Literature, Scientific Literature

Literature, Scientific Literature

2020-04-27 12:00:24

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Literary and Scientific Texts Upto 600 CE

Sanskrit Literature

• S acquired classical form in poetry/Kavya and prose/gadya,
• Other composition were agama/ religious, itihasa/ traditional history, shastra/treatises
• Ashvaghosha 1st writer to use S for non-religious purpose
• Allahabad Prashasti in Champu Kavya,
• Transition from Prakrit to S in royal inscription completed
• Prakrit - Apabhramsa
• Ambiguity concerning various writers is common
• Kalidasa’s works
  • Poetic description of love, Vaidharbhi style
  • Banabhatta and Dandin praises, Mammata describes love making of Shiva and Parvati as improper
• Bhasa - Madhyamavayoga, DutaGhatotkacha, Dutavakya, Balacharita, Charudatta
• Shudraka’s Mrichchhakatika, Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya, Natyashastra,

Warder - Kavya obtained its widest audience in dramas performed in popular festivals

• Sanskrit texts compiled were Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana
• Bhartrihari wrote commentary on Patanjali’s Mahabhasya
• Yajnavalkya, Narada, Katyayana, Brihaspati smritis compiled
• Kammandaka’s Nitisara,
• Meghaduta
  • Yaksha banished by Kubera asks passing cloud to relay his message to his beloved
• Panchatantra - Vishnusharma, amusing satirical tales
• Philosophical texts
  • Samkhya Karika of Ishvarakrishna, Vyasa commentary on Patanjali’s Yogasutra
  • Prashastapadas commentary on Vaisheshika Sutra

Astronomy

Aryabhata I

• earliest known historical astronomer,
• Aryabhatiya, Aryabhata Siddhanta; native of Assmaka/ Godavari area
• Earth centric view of universe, planets moved around earth
• Scientific explanation of eclipses,
• Earth rotated on its axis, used sine function in astronomy
• Equation for calculating orbit of a planet, accurate estimate to calculate length of year

Varamihira

• 6th century astrologer, astronomer, mathematician
• Panchasiddhantika : summary of astronomical works of preceding centuries
• Brihatsamhita :
  • It stated that moon rotates around the Earth and Earth rotates around the sun
  • encyclopaedic work, includes how to sharpen sword, ascertain value of precious metals, location of water
  • Explains seasons and discusses meteorological issues like relation b/w clouds, winds, amt of rainfall

Brahmagupta - Astronomer, Mathematician

• Brahmasputsiddhanta : discussion of astronomical instruments, how to take readings from them, measure time, instruments that rotates perpetually
  • Accessories like compasses, hypotenuse, etc
  • Semi-hcircular plate, circular wooden plate, staff, etc

  • SR Sarma - instruments were made of bamboo not accurate astronomers relied more on computational skills

  • Referred to complex automatic devices svayamvaha yantra and Khandakhadyaka

Bower Manuscripts

• originally belonged to Buddhist monk named Yashomitra
• account of Ayurveda, divination by using dice,
• incantation used against snake bite

Bakshali Manuscript

• mathematical concepts prevalent ex fractions, square roots, arithmetic, geometric progression, simple equations, rational approximation

Mathematics

• Shulvasutra manuals for preparation of sacrificial rituals - Pythagoras theorem, squaring a circle etc
• Yavanajataka : earliest datable use of Decimal place value system
• Zero was 1st used in Chhandasutra by Pingala and 1st datable use was in Varahmihira’s Panchasiddhantika
• Decimal system used by Varahmihira,
• Aryabhata extract square root and cube root,
  • father of algebra - solve complex simultaneous equation, use of sine function,
  • Arithmetic progression, properties of a circle, value of pi,
• No proof was given by them
• Bhaskara I : commentaries on Aryabhatiya,
• Brahmagupta : contributed to geometry, method to make cyclic quadrilateral, methods of solving intermediate equations
• Mahavira lived in Ktaka under Rashtrakuta king Amoghvarsha wrote Ganitasarasangraha, circumference of ellipse
• Bhaskara II - methods of solving intermediate equations, Lilavati

Medical Knowledge

• Vedic texts contain ideas of healing, medicine but not of Ayurveda

• Debiprasad Chattopadhyay : Medical lit part of secular lit

• Kenneth Zysk : roots of AyurV in Buddhist monasteries later spread

• Charaka, Sushrut Samhita earliest surviving

Charak Samhita

• various sections like Sutra, Nidana, Vimana, Sharira, Indiriya, Chikitsa, Kalpa, Siddhi
• deals w/ pharmacology, food, certain diseases, treatment, doctors, quacks, philosophical issues; taste, nutrition, pathology, anatomy, embryology, philosophy, therapy, pharmacy etc
• Explains features of ideal hospital strong building out of path of smoke, sunlight, water, dust, unwanted noise, feelings, tastes, sights etc; Staffing of hospital, Supplies

Sushrut Samhita

• Deals w/ surgery, 6 sections, issues like origin parts of medicine, doctors training
• therapeutic substances, food, surgery, treatment of wounds, anatomy
• Surgery most useful branch, info on techniques practices in ancient IN
• Removal of cataract, cutting for bladder stone, remove splinter of arrows, suturing.
• Concept of dosha/humours, Dhatu/tissues and Mala/waste product central to AV; dosha’s are vata/wind, pitta/bile, Kapha/phlegm, 7 basic elements of body
• Disease caused by inordinate build-up of Doshas; caused due to demons, suppression of natural urges, karma;
• Epidemics caused by rats, bad water, mosquitoes;

Other Writings

• Vagabhata’s Ashtangahridaya and Ashtangasamgraha : comprehensive, sysematic presentation of AV medical knowledge
• Sharangadhara Samhita
• Kashyapa’s work deals w/ disease of Children
• Translated into Tibetan, Arabic, Persian
• Palakapya wrote Hastyaayurveda for treatement of disease through medication, surgery