The Jaina School of Astronomy
By Sukumar Ranjan Das
Summary
Das examines the contributions of the Jaina tradition to Indian astronomy. Starting from early canons like the Sūryaprajñapti, he charts how Jain scholars adapted astronomical concepts to fit their distinctive cosmology, which posits a lokākāśa with multiple continents and concentric oceans. The article describes Jaina units of time and space, their computation of planetary cycles, and their use of ephemerides in religious rites. Das compares Jaina calculations of eclipses, planetary conjunctions, and solstices with those found in Siddhāntic works, showing that Jaina astronomers often adopted the parameters of the Surya Siddhanta while maintaining separate cosmological diagrams. He pays particular attention to the Pañcasiddhāntikā, Vīrasena’s Dhavalā, and the works of later scholars like Mahāvīrācārya. Das concludes that Jaina astronomy, while scientifically similar to contemporaneous schools, reflects a unique worldview that shaped its theoretical discussions.
Conclusion
Das concludes that the Jaina school of astronomy cannot be dismissed as a derivative. By integrating prevailing astronomical knowledge into their own cosmology and ritual calendar, Jaina scholars preserved technical innovations and transmitted them to later Indian science. Their synthesis underscores the pluralistic nature of ancient Indian intellectual life.