ब्राह्मस्फुटसिद्धान्त (ब्रह्मगुप्त - शून्य, कुट्टक, बीजगणित एवं सम्पूर्ण २१ अध्याय सान्वय सटीक)

192 BRAHMAGUPTA AS AN ALGEBRAIST .
Bhāskara and by other astronomical writers; and the
title of the work, Brāhmasiddhānta or sometimes Brāh-
masphuṭasiddhānta, corresponds, in the shorter form,
to the known title of Brahmagupta's treatise in the
usual references to it by Bhāskara's commentators, and
answers, in the longer form, to the designation of it, as
indicated in an introductory couplet which is quoted
from Brahmagupta by Lakṣmīdāsa, a scholiast of Bhās-
kara II. Remarking this coincidence, the translator
proceeded to collate, with the text and commentary,
numerous quotations from both, which he found in
Bhāskara's writings or in those of his expositors. The
result confirmed the indication and established the
identity of both text and scholia as Brahmagupta's
treatise, and the gloss of Pṛthūdaka. The authenticity
of the Brāhmasiddhānta is further confirmed by numer-
ous quotations in the commentary of Bhaṭṭotpala on
the Saṁhitā of Varāhamihira : as the quotations from
the Brāhmasiddhānta, in that commentary, (which is
the work of an author who flourished eight hundred
and fifty years ago) are verified in the copy under
consideration. A few instances of both will suffice,
and cannot fail to produce conviction.
It is confidently concluded, that the chapters on arith-
metic and algebra, fortunately entire in a copy in many
parts imperfect, of Brahmagupta's celebrated work as
here described, are genuine and authentic. It remains
to investigate the age of the author.
Mr. Davis, who first opined to the public a correct
view of the astronomical computations of the Hindus,
is of opinion, that Brahmagupta lived in the seventh
century of the Christian era. Dr. William Hunter, who
resided for some time with a British Embassy at Ujjay-
inī, and made diligent researches into the remains of
Indian science at that ancient seat of Hindu astrono-
mical knowledge, was there furnished, by the learned
astronomers whom he consulted, with the ages of the
principal ancient authorities. They assigned to Brah-
magupta the date of 550 Saka; which answers to A.D.