Sankara Varman

Sankara Varman (1774–1839) is an astronomer-mathematician belonging to the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. He is best known as the author of Sadratnamala, a treatise on astronomy and mathematics, composed in 1819. Sankara Varman is considered as the last notable figure in the long line of illustrious astronomers and mathematicians in the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics beginning with Sangamgrama Madhava. Sadratnamala was composed in the traditional style followed by members of the Kerala school at a time when India had been introduced to the western style of mathematics and of writing books in mathematics. One of Varman's contribution to mathematics was his computation of the value of the mathematical constant π correct to 17 decimal places.

Varman was born as a younger prince in the principality of Katattanad, in North Malabar, Kerala, in the year 1774. He had two elder brothers, the eldest being Raja Udaya varma, the ruler of the principality, and second one being Rama Varma, the crown prince. Local people referred to Varman as Appu Thampuran. Katattanad principality was under the suzerainty of the Zamorin of Calicut. The family deity of Sankara Varman was Goddess Parvati installed in the temple of Lokamalayarkavu and he was also a devotee of Lord Krisna.

Varman completed the composition of Sadratnamala in 1819. He also wrote a Malayalam commentary on Sadratnamala. Two versions of the text of Sadratnamala and their commentaries have been discovered. A critical examination of the manuscripts suggests that both are written by Varman, one being a revision of the other.

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