Mahasiddhanta is a treatise on mathematical astronomy. It was written by
Aryabhatta II, a renowned mathematician and astronomer of ancient India.
Mahasiddhanta was composed in Sanskrit. It consists of 18 chapters. Each of these chapters is written in verses. The first 12 chapters are devoted to topics such as longitudes of the planets, eclipses of the sun and moon, the projection of eclipses, the lunar crescent, the rising and setting of the planets and their alignment with other planets and stars.
The last six chapters deal with spherical bodies. It includes geometry, geography and algebra and their applications with respect to the longitudes of the planets.
Another major highlight of the text is the rules involved in solving the indeterminate equation: by = ax + c. The rules are specified in about 20 verses. The method to calculate the cube root of a number is also contained in the text. This method is however based on the work of Aryabhatta I, the renowned astronomer of an earlier period. The text also contains a sine table with values correct up to five decimal places. These sine tables were used in the olden days for calculating the accurate planetary positions.
