अयनचलनांशाः धनात्मकाः पञ्चदशसंख्या बभूवुः । प्रायिकत्वं च कलांष्टिकाधिकत्वात । यतो भार्गव-परमेश्वराचार्येण अस्मत्परमगुरुणा ‘चलांशास्स्वं' (4536) इति कल्यब्दे परीक्ष्य पञ्चदशांशपूर्तिनिर्णीता । अतः सन्ध्याष्टमांशशतांशास्य प्रायिकत्वम् । स्वजन्मकालज्ञापनार्थ चैवमुक्तम् । तदा अहर्गणश्च ‘त्यजाम्यज्ञतां तकै: (16,60,181) इति । (p. 17, below) Here, Nilakantha himself says that he was born on the Kali day 16,60,181, which works out to A.D. 1443 Dec. (Kali 4545 VScika) That Nilakantha lived to a ripe old age , even to become a centenarian, is attested by a contemporary reference made of him in a Malayalam work on astrology, wiट., the Pra57as/'d by Madhava, a Namputiri brāhuman of the licakkazhva house in Kerala, who wrote his w6ork in A.D. 1542-43. Here, Madhava says that he could count upon reputed authorities like 'Kelamallur' to recommend his work. C. : a1-āyat-adaravil adiyil Attimattam lokottaran pumar-itin-iha 'Kalarlallur' | ābhāsar allarivatu!lavar adarippān porum prasiddhi perikollavar uptamekam || The date of composition of this work, Pra57asara , is given as Kali 4644 (A.D. 1542-43) by the following verse in the work itself : ezhumuttorupattertavatu Kollam ataya nal | varumma visuvad blhayatatyam१ (4644) kalyabdam āyatu // Rightly does Nilakantha remark in his 4.Bhasya मयाद्य प्रवयसा यथाकथंचिदेव व्याख्यानमारब्धम् (7ऽऽ 101, p. 156). Moreover, we know of at least two more works composed by him subsequent to his writing the 281.Bhasya, wiळ., the commentary on the Siddhanta-darp010 and the work on eclipses etc., both of which quote the ABl.Bhasya. 1 Wersatility 0f Nullakantha For a mere Jyautisika and one who had specialised only on its astronomical aspect, Nilakantha seems to be very well read. Every other page of his writings substantiate his knowledge of the several branches of Indian philosophy and culture. Sundararāja, the Tamil astronomer, calls him $41-da7:5a7-praigat८, ‘one who had mastered the six systems of philosophy . Nilakantha himself informs us ' that he
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C. his commentary on the Yakyakara4, 5.19 (edn, p. 119)
