Mantreswara

Who is Mantreswara?

Mantreswara was a Hindu astrologer whose work, Phaladeepika, written in Sanskrit verse-format, is a major text on Hindu astrology ranked alongside Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra of Parashara, Brihat Jataka of Varahamihira, and Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha Dikshita. He was born Markandeya Bhattathiri/Bhattar in a family of Namboodari Brahmins. The exact date of his birth and date of death are not known, some believe that he lived in the 13th century and some believe that he lived in the 16th century. At the very close of his work, Phaladeepika, Mantreswara confirms that he lived in Shalivati, present Tirunelveli, as a renowned Brahmin astrologer. Well versed in many branches of knowledge he had travelled throughout India, in later years became a sanyasin and took samadhi at the place he was born.