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<p>In the history of human civilisation, light is one of the most fascinating topics in the fields of science and philosophy. The present study critically examines whether the speed of light was conceptually known in pre-Rømer India or whether its correspondence with modern values reflects a forced interpretation. In medieval India, the reputed commentator Sāyaṇācārya mentioned a formula in his commentary on the <i>Ṛgveda</i> that has been interpreted to represent the speed of light. While some scholars have supported this reading, others dismiss it as a forced interpretation. Drawing upon primary texts such as the <i>Sūryasiddhānta</i> and the works of Āryabhaṭa, Bhāskara II, and Brahmagupta, as well as the <i>Mahābhārata, Manusmṛti</i>, and <i>Purāṇas</i>, the study examines traditional units such as <i>nimeṣa</i> and <i>yojana</i>. These values are then analysed quantitatively and compared with modern measurements. Variations across textual traditions arise from differing reference values for these units, not from conceptual error. The study shows that Sāyaṇācārya’s numerical value for the speed of light, when analysed using traditional units, shows notable numerical proximity to the modern value under certain traditional assumptions.</p>

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Pre‑Rømer reflections on the speed of light in Indian texts: a scientific and philological reassessment of Sāyaṇa’s Ṛgveda commentary

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月3日

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  • Kartik Iyer,
  • Mohit Gour,
  • Govind Maurya

摘要

In the history of human civilisation, light is one of the most fascinating topics in the fields of science and philosophy. The present study critically examines whether the speed of light was conceptually known in pre-Rømer India or whether its correspondence with modern values reflects a forced interpretation. In medieval India, the reputed commentator Sāyaṇācārya mentioned a formula in his commentary on the Ṛgveda that has been interpreted to represent the speed of light. While some scholars have supported this reading, others dismiss it as a forced interpretation. Drawing upon primary texts such as the Sūryasiddhānta and the works of Āryabhaṭa, Bhāskara II, and Brahmagupta, as well as the Mahābhārata, Manusmṛti, and Purāṇas, the study examines traditional units such as nimeṣa and yojana. These values are then analysed quantitatively and compared with modern measurements. Variations across textual traditions arise from differing reference values for these units, not from conceptual error. The study shows that Sāyaṇācārya’s numerical value for the speed of light, when analysed using traditional units, shows notable numerical proximity to the modern value under certain traditional assumptions.