CANDiACCHlYAGANlf AM A work on astrology, Acaradipikn, which is a detailed commentary, in verse, on Muhurta$taka is ascribed to this Ravi. 1 The teacher of Nilakantha who actually initiated him into the science of astronomy and instructed him on the various principles underlying mathematical calculations was Damodara, son of the Kemla-Drgganita author Paramesvara, 2 of the Bhargavagotra and resident of the village of Alattur (Sanskritised into Asvatthagrama) which was situated quite near Nilakantha s own village. In his ABh.BM$ya, as also in his other works, Nilakantha reverentially refers to his teacher and his studies under him. He speaks of how even as a boy he stayed with his guru at the latter's residence prosecuting his studies; cf wn % StfcTT STTe* ft* etc. (ABh.Bhasya, TSS 110, p. 48). He also refers, often, to his teacher's views and quotes him ; cf st^rrt^i etc. (N's Grahana-grantha* in the Trivandrum Palace Collection," Ms. No 975 ; transcript with me, p. 61); ere^tanwqsreiqf: (ABh.Bhasya, TSS 101, p. 47); Pro * fT?T at* q^pfa: qs^fircqsnfafa: <3Tcp^;j m ;i 5T$*fa' etc." (ibid., p. 48); rRfa - " ^^^WfacW (Siddhuntadarpana-vyukhya, on verse 27, Ms. Trivandrum Palace Collection, No. 975 ; transcript with me, p. 30). Similar quotations and other references, which Nilakantha and later authors make, proclaim Damodara not only to be a prominent astronomer of the times but also as the author of erudite works on the subject, manuscripts of which, are yet to come to light. Nilakantha followed in the footsteps of Paramesvara, founder of the Drgganita system of astronomy in Kerala and one of. the fore- most astronomers of the land. For him Paramesvara was not only the revered father of his Guru but was also his Parama-Acarya, by which term he generally refers to him in his works; cf, m «n«fe- 1. Ulloor, Kerala Sahitya Caritram, vol. II, p. 114. For a Ms of this work, see Kerala Uni. Mss. Lib., No. 3336-B. 2. Cf. the detailed colophon quoted above, pp. xi-xii. 3. On this work, see below, p. xx.
