K. V. Sarma

Krishna Venkateswara Sarma (* December 27 1919 in Chengannur, Kerala, † 13 January 2005) was an Indian mathematics and astronomy historian, Sanskrit scholar and Indologist.

Sarma went in Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram to school and then studied physics with a bachelor's degree in 1940 and Sanskrit with the master's degree in 1942. Afterwards it was until 1951 head of the manuscript department of the Oriental Research Institute, University of Kerala with almost 50,000 manuscripts in Sanskrit and Malayalam which he cataloged. 1951 to 1962 he was in the Department of Sanskrit, University of Madras. Here he began his thorough source studies and collections for Kerala school of mathematics and astronomy, which he followed all his life.

In 1962 he went to the Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Visvesvaranand Studies of Punjab University in Hoshiarpur. In 1983, he moved to Chennai. He remained there until shortly before his death scientifically active.

He was considered a leading specialist in the South Indian astronomers and mathematicians School of Kerala, whose meaning he recognized and whose texts he published. From the Kerala School, he published, among other works of Haridatta ( 7th century ), Madhava ( 1340-1425 ), Parameswara ( 1360-1455 ) and Nilakantha Somayaji ( 1444-1544 ). Among other things, he gave the astronomical treatise Tantrasamgraha (completed in 1501) of Nilakantha out and the commentary ( Yuktibhasa ) of Jyesthadeva ( 1500 to 1575 ) out.

He was with KS Shukla editor of the astronomical main work of Aryabhata ( Aryabhatiya ).

Sarma 1977, he received an honorary doctorate (D. Litt. ) Of the Panjab University and in 1992 was awarded the Certificate of Honour of the President of India.

In the 1990s he founded the Sree Sarada Education Society and an associated research institute, which he left his book and manuscript collection, so that they continue to work.

Writings

He wrote over 100 books and 600 scientific papers.

• A history of the Kerala school of Hindu astronomy ( in perspective ), Hoshiarpur: Vishveshvaranand Institute 1972
• A bibliography of Kerala and Kerala -based astronomy and astrology, Hoshiarpur: Vishveshvaranand Institute 1972
• As editor and commentator: Lilavati of Bhāskarācārya with Kriyākramakarī of Sankara and Nārāyaṇa. Being an Elaborate exposition of the rationale of Hindu Mathematics. Critically edited with Introduction and Appendices, Hoshiarpur: Vishveshvaranand Institute 1975
• Observational astronomy in India, Dept. of Sanskrit, University of Calicut 1990
• With KS Shukla: Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata, New Delhi: the Indian National Science Academy in 1976
• With K. Ramasubramanian, MD Srinivas, MS Sriram Ganita - Yukti - Bhasa ( Rationales in Mathematical Astronomy ) of Jyesthadeva. Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Springer Verlag, 2008 (in Malayalam and English)
• Yuktibhāṣā of Jyeṣṭhadeva: A book of rational in Indin mathematics and astronomy - an analytical appraisal, Indian Journal of History of Science, Volume 26, 1991, 185-207.
• Various articles on Indian mathematics and astronomy in Helaine Selin (Editor) Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non- western cultures, Springer 1997
• Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan with, Vempati Kutumbasastri Science Texts in Sanskrit in the Manuscripts Repositories of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, New Delhi: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan 2002 ( directory of over 3500 manuscripts )
• Harekrishna Satapathy (Editor): Facets of Indian astronomy: a collection of articles of Prof. KV Sarma, Rashtirya Sanskrit University, 2009