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

Introduction lxv
To controvert the theory of the movements, he
has divided his arguments to the contrary into three
classes. The movements are opposed to Sastric
authority, to common sense, and to logical
reasoning. To do him justice, I believe he would
not hesitate a moment to modify his views, could
he get the modern theory in all its details. He has
thus rendered a service to us by compelling us to
think. The same service was rendered by the heroic
John Hampden who a few years ago essayed to
prove that the world, instead of being a globe, was
in reality as flat as a table. There is a tendency on
the part of mankind when it has established any
doctrine, to assume that it cannot possibly be
disputed and so in time we even forget the
arguments by which the truth was established.
There is thus a need for these exceptional and more
or less original heretics who challenge our accepted
doctrines.
But the peculiarity of his theory is that though
the earth occupies the centre of the universe, the
planets do not revolve round it. They revolve round
the Sun, and the Sun taking all the planets along
with it revovles round the earth (V.6). The Moon
is of course a satellite of the earth, and makes no
difference in the old and new astronomy. But where
could he get the theory of the planets describing
ovals round the Sun ? It is not imported from the
West, but is a direct corollary from the elements of
the planets themselves. For if we plot the calculated
places of a planet with respect to the Sun, the former
will be found to describe something like an oval
round the latter.
Indeed, I believe that this view of the star
system was held by our ancient astronomers. We