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

xxxviii सिद्धान्त दर्पण
facts, as true for India as for Egypt or Greece. When
one learns a science from another, it is natural to
expect to find him copying not only the theory but
also the practice, write or wrong. Dr. Thibaut
repeats the suggestion made by Biot, that the early
Hindus learnt their astronomical theories probably
from Greek astrologers, and, the Doctor adds, also
from almanac-makers, whose knowledge was as
limited as that of there proto-types in the present
day.¹ This is certainly an ingenious hypothesis; but
as has been already remarked having regard to our
ignorance respecting the growth and development
of the science in India as well as in Egypt, we cannot
but regard the hypothesis as not proven. I am
inclined to believe that our knowledge of the source
of Hindu astronomy has not advanced beyond the
point where Colebrooke found it. All that can be
safely asserted is what the illustrious oriental scholar
said, that "the Hindus have certainly received and
welcomed communications from other rations on
topics of astrology and we add, that their
indebtedness to Greece for the knowledge of
scientific astronomy is still an open question.²
But this a digression. We have said that
Chandrasekhara had made a real advance upon
existing Hindu astronomy. But the best test of a
theory lies in facts. For the reason given below, it
is not easy, however, to satisfy oneself whether his

1. See, Introduction to Pancha-Siddhantika by Dr. Thibaut
   and Mm. Suddhakara Dwivedi.
2. It is much to be desired that some competent scholar
   would collect the arguments for and against the theory
   of indebtedness, and let us know how far, and in
   what-direction, Greek influence on Hindu astronomy
   extended.