Article by Pidaparty Purna Satya Hariprasad

Development of Time Clocks started in 14^TH Century (1348-1362). They are nearly perfected in 17^TH/18^TH Centuries (1629-1719). They took time to reach markets. Now Atomic Clocks are available for precision in Europe, USA etc.

From times immemorial, India is known as Karma Bhumi where vedic and dharmic rituals enjoyed paramount importance. For this purpose, accurate determination of time was considered essential to derive the benefit of the rituals.

Following Sanskrit passages from VEDANGA JYOTISHAM provide evidence.

“Vedahi Yajnartham Abhipravuthah, kalanupurvya vihithascha yajnah.

Thasmath idam kalavidhana sastram yo jyotisham veda sa veda yajnaan”

“Kalajnanam mahath punyam kalascha aditya uchyathe”

“Pranamya sirasa kalam abhivadya saraswatheem.

Kalajnanam pravakshyami Lagadhasya Mahatmanah”

Meaning: The very purpose of Vedas is to prescribe how yajnas should be performed. Yajnas should be performed as per the auspicious time prescribed. Therefore JYOTISHA SASTRAM (astronomy and not astrology) helps accurate determination of auspicious time at which such rituals should be performed.

If one can determine time accurately and perform rituals that will clear all the sins and deliver the full benefits of rituals to those who perform. The SUN (the position) determines the time.

After bowing head to the concept of time, and praying Goddess Saraswathi, Lagadha Mahamuni described the methods of determining time accurately.

That, in brief, is the importance assigned to time in ancient Indian traditions.

How Time was determined in ancient India for performing Vedic and Dharmic rituals? How accurate were the systems? Do they work during the day, when sun is bright, or on a rainy or cloudy day, or in the night? Do they exist anywhere in the country? Are they functional? If they are not functional, can they be made to work? These are some of the questions that come to our mind. Purpose of this paper is to provide answers to these questions.

There is an interesting story related to water clocks. The famous astronomer Sri Bhaskaracharya II (12^th century AD) after reading the horoscope of his daughter, Leelavati, seems to have predicted that she would attain widowhood at a very young age. In order to avoid such a misfortune, he decided to set the best and strongest auspicious time (Muhurtham) for her marriage, using his prowess and knowledge. In order to arrive at the exact time he used, “Jala Yantram”, a water clock. He installed the water clock next to the marriage pandal, so as to enable the marriage to be solemnized at the accurate time. Leelavati, out of curiosity, bent over the pot to see how it works. Her ear ornament slipped and fell into that pot. This ornament partly blocked the way through which water was supposed to flow out. Based upon the amount of water that was to flow out of the pot, time would be determined. Because of this mishap, the water flow got delayed resulting in passing away of auspicious time without notice. The marriage was solemnized after the auspicious time had elapsed. Sri Bhaskaracharya realized that no one, even with immense knowledge and prowess, can change the pre-ordained fate. Leelavati was widowed soon after the marriage.

Out of love for his daughter, Sri Bhaskaracharya named his famous book on Mathematics as “Leelavati Ganitham”. This is one of the stories attributed to Leelavathi Ganitham. In the year 1934, Late Sri Pidaparty Krishnamurthy Sastry, father of this writer translated the book into Telugu with extensive commentary. Minister in the Vijayanagaram Maharaja’s court, Sri Yechuri Lakshmi Narasimham Panthulu encouraged him and made arrangements for his stay at their house while working on the translation. The then Maharajah of Jeypore (Orissa), Sri Vikrama Deva Verma financed the publication of the book.

Jala Yantram is one such tool to ascertain the time accurately on a rainy or cloudy day or in the night.

Such Time Measurement Systems used in ancient India may be broadly classified as follows:

What is the source of this knowledge?

In JYOTISHOPANITH ADHYAYA (13^th chapter) in SURYA SIDHANTHA there are six slokas/verses (19^th, 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th). They are in Sanskrit and read as follows:

“Kaala samsadhanardhaya thatha yantrani saadhayeth”

“Sanku, yashti, dhanuh, chakraih, chaya yantraih anekathah

Guru upadesaath vijneyam kaalajnanam athandrithaih (savadhanaih)

Thoya yantra kapalaadyaih mayura nara vaanaraih

Sa sutra renu garbhaischa samyak kalam prasaadhayeth

Paara dharambu sutrani sulva taila jalanicha

Bijani paamsavas-teshu prayogah thepi durlabhah”

Underlined words in italics “anekatha” and “Gurupadesath Vijneyam” assume significance. Meaning: any number of designs can be developed. It is left to the imagination of the designer. It cannot be done by reading a book. There must be a ‘Guru’. Details in English are in the above mentioned chart.

How ancient is SURYA SIDHANTHA?

2^ND sloka in Madhyamadhikara in SURYA SIDHANTHA reads as follows:

“Alpaavasiste tu krute Mayo nama mahasurah……………”

When Mayasura did penance, Surya Bhagavan gifted it to Mayasura for the benefit of mankind when Krita yuga is about to end. Threta yuga (12,96,000 years), Dwapara yuga (8,64,000 years), and Kali yuga (5,110 years expired) in that sequence followed Krita yuga. Thus it can be concluded that SURYA SIDHANTHA is at least 21,65,110 years old if it happened in the current Mahayuga (28^th). It is not clear in which Mahayuga SURYA SIDHANTHA was gifted to Mayasura. Each Mahayuga has a duration of 43,20,000 years.

But western scholars dated this treatise not more than 1500 years old i.e. 500 A.D. Surprisingly Surya Sidhantha was dated 500 A.D. and ARYA BHATA was dated 476 A.D. implying Surya Sidhantha was later than ARYA BHATEEYAM.

Author of Surya Sidhantha is unknown. It is known to be oldest treatise on Hindu Astronomy next only to VEDANGA JYOTISHA.

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur (Rajasthan India) created Jantar Mantars in Jaipur, New Delhi, Varanasi, Ujjain and Madhura (U.P.) about 350 years ago. Jantar Mantar in Madhura does not exist any more. One in Jaipur is fairly well maintained by the Rajasthan Government. One Jagannath Samrat who was associated with Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II designed and supervised the installation of various systems in Jantar Mantars.

The picture below is that of LARGE SAMRAT YANTRA (One-half) in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. It is not functional. Sometime during the last several years, a natural water spring developed and submerged lower portion of quadrants on either side of Gnomon (triangular structure). Then concrete was filled to control the flow of water from the natural spring on either side. Thus it became unusable. It is calibrated for every 2”. Such is the precision that can be achieved.

This is now under the administrative control of Archaelogical Survey of India. This writer offered his services, about 2 years ago, to The Director General of ASI to restore its condition and make it functional with calibrations for every 10” or 20”. The Director General of ASI immediately acknowledged the proposal and directed the Delhi circle head to do the needful. The proposal was shelved there.

The picture below is that of SUNDIAL installed under the authority of Emperor Aurangjeb > 300 years ago in Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad. It is not functional. What is missing is Gnomon. If Gnomon, a thin rod, is positioned correctly it becomes functional and shows two ‘Namaz’ timings, between noon and sunset, based on Gnomon’s shadow. Expenditure involved is very nominal. No one is sure whether ‘Namaz’ timings, now being followed without using this tool, are really the timings that Muslims should follow.

This writer volunteered to make it functional if he is authorised. Authorities administering Mecca Masjid asked the writer to make it functional but refused to authorise in writing. The writer could not progress further.

The picture below is an inclined SUNDIAL located on Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanya Kumar. It was designed by an Austrian some years ago. It is not properly aligned to the ‘True North’ or ‘Latitude’ at the location. It therefore shows wrong time – by about 12 minutes. It is not easily accessible. Visitors do not know that there is a SUNDIAL. There is no table (Equation of time showing the correction required to obtain IST). It is a beautiful design – of little utility. It is difficult to rectify the unit. It has to be rebuilt – same or different design. The writer explained the situation to the local head of Vivekananda Kendra and was asked to give a proposal. Proposal was given 3 years ago and it was shelved.

Late Sri Pidaparty Krishnamurty Sastry (1897-1977) father of this writer designed and installed a SUNDIAL near Sri Satyanarayana Swamy temple in Annavaram, East Godavari Dt (A.P.) in 1943. Here is the picture:

The marble dial showing time markings was damaged by some pilgrims in 1988. With the permission from The Commissioner, Department of Endowments (A.P.) the writer attempted to restore the unit to original condition. Due to non-co-operation of engineering staff, restoration was not very successful.

Look at this SUNDIAL.

This SUNDIAL was designed and installed by this writer in 2007 in the compound of ASHRAM PUBLIC SCHOOL, Kakinada, A.P. On the top left corner of the photo is the Equation of Time showing the correction to be made to convert the time shown on the dial to IST. Photo shows the time in the afternoon when SUN IS ON THE WESTERN SIDE of the Meridian. Dials are on white marble and Gnomon is granite slab.

This is another SUNDIAL designed and installed by the writer of this article.

This SUNDIAL was ready in April 2010. It is located near Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Dwaraka Thirumala (Chinna Tirupathi) in West Godavari Dist (A.P.). It is bigger in size and shows the time accurately.

Please see this special purpose SUNDIAL IN Toronto, Canada. 329 people were killed in AIR INDIA Kanishka crash on 22^nd June 1985. After 22 long years, a memorial was erected and inaugurated on 22^nd June 2007 by the Prime Minister of Canada. It is a beautiful design. The writer received the photo from Mr Roger Bailey, the then Secretary, SUNDIAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA on 23^rd June 2007. (Ralph Bouwmesester and the builders included Jeremy Craig, Victor Ford & Associates, Landscape Architect, and UCC Group). The shadow falls on 22^nd June every year at a point marked in the photo.

Due to precession of equinoxes the date on which shadow falls at that point may shift from 22^nd to 21^st June and then to 20^th June etc once every 72 years.

These are some of the examples. There are many other systems such as Astrolabe, Dhruvabhrama Yantra, Shashtamamsa yantra etc. Some selected reference books are listed here.

YANTRA RAJA by Mahendra Suri – 5 chapters – Ganita, Ghatana, Yantra Rachana, Yantra Sodhana, Vicharana
YANTRA RAJA RACHANA by Sawai Jai Singh II
YANTRA PRABHA by Srinatha
YANTRA RAJA PRABHA by Kedarnatha
YANTRA PRAKARA by Sawai Jai Singh II
SISHYADHIVRIDHIDA TANTRA by Lallaya – Chapter 21
SIDHANTHA SIROMANI by Bhaskaracharya II – Yantradhyaya – Chapter 19
ARYABHATA SINDHANTHA on Astronomcal Instruments – 34 verses – quoted by Ramakrishna Aradhya
PANCHASIDHANTIKA by Varahamihira – Chapter 14 – 29 verses
MAHABHASKARIYA by Chapter 3 – verses 56 to 60
LAGHU BHASKARIYA – Chapter 3 – of Bhaskara I
BRAHMASPHUTA SIDHANTHA of Brahmagupta – Chapter 22.
SIDHANTHA SEKHARA by Sripathi – Part II, Chapter 11.
YANTRA RATNAVALI by Padmanabha
DHRUVA BHRAMA YANTRADHIKARA – II chapter – 12 verses
YANTRA CHINTAMANI by Chakradhara
CHABUKAYANTRA / PRATODAYANTRA by Ganesh Daivajna
YANTRA PRAKASA by Ramachandra – 27 Instruments
SAMRAT SIDHANTHA – Yantradhyaya – 5 chapters
EARLY HISTORY OF ASTROLABE IN INDIA – Yukio Ohashi – IJHS – 32.3 (1997) 199-295
ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS – by R N Rai – IJHS – 20 (1985) – 308-36
ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS IN CLASSICAL SIDHANTHAS – Yukio Ohashi – IJHS 29.2 (1994) 155-313
DEVELOPMENT OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS in Vedic and Pre-Vedic India – Yukio Ohashi – IJHS 28.3 (1993) 185-251
TWO MUGHAL CELESTIAL GLOBES by SMR Ansari and AG Kulkarni – IJHS 28.1 (1993) 55-65.
SETTING UP OF WATER CLOCK … by S R Sarma

There many other books in Sanskrit. Most of them are no longer available in the bookshops.

For designing and installation of any system, what is required first is accurate determination of Latitude, Longitude and ‘True North’ coupled with knowledge of basics of Astronomy. Surya Sidhantha as well as Sidhantha Siromani provide methods to determine them accurately. ‘True North’ is not the same as ‘magnetic north’. International Astronomers acknowledged that it was ancient Indian Astronomers who developed methodology to determine ‘True North’ accurately.

Now any good GPS instrument will give accurate Latitude and Longitude at any location. It is difficult to rely on ‘True North’ given by GPS instruments for precision.

‘True North’ may be determined based on the method given in SURYA SIDHANTHA as follows:

“Find the centre of a circular metal plate or a card board with a radius of 24” that forms the base. Draw three concentric circles from the centre. Erect a 24” or 36” thin rod at the centre perpendicular to the base. The shadow from the tip of the rod will fall on the circumference of each of these circle two times in a day. Join each of these two points. Bisect each of the three lines and draw perpendicular lines at the point of bi-section (as shown in the picture below). The three lines should coincide. That is the direction of the True North. This method is discussed in chapter 3 of Surya Siddhantam, { “A History of Science” by George Sartin (page 174)}

The writer attempted to develop a ‘Garden of Time Measurement Systems in ancient India’ – a collection of some selected elegant designs somewhere in Andhrapradesh so that future generations will recall and remember our heritage. Also it would a unique attraction for visitors. Such a collection need not be a replica of any Jantar Mantar. This dream is unlikely to materialize into a reality.

Perhaps, Indians have less national pride with respect to their heritage. What is on the other side of the fence appears greener and brighter for many Indians. There is no other explanation one can offer for such an indifference to activity of restoration of national heritage.