सिद्धान्तदर्पण (महामहोपाध्याय सामन्त चन्द्रशेखर सिंह - नग्न-नेत्र खगोल वेध एवं गणित महाकोश)

xxiv सिद्धान्त दर्पण
that the almanac-makers of Bengal would not be
believe in any variation in accepted duration of the
tithis. Hearing this, he was silent for a minute or
two, as if he doubted the fact. Being pressed for
his opinion, he quoted a line from his work,
meaning that arguments can never defeat the results
of direct observation.
He had read in a vernacular text book that the
sun sometimes exhibited dark spots on his radiant
orb, and was anxious to see if it was really so. I
asked him to accept the fact as true; but he said he
would not believe it unless he saw spots with his
own eyes. To this I retorted by asking if he had
ever believed in the existence of the seven
atmospehrs of the Siddhantas. His reply was that
the statement was to be taken at what it was worth,
and he had no opinion of his own to give. The
minimum sun-spot period had been passing; but a
few that he saw made him reflect upon them a long
while.
None can read his life without gaining a fresh
insight into the marvellous thoroughness with
which our ancestors devoted themselves to their
studies, our universitymen being only surface-deep
in subjects more than one. The living breath of
science has departed from India with the departure
of men whom Chandrasekhara had made his ideal.
He is an adherent of truth obtained by direct
observation, and with all his respect for the
ancients, would not hesitate to denounce a Sastric
authority, if a proof to the contrary were obtained.
Were he placed in a well-equipped observatory of
modern days, I doubt not he would enrich science
with his assiduous labour and valuable obser-
vations.