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<p><i>Vedāṅga-jyotiṣa</i> (c. 1400 <span>BCE</span>), the earliest known Indian astronomical text, introduces one of the first instances in Indian literature of a formula in the form of a linear equation connecting the length of the day with the number of days elapsed since the winter solstice. The paper critically examines this equation, highlighting its significance as an early example of abstract mathematical representation and for igniting a scholarly debate concerning the geographical origins of this text based on the latitude suggested by its day-night duration calculations. This study contests earlier hypotheses positing Mesopotamian influence and instead shows that the data optimally fits the lengths of the daytime as observed in the latitudes around <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(29^{\circ}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <msup> <mn>29</mn> <mo>∘</mo> </msup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> N, located well within India, and is totally inapplicable to Mesopotamian latitudes except at the solstices. The investigation extends to similar linear equations in subsequent <i>Siddhānta</i> texts, assessing their mathematical and geographical relevance.</p>

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Insights from the computation of the duration of day in Vedāṅga-jyotiṣa

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月1日

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  • Varuneshwar Reddy Mandadi,
  • D. G. Sooryanarayan,
  • K. Ramasubramanian

摘要

Vedāṅga-jyotiṣa (c. 1400 BCE), the earliest known Indian astronomical text, introduces one of the first instances in Indian literature of a formula in the form of a linear equation connecting the length of the day with the number of days elapsed since the winter solstice. The paper critically examines this equation, highlighting its significance as an early example of abstract mathematical representation and for igniting a scholarly debate concerning the geographical origins of this text based on the latitude suggested by its day-night duration calculations. This study contests earlier hypotheses positing Mesopotamian influence and instead shows that the data optimally fits the lengths of the daytime as observed in the latitudes around \(29^{\circ}\) 29 ∘ N, located well within India, and is totally inapplicable to Mesopotamian latitudes except at the solstices. The investigation extends to similar linear equations in subsequent Siddhānta texts, assessing their mathematical and geographical relevance.