O INTRODUCTION kvii in all his available three works, Suryadeva styles himself as a triskandhartha'id', knower of the three branches of Jyotisa', viz., Gagnita (Siddhānta), Hora and Samhita. The statement is exemplified by his commentaries on the Aryabhaṭīya, Laghumānasa and Mahabhaskariya-vyakhy on Gатita (Siddhānta), Jātakapaddhati on Horā and Mahäyätra on Sarinhitů. The personal deity whom Suryadeva worshipped appears to be Lord Krsna whom he invokes as "the effulgence that is at the base of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe', at the beginning of his commentary on the Jatakapaddhati, in the verse : जगदुदयस्थितिसंहतिकारणमविकारि सच्चिदानन्दम् । श्रीमत् तत् कृष्णाख्यं तेजो मे हृदि सदा स्फुरतु ॥ He pays obeisance to Lord Krsna in his form as the charioteer of Arjuna on the battle-field, wielding the whip and preaching the apiritual doctrine of the Gita, at the beginning of his Laghumanasagakhyā also. Cf. * अध्यात्मविद्यामुपदेशयन्तं दृढं प्रपन्नाय धनञ्जयाय ॥ प्रतोदहस्तं प्रगृहीतरश्मि देवं प्रपद्ये वसुदेवसूनुम् ॥ He mentions Lord Krsna, son of Devaki, also towards the close of his commentary on the Jatakapaddhatt of Sripati (c. A. D. 1039), where he hopes that, by the grace of that God, he would be able to comment also on the Khandakhadyaka (of Brahmagupta). Cf. idanim Bhatta-Brahmaguptakrta-Khandakhadyakavyacikirsa vartate i taň ca Krşgo Devakiputrah parayişyati || 2. Date of Sūryadeva Definitive evidence is supplied by Suryadeva himself about his date. In the colophons to his Laghumānasa-vyākhyā, chs. III and III, he clearly states that he was born in the Saka year 1113 (FA. D. 1191) : ‘विश्वेश'-शाक-कुम्भार्कहस्तजूकक्षजन्मना । सूर्यदेवेन कथिता त्रिप्रश्नाध्यायवासना ॥ and 'विश्वेश'-शाक-कुम्भार्कहस्तजूकक्षजन्मना । वशिता सूर्यदेवेन प्रहणाध्यायवासना ॥
