Aryabhata

Astronomy Indian 476 – 550 366 quotes

He proposed a heliocentric model with Earth rotating on its axis and accurately calculated the length of the sidereal year.

Most quoted

"Just as a person in a boat going forward sees the stationary objects on the shore as moving backward, just so are the stars, though stationary, seen by the people on the earth as moving westward."

— from Aryabhatiya, Gola (Sphere) Chapter, Verse 9

"Just as a man in a boat going forward sees the stationary objects on the shore as moving backward, just so are the stars seen as moving backward by the people on the Earth moving forward."

— from Aryabhatiya (rephrasing of a core concept)

"Just as a person in a boat moving forward sees the stationary objects on the bank as moving backward, in the same way, a person on the Earth sees the stationary stars as moving backward."

— from Aryabhatiya, Gola (Sphere) 9, 499

All quotes by Aryabhata (366)

The Earth revolves around its own axis every day, causing the apparent motion of the stars.

Aryabhatiya 499

Just as a man in a boat going forward sees a stationary object moving backward, similarly the stars appear to move when the Earth rotates.

Aryabhatiya 499

The circumference of the Earth is 1,050 yojanas.

Aryabhatiya 499

The diameter of the Earth is 1,058 3/4 yojanas.

Aryabhatiya 499

The Moon shines by the light of the Sun.

Aryabhatiya 499

Eclipses occur when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, or the Earth between the Moon and the Sun.

Aryabhatiya 499

The planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun.

Aryabhatiya 499

The value of pi is approximately 3.1416.

Aryabhatiya 499

The square root of 10 is 3.162.

Aryabhatiya 499

Sine of an angle can be calculated using geometric methods.

Aryabhatiya 499

The volume of a sphere is (4/3)πr³.

Aryabhatiya 499

The area of a circle is πr².

Aryabhatiya 499

Time is cyclical, measured in yugas of immense duration.

Aryabhatiya 499

The universe is infinite in its manifestations, yet governed by mathematical precision.

Aryabhatiya 499

Knowledge of the heavens leads to understanding the divine order.

Aryabhatiya 499

Stars are fixed points in the celestial sphere, rotating with it.

Aryabhatiya 499

The Sun's diameter is 7,000 yojanas.

Aryabhatiya 499

Planetary periods are determined by their distances from the Earth.

Aryabhatiya 499

The heliocentric model explains retrograde motion of planets.

Aryabhatiya 499

Mathematics is the language of the cosmos.

Aryabhatiya 499