Ancient Indian wisdom-THE HELIOCENTRIC THEORY OF GRAVITATION

Ancient Indian wisdom-THE HELIOCENTRIC THEORY OF GRAVITATION

THE HELIOCENTRIC THEORY OF GRAVITATION

Bhaskaracharya, the ancient Hindu astronomer, in the Surya Siddhanta dated 400-500 A.D. states, "Objects fall on the earth due to a force of attraction by the earth. Therefore, the earth, planets, constellation, moon and sun are held in orbit due to this force." Brahmagupta, in the 7th century had said about gravity that "Bodies fall towards the earth as it is in the nature of the earth to attract bodies, just as it is in the nature of water to flow".

About a hundred years before Brahmagupta, another astronomer, Varahamihira had claimed that there should be a force which might be keeping bodies stuck to the earth, and also keeping heavenly bodies in their determined places. Thus the concept of the existence of some force of attraction that governs the falling of objects to the earth and their remaining stationary after having once fallen; as also determining the positions which heavenly bodies occupy, was recognised. Even in Vedic literature the Sun is referred to as the "centre of spheres" alongwith the term "Gurutvaakarshan".

Thus, we can see that the ancient Indian astronomers came close to the heliocentric theory of gravitation, which was, articulated by Copernicus and Galileo a thousand years later inviting severe reactions from the clergy in Rome. Isaac Newton only rediscovered this phenomenon approximately 1200 years later and called it the Law of Gravity.