Yavanesvara

Yavanesvara (Sanskrit for "Lord" ("Svara") "of the Greeks" ("Yavanas")") was a man who lived in the Gujarat region of India under the rule of the Western Kshatrapa Saka king Rudrakarman I.

In 149-150 CE, Yavanesvara translated the "Yavanajataka" ("Saying of the Greeks"), one of the earliest writings of Indian astrology, from Greek to Sanskrit:

:"Previously Yavanesvara (the lord of the Greeks), whose vision of the truth came by favor of the Sun and whose language is flawless, translated this ocean of words, this jewel-mine of horoscopy, which was guarded by its being written in his tongue (i.e., Greek), but the truth of which was seen by the foremost of kings (in the year) 71; (he translated) this science of genethlialogy for the instruction of the world by means of excellent words." (Chapter 79/60-61 The Yavanajataka of Sphujidhvaja)

In the "Yavanajataka" he documents and explains various words of the Greek language, such as "diametros" or "dekanos" (zodiacal signs).

Yavanasvera was himself a Greek living in India, as the original Greek text is said to have been written "in his tongue" ("this jewel-mine of horoscopy, which was guarded by its being written in his tongue").

References

* "The Yavanajataka of Sphujidhvaja", Harvard Oriental Series, David Pingree, 1978, ISBN 0-674-96373-3
* "The Shape of Ancient Thought", Thomas McEvilley, ISBN 1-58115-203-5

External links

* [http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Yavanesvara.html Biography of Yavanesvara]
* [http://www.brihaspati.net/yavana_jataka.htm The Yavanajataka of Sphujidhvaja (full text)]