to do with a branch of Hindû Learning which shows clear traces of having been remodelled under the influence of Greek teaching.

To the general rule the Pañchasiddhântikâ forms a striking exception. As far as we can judge at present, Varâha Mihira was the only one among Hindû writers on astronomy who thought it worth while to give an exposition of all the more important forms of astronomical doctrine which were current at his time. Not that he was unable to judge of the relative value of the systems which offered themselves to his examination; for, as we shall see further on, he knew very well in what order of merit the five Siddhântas whose teaching he summarizes are to be arranged. But he seems ready to acknowledge that even inferior systems deserve a certain amount of attention, as long as they continue to occupy in certain circles a position of authority; and he appears not to be altogether incapable of taking a purely intellectual interest in examining the various, more or less perfect, methods which may be applied to the solution of scientific problems. At the same time he seems to have no hesitation to acknowledge the connection of the