Utpala

Utpala or IAST|Bhaṭṭotpala ("IAST|Bhaṭṭa-utpala") is the name of a 10th century Indian commentator of Vārāha Mihira's "Brihat Samhitā". Brihat Samhitā is a Samhitā text of IAST|Jyotiṣa (Indian astrology and astronomy) . Samhitā is one of three branches of IAST|Jyotiṣa (Samhitā has many other meanings outside IAST|Jyotiṣa.

He is known for quoting six verses from Surya Siddhanta which are not found in the extant version of Surya Siddhānta. These six verses can be found in the 'Introduction' by S.Jain to the translation of Surya Siddhānta made by E. Burgess [Many publishers have published this translation of Surya Siddhānta by Burgess which was originally published in 1858. Orient Book Centre of Delhi published this translation of Surya Siddhānta by Burgess edited by S. Jain who wrote an introduction 50 pages long.] .

He is also the author of a commentary on Brahmagupta's "IAST|Khaṇḍa-khādyaka" (7th century). In this, he is a successor of Prthudaka and a predecessor of Amaraja.

Name

In Sanskrit, the neuter noun "utpala" has two meanings, both given by "IAST|Amarakoṣa" (a lexicon of circa. 400 AD). The first meaning is "white lotus" also known as "kuvalaya" in Sanskrit, according to IAST|Amarakoṣa ["IAST|Amarakoṣa" 1.10.37] [For electronic edition of Amarakoṣa definition see: [http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sohum/amar/amar1.itx] .] . The second meaning of "utpala" is a variety of medicinal plant known as 'IAST|kooṭh' in Hindi and 'IAST|kusṭham, vyādhi, paribhavyam or pāribhavyam, vāpyam, pākalam' according to IAST|Amarkośa ["IAST|Amarakoṣa" 2.4.126] [For electronic edition of Amarakoṣa definition see: [http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sohum/amar/amar2.itx] .]

Monier-Williams gives following meanings of "utpala" :(1)the blossom of the blue lotus or Nymphaea Caerulea (-Mahābhārata, Rāmāyana, Suśruta, Raghuvamsa, Meghdoota, etc),(2) a seed of the Nymphaea Caerulea (-Suśruta), (3) the plant Costus Speciosus (-Bhagavata Purāna), (4) any water-lily, any flower, (-lexicons) (5) a particular hell (-Buddhist literature), (6) name of a Nāga, (7)names of several persons including an astronomer, (8)its feminine form "utpalā" meant a river (-Harivamśa), (9) its feminine form "utpalā" also meant a kind of cake made of unwinnowed corn (-lexicons);

an unrelated homonym, compounded from "ud" "apart" + "pala" "flesh" means 'fleshless, emaciated' (-lexicons) and is the name of a particular hell (-lexicons).

*Citation
last =Monier-Williams
first =Monier
author-link =Monier Monier-Williams
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
editor-last=
editor-first =
year =1899
title =A Sanskrit-English Dictionary
edition =
volume =
place =Delhi
publisher =Motilal Banarsidass
id =
isbn =
doi =
oclc =
url =http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/mw/
accessdate =.
*Citation
last=Śāstri
first=Hargovinda
year=1978
title=IAST|Amarkoṣa with Hindi commentary
place=Vārānasi
publisher=Chowkhambā Sanskrit Series Office
edition=
isbn=

Lotus

Utpala is a kind of flower which is usually appeared in the Thangka of Tibetan. It rises from mud, and is like water lily or lotus. Utpala is a symbol of the pure. Several traditional deities of Tibet including Tārā have been depicted holding Utpala flowers in hands. Tārā is a famous deity in Buddhism and is also worshipped by Shakti-worshipping Hindus as well esp. in Eastern India,e.g., Mithila.

Notes

References

* David Pingree, "The Beginning of Utpala's Commentary on the Khaṇḍakhādyaka", Journal of the American Oriental Society (1973).
*B. Chatterjee (trans.), "The Khandakhadyaka (an astronomical treatise) of Brahmagupta; With the commentary of Bhattotpala", 2 vols., Calcutta (1970).
*Surya Siddhānta (Text with translation and Notes) [A Text-Book of Hindu Astronomy] , translation by E.Burgess, with Sanskrit text and edited by S.Jain. Oriental Book Centre,5824 New Chandrawal, Near Shiv Mandir, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi-110007,2005; ISBN 81-8315-017-9.

ee also

*Indian science and technology
*Indian mathematics
*Hindu astronomy