Learning with spheres. The \textit{golādhyāya} in Nityānanda's \textit{Sarvasiddhāntarāja} (Q7002237)

The book under review provides for the first time a critical edition and English translation of the chapter on spheres (\textit{golādhyāya}) from Nityananda's \textit{Sarvasiddhāntarāja}, an astronomical text in Sanskrit written in the 17th century. It is accompanied by critical notes and technical analyses, necessary figures and tables.\N\NThe political and linguistic world of 17th-century India promoted cross cultural exchanges between Sanskrit and Islamicate astronomy. Nityananda in his \textit{Sarvasiddhāntarāja} attempts to reconcile Sanskrit and Islamicate astronomy.\N\NIn his \textit{Sarvasiddhāntarāja}, Nityananda offers three distinct justifications for accepting the three siddhāntas, namely the Romaka Siddhānta, the Surya Siddhānta and the Brāhmasphuṭa Siddhānta. In his \textit{golādhyāya}, Nityananda talks about the bhūgola sphere of the Earth, right celestial sphere bhagola, the oblique celestial sphere khagola, and the visible celestial sphere dṛggola. Eight manuscripts have been consulted for preparing the critical edition. The critical edition itself has been prepared meticulously. It is followed by the edited Sanskrit text and English translation. There are copious notes often referring to Puranas and other Sanskrit texts.\N\NThe Appendices A, B and C, the bibliography and the word index only enrich the contents of the text. Through this book, so well researched, the author has brought to the fore some of the ways in which traditional Sanskrit astronomy functioned and flourished in early Mughal India.