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

lxiv सिद्धान्त दर्पण
like a top round its axis, far less of its rushing
onwards with headlong speed. Chandrasekhara had
not the advantage of our modern schools, and has
not imbibed the spirit of taking such things on trust.
His is a work of unaided effort, and it would be
surprising if he, along with the schoolboy, talked
of the movements of the earth. On the contrary, a
miserable Odia translation of a Bengali compilation
from English popular astronomy made him a
confirmed believer in the stationary condition of the
earth. The arguments put forth in the book to
establish the movements of the earth may be
sufficient to satisfy those who do not try to realize
the matter, but unfortunately were not convincing
to a man who struggled hard to reconcile the new
idea in all its bearings with his own observations.
Indeed, the translation and another of like
nature were the only sources from which
Chandrasekhara learnt something of western
knowledge. They may have so far influenced him
as to modify his ideas about physical astronomy,
vague indications of which will be seen in certain
passages of this work,¹ but had hardly any effect
upon his as regard mathematical astronomy. The
reader will find him doubtfully speaking of the
satellites of some of the planets, of the proportion
of land and water on the globe, and the latitudes
of one hundred and eight places derived from
modern Odia maps and other sources. In these he
sees no reason for disbelieving what is actually
observed. But where are the observed proofs of the
movements of the earth ?

1. See V, 79 for possible satellites, XI.40 for phases of
   planets; XVII. for force of gravitation, & c.