सिद्धान्तशिरोमणि: गणिताध्याय (भास्कराचार्य - ग्रहगणित, मध्यमाधिकार व स्पष्टाधिकार सटीक)

PREFACE From the Mathematician's point of view, Bhāskarā- cārya's Siddhānta Śiromaṇi contains all that was beautiful in the Ancient Hindu Astronomy. I am aware that a translation of this work into English was done long ago by M. M. Bapudeva Śastry and Wilkinson; but I did not have the good fortune of having a copy in my hands all these years. I did go through the translation once long ago, but it gave me the impression that all the beauties there that appeal to a Mathematician were not brought out fully. There are, however, a good number of Sanskrit commentaries both ancient and modern but even they, in my humble opinion, have not done full justice to the elucidation of Bhāskara's mathematical genius. Further misinterpretations are not infrequent in some of those books, as will be pointed out in the course of this book. What has sponsored me to undertake to write an English commentary, (I may add that a Sanskrit commentary also has been written by me on this work and has been awaiting printing) is essentially that innumer- able modern professors of Mathematics complain many a time that there is no such a presentation of Siddhānta Śiromaṇi in English as will enable them to assess the Mathematical content of it in the light and language of modern Astronomy. Hence, I have sought to produce a fresh commentary, which I hope will meet the desire of such professors and students of Mathematics. I may add here that this work of mine seeks to present only the mathematical side of Siddhānta Śiromaṇi. It is no history of Hindu Astronomy, where the originality of the Ancient Hindu Astronomers is sought to be evaluated. I may confess that I am no historian.