Govinda Bhaṭṭathiri (also known as Govinda Bhattathiri of Thalakkulam or Thalkkulathur) ( 1237 – 1295) (p.15) was an Indian astrologer and

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

who flourished in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

during the thirteenth century CE. Govinda Bhaṭṭatiri was born in the

Nambudiri The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal el ...

family known by the name Thalakkulathur in the village of Alathiyur,

Tirur Tirur is a Municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala spread over an area of . It is one of the business centers of Malappuram district and is situated west of Malappuram and south of Kozhikode, on the Shoranur–Manga ...

in Kerala. He was traditionally considered to be the progenitor of the Pazhur

Kaniyar Kaniyar is a caste from the Indian state of Kerala. There are regional variations in the name used to define them. They are listed under the Other Backward Communities (OBC) by the Kerala Government. Traditions of origin Kathleen Gough has r ...

family of astrologers. He is an important figure in the Kerala astrological traditions. (pp.55 – 64)

Works

Govinda wrote ''Nauka'', a commentary on ''Brihat Jataka''. Earlier scholars also assigned to him the authorship of '' Daśādhyāyī'', another commentary on ''Brihat Jataka'' written with same narrative style. Recent research suggests that ''Nauka'' was the original commentary written by Govinda and ''Daśādhyāyī'' was an abridged version rearranged by another person in the 15th century. The authorship of the ''Daśādhyāyī'' was assigned to Govinda Bhattathiri in the ''Ithihyamala'' written by Sankunni during late 19th century. ''Daśādhyāyī'' is considered to be the most important of the 70 known commentaries on this text. Govinda wrote another important work in astrology titled ''Muhūrttaratnaṃ''.

Paramesvara Vatasseri Parameshvara Nambudiri ( 1380–1460) was a major Indian mathematician and astronomer of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama. He was also an astrologer. Parameshvara was a proponent of o ...

(ca.1380–1460), an astronomer of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics known for the introduction of the ''Dṛggaṇita'' system of astronomical computations, composed an extensive commentary on this work. In this commentary Paramesvara had indicated that he was a grandson of a disciple of the author of ''Muhūrttaratnaṃ''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Govinda Bhattathiri Hindu astronomy History of mathematics Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics Indian astrologers 1230s births 1290s deaths 13th-century Indian astronomers 13th-century astrologers Scholars from Kerala