Sankara Varman
Encyclopedia
Sankara Varman is an astronomer
-mathematician
belonging to the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. He is best known as the author of Sadratnamala
, a treatise on astronomy and mathematics, composed in 1819. Sankara Varman is considered as the last notable figure in the long line of illustrious astronomers and mathematicians in the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics beginning with Sangamgrama Madhava
. Sadratnamala
was composed in the traditional style followed by members of the Kerala school at a time when India
had been introduced to the western style of mathematics and of writing books in mathematics. One of Varman's contribution to mathematics was his computation of the value of the mathematical constant π
correct to 17 decimal places.
, Kerala
, in the year 1774. He had two elder brothers, the eldest being Raja Udaya varma, the ruler of the principality, and second one being Rama Varma
, the crown prince. Local people referred to Varman as Appu Thampuran. Katattanad principality was under the suzerainty of the Zamorin of Calicut
. The family deity of Sankara Varman was Goddess Parvati
installed in the temple of Lokamalayarkavu and he was also a devotee of Lord Krisna.
Varman completed the composition of Sadratnamala
in 1819. He also wrote a Malayalam commentary on Sadratnamala
. Two versions of the text of Sadratnamala
and their commentaries have been discovered. A critical examination of the manuscripts suggests that both are written by Varman, one being a revision of the other.
During the invasion of Malabar by Mysore rulers during 1766 - 1781, many people including members of royal families fled Malabar and took shelter in Travancore
. This brought the principality of Katattanad also into close contact with the Travancore
Royal Family. Varman was especially attached to Maharaja Swati Tirunal (1813–47).
Varman was an astute astrologer
. There is a legend
that he predicted the time of his own death as being in 1839, the year in which he died.
attached to its Madras establishment. Whish spoke of him and his work thus: "The author of Sadratnamalah is SANCARA VARMA, the younger brother of the present Raja of Cadattanada near Tellicherry, a very intelligent man and acute mathematician. This work, which is a complete system of Hindu astronomy, is comprehended in two hundred and eleven verses of different measures, and abounds with fluxional forms and series, to be found in no work of foreign or other Indian countries." Whish was the first to bring to the notice of the western mathematical scholarship the achievements of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
-mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
belonging to the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. He is best known as the author of Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala is an astronomical-mathematical treatise in Sanskrit written by Sankara Varman, an astronomer-mathematician of the Kerala school of mathematics, in 1819. Even though the book has been written at a time when western mathematics and astronomy had been introduced in India, it is composed...
, a treatise on astronomy and mathematics, composed in 1819. Sankara Varman is considered as the last notable figure in the long line of illustrious astronomers and mathematicians in the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics beginning with Sangamgrama Madhava
Madhava of Sangamagrama
Mādhava of Sañgamāgrama was a prominent Kerala mathematician-astronomer from the town of Irińńālakkuţa near Cochin, Kerala, India. He is considered the founder of the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics...
. Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala is an astronomical-mathematical treatise in Sanskrit written by Sankara Varman, an astronomer-mathematician of the Kerala school of mathematics, in 1819. Even though the book has been written at a time when western mathematics and astronomy had been introduced in India, it is composed...
was composed in the traditional style followed by members of the Kerala school at a time when India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
had been introduced to the western style of mathematics and of writing books in mathematics. One of Varman's contribution to mathematics was his computation of the value of the mathematical constant π
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
correct to 17 decimal places.
Biographical sketch
Varman was born as a younger prince in the principality of Katattanad, in North MalabarNorth Malabar
North Malabar , is a historic as well as geographic distinction in India used to refer the area covering; present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady taluk of Wayanad District and Koyilandy & Vatakara taluks of Kozhikode District in modern Kerala and the entire Mahé sub-Division of...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, in the year 1774. He had two elder brothers, the eldest being Raja Udaya varma, the ruler of the principality, and second one being Rama Varma
Rama Varma
The name Rama Varma refers to a number of persons from many royal families of Kerala, including many members of the Cochin Royal Family:* Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran* Sir Sri Rama Varma a.k.a Rajarshi and Abdicated Highness of Cochin...
, the crown prince. Local people referred to Varman as Appu Thampuran. Katattanad principality was under the suzerainty of the Zamorin of Calicut
History of Kozhikode
Kozhikode , also known as Calicut, is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the third largest city in Kerala and the headquarters of Kozhikode district....
. The family deity of Sankara Varman was Goddess Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
installed in the temple of Lokamalayarkavu and he was also a devotee of Lord Krisna.
Varman completed the composition of Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala is an astronomical-mathematical treatise in Sanskrit written by Sankara Varman, an astronomer-mathematician of the Kerala school of mathematics, in 1819. Even though the book has been written at a time when western mathematics and astronomy had been introduced in India, it is composed...
in 1819. He also wrote a Malayalam commentary on Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala is an astronomical-mathematical treatise in Sanskrit written by Sankara Varman, an astronomer-mathematician of the Kerala school of mathematics, in 1819. Even though the book has been written at a time when western mathematics and astronomy had been introduced in India, it is composed...
. Two versions of the text of Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala
Sadratnamala is an astronomical-mathematical treatise in Sanskrit written by Sankara Varman, an astronomer-mathematician of the Kerala school of mathematics, in 1819. Even though the book has been written at a time when western mathematics and astronomy had been introduced in India, it is composed...
and their commentaries have been discovered. A critical examination of the manuscripts suggests that both are written by Varman, one being a revision of the other.
During the invasion of Malabar by Mysore rulers during 1766 - 1781, many people including members of royal families fled Malabar and took shelter in Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
. This brought the principality of Katattanad also into close contact with the Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
Royal Family. Varman was especially attached to Maharaja Swati Tirunal (1813–47).
Varman was an astute astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
. There is a legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
that he predicted the time of his own death as being in 1839, the year in which he died.
Whish's acquaintance
Varman was a close acquaintance of C.M. Whish a civil servant of East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
attached to its Madras establishment. Whish spoke of him and his work thus: "The author of Sadratnamalah is SANCARA VARMA, the younger brother of the present Raja of Cadattanada near Tellicherry, a very intelligent man and acute mathematician. This work, which is a complete system of Hindu astronomy, is comprehended in two hundred and eleven verses of different measures, and abounds with fluxional forms and series, to be found in no work of foreign or other Indian countries." Whish was the first to bring to the notice of the western mathematical scholarship the achievements of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics.