xliv ARYABHATIYA A mention might be made here of the "General Introductions' to his commentary on the Aryabhatiya (pp. 1-7) and the elaborate Upodghataprakarana to his Laghumanasa-vyakhya, indicating the place of Jyotisa as an auxiliary of the Veda (Vedanga), the objectives of the discipline, its main division into Ganita, Hora and Samhita, the secondary divisions thereof, and the purpose served by each division. Towards the end, he also states his objective in attempting to compose the commentary. 2. Critical approach Suryadeva's commentaries are characterised by a critical approach. This is best exemplified by his commentary on the Laghumanasa. Often he distinguishes correct readings from corrupt ones and, at places, argues about the authenticity of a reading. An instance in point is his commentary on A, Gola., 14 (c-d) : उज्जयिनी लङ्कायाः तच्चतुरंशे समोत्तरतः ॥ After explaining the text according to the above reading, Suryadeva notices that the expression taccaturamie, i.e., one fourth of 90 (=22) does not have any astronomical significance and, so, asserts that the correct reading should be paicadasanse, i.e., one fifteenth of 360' (=24) which indicates the place where the Sun has the maximum declination. A similar instance which occurs in the commentary on the Laghumānasa, IV. 5, may also be cited here : चरतानांशषड्वर्ग:विशेषेणाक्षभाहतात् । स्वविक्षेपादवाप्तेन स्वचर संस्कृत स्फुटम्। After commenting on the verse according to the above reading, Suryadeva observes : अत्र सूत्रकृता षट्प्ष्त्रशतो भादि'श्चरतानांश' इति स्थूलदृष्टया उत्तम्, यस्माद् भागहारस्य षड्वर्गस्योक्तन्यायेन त्रिज्यातः तद्युव्यासार्धकृता सर्वदेशेषु क्रियता SLLSS LSSSMSSSMSSSLSLSLSSSLSCS 1. Cf. : एवं अर्कस्योत्तरपरमापक्रमावच्छिन्नप्रदेशज्ञानार्थ उज्जयिन्युपदेश इति संगच्छते । षोडशभागस्थाया उज्जयिन्या उपदेशे न किञ्चित् प्रयोजनं पश्यामः, तस्य सार्घविशतिभागात्मकत्वात् तस्य क्वचिदपि प्रयोजनाभावात् । 'अतः सुष्ठूक्तम्— उज्जयिनी लङ्कायाः पञ्चदशांशे समोत्तरतः । इति । (p. 136)
