Scientific Literature in Sanskrit

S. R. Sarma was formerly the Prof. of Sanskrit, Aligarh Muslim Univ. After his retirement, he was the editor of Indian Journal of History of Science, as well as visiting professor at Kyoto Univ. and University of British Columbia, Vancouver and Harvard University. His research focuses on India’s history of mathematics, astronomy, and astronomical instrumentation. His most recent publications are The Archaic and the Exotic. Studies in the History of Indian Astronomical Instruments (2008) and Sanskrit Astronomical Instruments in the Maharaja Sayajirao Univ. Baroda (2009) and (jointly avec Takanori Kusuba and Takao Hayashi and Michio Yao) Ganitasarakaumudi, the Moonlight of the Essences of Mathematics by Thakkura Pheru (2008).
G. Jan Meulenbeld and David Pingree have brought to our attention the immense volume and diversity of sanskrit literature about Jyotihsastra, and Ayurveda through their monumental works, which are a census of the science and history Indian medical literature. Even though the literature on other scientific topics is not as impressive, it is still quite extensive. The richness of Sanskrit scientific literature can be seen in the papers in Section 8 on Scientific Literature at the 13th World Sanskrit Conference held in Edinburgh, July 10th-14th 2006. These papers are included in this volume. These ten papers span a broad range of subjects, including astronomy and mathematics as well as divination, gemmology (musicology), alchemy, maths, and perfumery. K. Ramasubramanian’s ‘The notion of proof within Indian Science’ is a comparative study of the methods of three astronomers by S. Balachandra Rao…………… ‘Yantraraja in Edinburgh’ (by Sarma),…………. Vols. of Papers from the 12th WSC in Helsinki. 2, 3.2. 5, 7, 8, 9., 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 & 11.1 are already published.