Varāhamihira (Devanagari: Varaha or Mihira, was) (505–587), also called an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer who lived in Ujjain. He is considered to be one of the nine jewels (Navaratnas) of the court of legendary ruler Vikramaditya (thought to be the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II Vikramaditya) How Varaha Mihira got his name "Varaha.": Mihira was a Brahmana, the son of Aditya Dasa, from the region of Avanti, near present day Ujjain, in Western India. He was instructed in astrology by his father and was a devout worshipper of Surya Narayana, that is, Krsna who manifests as the Sun. By performing severe austerities to please Surya Narayana, Mihira got blessed with knowledge of ganita, hora, and samhita. In Eastern India( especially in Bengal and Orissa) folk-tales present him as the husband of Khana, an outstanding female exponent of Hindu astrology whose aphoristic sayings (Vachanas) are widely prevalent among rural people even today. Mihira was one of the Nine Gems, navaratna, in the court of the great king, Vikramaditya of Ujjain. He was greatly honored by the king for his vast learning and correct predictions. Once, after the birth of the King's son Mihira was asked to make predictions about the prince's future. Going into meditation after studying the chart Mihira "observed that a serious and irremediable danger beset the path of the longevity of the royal child and that he would be killed by a varaha, or boar, on a particular day in a certain month of his 18th year and no human remedies could save the prince from the jaws of death." Having learnt of this danger to his son from his most reliable of court astrologers, Vikramaditya consulted with Bhatti, his Chief Minister. It was decided that a special palace would be constructed with stupendous walls 80 feet high. Ten thousand elite troops would patrol both inside and outside the property as well as in the palace. Such careful watch was taken of the palace that not even a cat or rat could enter the compound what to speak of a wild boar. Every precaution was taken and the prince was under constant guard and practically under house arrest, he was not allowed to leave his compound for any reason. In fact he was ensconced on the seventh floor and not allowed to go to a lower floor. The precautions were so thorough that they boasted that the prince may die but certainly not by the agency of a varaha. After such security measures were put into place Mihira was asked if he would like to reconsider his former prediction. He emphatically stated that there was nothing that could save the boy. As the date grew near he was again asked to reconsider, and again gave the same reply. Tension began to mount, not so much for the sake of the boy but for the reputation of Mihira. His detractors thought that Mihira‟s reputation exceeded his ability, and though the boy might die, the possibility of it be caused by a boar was so remote that Mihira would be publicly disgraced. Even his friends, who had implicit faith in him and knew of his great abilities, had doubts as to how his prediction would be successful, because it was impossible for even a rat to move about undetected in that palace. On the fateful day Vikramaditya held court. Reports were brought to him every hour on the safety and health of the Prince, now 18 years old. All the chief pandits were assembled as well as the navaratnas, the nine greatly learned men, of the King's court. The whole city was waiting for the result of Mihira's prediction. Would it come true or not? The time of death had been fixed at 5:00 PM in the afternoon. The King, though a great admirer of Mihira, was beginning to doubt Mihira's abilities. With a condescending smile he addressed Mihira, did he still want to maintain his previous prediction that the boy should be killed by a wild boar this afternoon. Did any new calculation possibly change his mind, would the child just die, this was possible, but death by a wild boar would be impossible. The King suggested that Mihira gracefully back down from his former stance, without losing face. The King vowed that if the impossible happened he would give Mihira the highest honour and bestow on him the golden and be-jewelled Royal in only a few hours his prediction would be proven wrong. the Varaha. a half hour after the appointed time of death a guard reported that there was no disturbance in the Prince's palace. It is a sad event no doubt but it has happened and your son is lying . He rose and gave a speech in which he deprecated his own learning.ensign or emblem. Mihira calmly told the King that the boy had already died at the appointed time and they should go see for themselves. would leave Ujjain altogether and go deep into the forest to practice tapasya. Mihira replied: "Victorious Monarch! the prince has died at the hour. Time went on. Senior military commanders came every half hour with news of the Prince. But Mihira stated that indeed the death would come true as predicted. But Mihiracarya was totally calm. yet he was still placid. Everything was going smoothly. that was currently on his crown and transfer it to Mihira's head-dress and that for posterity he would henceforth be given the title Varaha Mihira. Just then another guard came to report that all was still peaceful in the palace. till his last day. He then calmly sat down. there could be no thwarting of fate and the Prince would be killed by a boar. He was hale and hearty. He took a vow that if his prediction failed he would never practice astrology again. that unfortunately no great rishis such as Vasishta were present to reverse the karma of the Prince. he couldn't believe that his officers were liars. Everyone applauded the King. wild boar. he would never enter the court of the king. minute. On the way to the palace other guards confirmed that all was quite and calm at the palace. The King had given orders that the guard be on the highest alert and was confident that no harm could befall his son. and second. I have named and none of your watchmen has noticed it. In the afternoon at 2:00 PM the King again convened his court. how could this be so. austerities. and indeed. It was now about 6:00 PM and the King told Mihira that his prediction must have been wrong because nothing at all wrong had been reported. All eyes focused on Mihira. it had an artificial boar attached to its top. My knowledge is too humble and too limited to make such inconceivable and surprising predictions. emblem of Royalty. and you will see the truth of my prediction. they all replied that he had been playing with them a little while ago and that he was quite hale and hearty and that he had just gone out to take some air on the open terrace of the 7th floor. He was disfigured by the iron hooves of the artificial boar-the Royal Emblem-that was attached to the flag staff. Could such predictions inspired under His grace ever fail?" They all went to the terrace and saw with horror and sorrow the Prince lying dead on a cot in pool of blood. Let us go and examine. who had been playing with his friends. This wonderful prediction is not mine. On the 7th floor they found a dozen or so of the Prince's friends engaged in assorted games such as chess. Mihira said: "The Prince must be lying dead in a pool of blood caused by the injuries of a boar. Vikramaditya awarded Mihira with the Royal Emblem and he was hence forth called Varaha Mihira. On entering the palace they noticed on every floor that peace and calm prevailed.dead in a pool of blood. began to feel a sort of oppression in his chest and giving over his cards to a nearby friend asked him to play in his place. rose high in the air. Near the flag staff was a cot with soft cushions for the Prince to take rest whenever he . The Prince's death had transpired in the following way. A tall flag staff. unnoticed by his watchmen and personal companions. As this emblem of royalty was affixed to all important turrets and towers of all the Emperor's palaces no one took any notice of them. Everyone was thrown into simultaneous gloom and ecstasy by the successful prediction. At about 4:00 PM. and if you go to the terrace you will be shocked to find him dead as predicted by me. When the Emperor made inquiries about the Prince. He then rose without complaint and went out to the terrace. the Prince. I have made all my predictions under the guidance of Surya Narayana. bh¡nau – sun. no one noticed the Prince's absence. arddh¡ . And as the Prince would often go to the terrace. The mattress on the cot absorbed the sound of the crash so no one heard it fall. When did he Live: In the Panchasiddhantika there occurs the following sloka: Meaning: Sapta – seven. SaumyaBuddha – the planet mercury. ¡di – Beginning . ¡¾vi – two. S sa¯khya¯Reckoning or counting from . Veda – four (makes 427). completed. This fell down onto the Prince who was lying on his back. The Prince feeling tired while playing games with his friends came to lay down in the cool air. caitra – caitra month. primordial. The hooves struck severely against his breast and stomach and the tusks struck his head and mouth. Divasa . yavanapur£ . and as the game was very absorbing. At 5:00 PM precisely.the city of Yavanapuri. The Prince lost copious amounts of blood and died immediately. Apasya – Having left . ¾ukla – the Briogth or light half of the lunar month. a very strong gust of wind knocked loose the iron boar.day .felt fatigued. ¡stama – setting.half. ¾¡kak¡lam – Saka era. e. 3rd sloka of the 13th Adhyaya (Chapter) . when the sun has half set at Yavanapuri at the beginning of Wednesday.This leaves us the task of deciphering thebeginnning of the Saka era. (i. the Brihat Samhita. deduct 427 from the number of years in Saka era. loosely speaking there are 3 Saka eras which were in use during that time The Sakanripa Kala year of King Kurash II(Cyrus) son of Kambujia (Cambyses) of the Aryamanush or HaxaManish dynasty of Parasikam (Persia) The Vikram saka year (57 BCE) The Salivahana Saka year (78 CE) In order to deduce this we need to refer to the other work that he wrote . This means that Varaha Mihira compiled the Panchasiddhantika in the 427th Year of the Saka Kala .Deduct the number of years 427 of the Saka era elapsed.for which we are calculating the Ahargana – the ahargana is analogous to the Julian day count at the beginning of the bright half of Chaitra . However . Twenty five years after Kaliyuga began. by their hopeless mangling of the chronology starting with the Misinterpretation of the Greek where they concluded that Megasthenes was the synchronism29 ambassador to the court of King Chandragupta Maurya. The Sakanripa kala didn‟t find much usage after the Persians lost control of the territories they had gained during the reign of Kurush. when. We know that Yudhistira of the Pancha Pandava won the Mahabharata war during (3102 +_ 36) and then ruled for 36 years up too 3102 BCE. and Varahamihira states that the Saka era he is referring to started 2526 years after this. which puts us at 550 BCE. whereas he was most likely an ambassador to the court of the Gupta empire According to the British chronology. the Vikram Saka is named after a King who was not yet born. So the Saka era he was talking about must have been The Sakanripa kala of King Kuru (Kurush) of Persia. The confusion regarding the different Saka eras was created by the British. The Rajatarangini was written in 1148 CE. According to their chronology. (the starting year of the Saptarishi calendar or the Laukika or Kashmirabdham) the Saptarishi Mandalam was in the Magha constellation. The commencement of the Saka era took place 2526 years after the regnal period of that monarch. This sloka from the Brihat Samhita is mentioned also in Kalhana‟s Rajatarangini.The Seven sages (Ursa Major – the Great Bear) were stationed in the Asterism Magha. Yudhistira left the world in 3076 BCE. when King Yudhistira was ruling the earth. So now we are ready to determine the date that Varaha was talking about as being 550-427 = 123 BCE. . This quote occurs in the 56th sloka of the 1st Taranga. as per the astronomical data. An abridged version of Brihajjataka. . Brihajjataka. is an authoritative manual on productive astrology. called Laghujataka. is also available.Works of Varaha Mihira: Major Works: Panchasiddhantika Brihajjataka Yatra Yogayatra Vivahapatala Brihat Samhita Minor Works: Horapanchahotrya Panchapakshi Bahvascharyajataka Bahuchodya Vatakanika Prashnamahadadhi Prashnachandrika Daivajnavallabha Yavanajataka Angachudamani Jatakarnavasangraha or Chayadhikara Satpanchasika Shringaratarangini Panchasiddhantika is a compendium of the basic principles of the five schools of astronomy. also known as Varahahorashastra or Varahamihirahorashastra. Yatra. Horapanchahotrya deals with astrological consideration for architectural undertakings. In Brihat Samhita varahamihira shows himself as a master of learning of his day in wide fields of knowledge. Romaka Siddhanta. Bahvascharyajataka is a digest of Greek astrology. These are Surya Siddhanta. . Panchapakshi is a manual for divination. deals the auspicious timing for undertaking a successful journey. ornate poetry and presents valuable information about cultural conditions in ancient India. and thoroughly skilled in language and metre. Prashnachudamani is a treatise on divination. in two versions. Pancha-siddhantika: The Panchasiddhantika is a summarisation of five siddantic texts that were known to varahamihira. Angachudamani deals with physiognomy. For Example.huya Yatra. not at times without a real touch of poetic ability. Paitamaha Siddhantas. Jatakarnavasangraha is a compendium for drawing the horoscope of a new-born baby. Vivahapatala deals with astrological considerations for selecting a successful couple as well as determining the auspicious time for marriage. The complete text is known as Brihadyatra. Brihadvivahapatala and Laghu Vivahapatala. and has two versions. It has been commented upon by Utpala. is his magnum opus in 106 chapters. Mahayatra or Yakshyesvamed . Vasishtha Siddhanta. The minor works are also of considerable significance. Paulisa Siddhanta. It has two recensions. Brihat samhita also known as Varaha samhita. It is augments with rich. quotes six shlokas of the Surya Siddhanta of his day.Of these five. Direction. Utpala. The Sun and Eclipses . the last two give unreliable results the second and the third are not so incorrect and the first one is best among them. the Romaka Siddhantas (directly based on Hellenistic astronomy) and the Vasishta Siddhanta. according to varahamihira himself. It has rules laid down to determine the true motions of the luminaries. not one of which is to be found in the text now known as the Surya Siddhanta. The Moon and Eclipses 5. There may have been an early work under that title dating back to the Buddhist Age of India (3rd century BC). The Places of the Planets 3. The Motions of the Planets 2. a 10th century commentator of Varahamihira. Surya Siddhanta: The Surya Siddhanta is a Siddhanta treatise of Indian astronomy whose authorship is disputed. as well as solstices eg.summer solstice 21/06 The table of contents in this text are: 1. It gives the locations of several stars other than the lunar nakshatras and treats the calculation of solar eclipses. The work referred to by the title Surya Siddhanta has been repeatedly recast. Place and Time 4. Varahamihira in his Panchasiddhantika contrasts it with four other treatises. besides the Paitamaha Siddhantas (which is more similar to the "classical" VedangaJyotisha). Citation of the Surya Siddhanta is also found in the works of Aryabhata. The present Surya Siddhanta may nevertheless be considered a direct descendant of the text available to Varahamihira. The work as preserved and edited by Burgess (1858) dates to the Middle Ages. which conform to their actual positions in the sky. . and likewise of the demons. The Moon's Risings and Settings 11.6. and Dimensions of the Creation 13. The Movement of the Heavens and Human Activity Methods for accurately calculating the shadow cast by a gnomon are discussed in both Chapters 3 and 13. copied from an earlier work. This is called a day of the gods. Planetary Conjunctions 8. 13. The Hindu Time Cycles . The Projection of Eclipses 7. And sixty nadis make a sidereal day and night. Six respirations make a vinadi. Certain Malignant Aspects of the Sun and Moon 12. Six times sixty of them are a year of the gods. Twelve thousand of these divine years are denominated a caturyuga. sixty of these a nadi. The day and night of the gods and of the demons are mutually opposed to one another. Risings and Settings 10. Of the Stars 9. 12. of as many lunar days (tithi). Time Cycles: The astronomical time cycles contained in the text were remarkably accurate at the time. Cosmogony. The Gnomon 14. are described in verses 11–23 of Chapter 1 : 11. of ten thousand times four hundred and thirty-two solar years .. That which begins with respirations (prana) is called real. a solar (saura) month is determined by the entrance of the sun into a sign of the zodiac. 15.. 14. a civil (savana) month consists of as many sunrises. Geography. twelve months make a year. A lunar month. Of thirty of these sidereal days is composed a month. his night is of the same length. 19.2421904 days (J2000). caturyuga. And of this kalpa. 18. . Of the present. 21. and of the Manu son of Vivasvant. two. three. the twenty-eighth.16. this krtayuga is past. is a day of Brahma. according to this valuation of a day and a night. The kalpa. this astronomical time cycle would give the following results: The average length of the tropical year as 365. 22. and which brings about the destruction of all that exists. and which is a deluge. gives the length of the krta and the other yugas: the sixth part of each belongs to its dawn and twilight. The half of his life is past. 20. is as follows: 17. which is only 1. twenty-seven caturyugas are past.4 seconds shorter than the modern value of 365. multiplied successively by four. thus composed of a thousand caturyugas. of the remainder.. this is the first kalpa.2421756 days. The tenth part of a caturyuga.. In a kalpa are reckoned fourteen manus with their respective twilights. at the commencement of the kalpa is a fifteenth dawn.. as measured by the difference in the number of the feet of Virtue in each. which gives the average length of the year as 365. Is composed that caturyuga. though it still remains more accurate than the value given by the modern Gregorian calendar currently in use around the world. His extreme age is a hundred. and one. One and seventy caturyugas make a manu. When computed. This estimate remained the most accurate approximation for the length of the tropical year anywhere in the world for at least another six centuries.2425 days. with its dawn and twilight. having the length of a krtayuga. six manus are past. until Muslim mathematician Omar Khayyam gave a better approximation. The difference of the krtayuga and the other yugas. with their respective twilights. at its end is a twilight which has the number of years of a krtayuga. 23. The average length of the sidereal year. which again has an error of less than 1% from the currently accepted diameter of 74.624 miles. an error of less than 1% from the currently accepted diameter of 3.772 miles.523 miles and 88. respectively. Its estimate for the diameter of Mars is 3. which is longer than the modern value by 3 minutes 27 seconds. which has an error within 11% of the currently accepted diameter of 4.258756 days. This is due to the text using a different method for actual astronomical computation. The actual astronomical value stated for the sidereal year however.882 miles. is not as accurate.25636305 days (J2000). as 365. cosine (kojya or "perpendicular sine") and inverse sine (otkram jya) for the first time. probably because the author didn't understand how to compute the complex time cycles.011 miles and Jupiter as 41.748 miles. rather than the Hindu cosmological time cycles copied from an earlier text. This remained the most accurate estimate for the length of the sidereal year anywhere in the world for over a thousand years. The length of the sidereal year is stated to be 365. It also estimated the diameter of Venus as 4. It uses sine (jya). The estimate for the diameter of Mercury is 3.580.218 miles. 7. The author instead employed a mean motion for the Sun and a constant of precession inferior to that used in the Hindu cosmological time cycles. Planetary diameters: The Surya Siddhanta also estimates the diameters of the planets.032 miles. and also contains the earliest use of . which is virtually the same as the modern value of 365. It also estimates the diameter of Saturn as 73. the actual length of the Earth's revolution around the Sun.008 miles.2563627 days. which are roughly half the currently accepted values. Trigonometry: The Surya Siddhanta contains the roots of modern trigonometry. is the radius of the gnomon. the results are the shadow and hypotenuse at mid-day.the tangent and secant when discussing the shadow cast by a gnomon in verses 21–22 of Chapter 3: Of [the sun's meridian zenith distance] find the jya ("base sine") and kojya (cosine or "perpendicular sine"). . Conservative "panchang" (almanac) makers still use the formulae and equations found in the Surya Siddhanta to compile and compute their panchangs. It exerts great influence on the religious and social life of the people in India and is found in most Hindu households. cultural and astronomical events. The panchang is an annual publication published in all regions and languages in India containing all calendrical information on religious. with their local variations. this gives the shadow of the gnomon at mid-day as and the hypotenuse of the gnomon at mid-day as where is the measure of the gnomon. is the shadow of the gnomon. Calendrical uses: The Indian solar and lunisolar calendars are widely used. They are important in predicting the dates for the celebration of various festivals. and is the hypotenuse of the gnomon. and divided by the kojya. In modern notation. The modern Indian solar and lunisolar calendars are based on close approximations to the true times of the Sun‟s entrance into the various rasis. If then the jya and radius be multiplied respectively by the measure of the gnomon in digits. in different parts of India. performance of various rites as well as on all astronomical matters. 101 BCE. . It follows the Yavanajataka ("Saying of the Greek") as an example of the transmission of Western astronomical knowledge (especially the Alexandrian school) to India during the first centuries of our era. 378 CE). It is the only one of all Indian astronomical works which is based on the tropical system. The Romaka Siddhanta was particularly influential on the work of the Indian astronomer Varahamihira. "Doctrine of Paul") is an Indian astronomical treatise. It was considered as one of "The Five Astronomical Canons" in Indian in the 5th century.[1] "Siddhanta" literally means "Doctrine" or "Tradition".[1] The original text probably dated to the 4th century.[1] "Siddhanta" literally means "Doctrine" or "Tradition". Vasishta Siddhanta: Vasishtha Siddhanta is one of the earliest astronomical systems in use in India. It follows the Yavanajataka ("Saying of the Greek") as an example of the transmission of Western astronomical knowledge (especially the Alexandrian school) to India during the first centuries of our era.299. based on the works of the Western scholar Paul of Alexandria (c. The Paulisa Siddhanta was particularly influential on the work of the Indian astronomer Varahamihira. Paulisa Siddhanta: The Paulisa Siddhanta (literally. but it has been lost and our knowledge of it is restricted to Varahamira's account. based on the works of the ancient Romans.Romaka Siddhanta: The Romaka Siddhanta (literally "Doctrine of the Romans") is an Indian astronomical treatise. which is summarized in Varahamira‟s Pancha-Siddhantika (6th century). It is attributed to sage Vasishtha and claims a date of composition of 1. It was considered as one of "The Five Astronomical Canons" in India in the 5th century. Alberuni ascribes the work to Vishnuchandra. clouds. who is sung in the Vedas in various ways. May the Sun give us speech. .Paitamaha Siddhanta: Paitamaha Siddhanta is one of the earliest astronomical systems in use in India. India being an agricultural economy and economy based on trades through sea routes (via the trade winds) depended upon such observations for her yearly planning . eclipses. manufacture of perfume. The volume expounds on gemstone evaluation criterion found in the Garuda Purana. pearls. gems. The importance of Brihatsamhita lies in the classification of the different types of comets/meteors etc and also in the metereological observations.(#) who is the path of those who have no rebirth. growth and annihilation of the worlds. and rituals. who is possessed of many rays and who forms the Lamp of the three worlds. who is the Deva worshipped in sacrificial rites. wide ranging subjects of human rainfall. and elaborates on the sacred Nine Pearls from the same text. who is the Author of the origin. interest. matrimony. for it is so acknowledged by Aryabhata at the end of his Aryabhatiya. Brihat-Samhita is a 6th century Sanskrit encyclopedia by Varahamihira of including astrology. Brihat Jataka: 1. who is the Atma of those who know the Atma. planetary movements. growth of crops. who is the Lord of the Devas and of the Lights of the sky. It contains 106 chapters and is known as the "great compilation". architecture. It is the precursor to Aryabhata‟s astronomy. Brihat Samhita: Brihat-Samhita. who by his light illumines the Moon. domestic relations. It throws light on some ancient practices like watching the migratory birds for coming of the monsoons which brings the ships and the bounty and also the rainy season and fertility of soil. which is summarized in Varahamihira‟s Pancha-Siddhantika. two thigs. commencing with the first point of aries and of Aswani. navel. the word 'hora' is a corruption of the word 'Ahoratri'. the first and last letters (syllables) being dropped. are synonymous terms. The (twelve) signs of the Zodiac. of nine stellar quarters and forming a circle. 3. According to some. belly." And in the Vedas we find the Moon briefly defined as follows: 2. The science (of horoscopy) treats of the effect of the good and bad deeds (karma) of men in their previous births. are respectively the head. Graha. Riksha. face. (The terms) Rasi. genital organ."The rays of the Sun falling on the watery Moon remove the darkness of the night (on Earth) just in the same way as light reflected from a mirror (placed in the Sun) removes the darkness (from) within a room. two ankles and the two feet of Kalapurusha. heart. breast. and consisting. abdomen. Kshetra. . Bhavana. two knees. each. Jupiter is the lord of Meeua and Dhanus. . Venus. Venus is the lord of Vrishabha and Tula. Saturn. and the Sun is the lord of Simlia. The other signs resemble in shape the different creatures denoted by their names. Sign Pisces is of the shape of two fish. 5. the Sun. sign Capricorn is of the shape of a crocodile with the face of a deer. The dwelling places of several signs are places appropriate to several creatures. Mars. Mercury. Jupiter. and of the Navamsas and the Dwadasamsas. both seated in one seat. sign Sagittari is of the shape of a man who in his lower parts is a horse. (the former) with a stick and (the latter) with a lyre.4. sign Gemini is of the shape of a man and woman. Mercury. The Moon is the lord of Kataka. Venus. Tula and Kataka Mars is the lord of Mesha and Vrischika. and sign Virgo is of the shape of a virgin in a boat with crops (in one hand) and a light (in the other). the Moon. Saturn and Jupiter are respectively the lords of the Signs. Saturn is the lord of Kumbha and Makara. Makara. Mars. Mercury is the lord of Mithuna and Kanya. sign Libra is of the shape of a person with scales (in his hand) . and the several signs (of the Zodiac beginning from Aries) commence respectively with the Navamsas of mesha. sign Aquarius is of the shape of a man with a (water) pot. Cancer.. . The other signs rise with their heads (c) and are powerful by day . though impure. Furthermore the author of the Romaka Siddhanta is frequently mentioned as one Srisena. But the Pulisa Siddhanta looks a lot like another Siddhanta of Indian origin and talk about Yugas and timescales that are nowhere else to be seen in any Greek document of that vintage.15)). WESTERN INFLUENCES It is a facile assumption that Occidentalists make based on phonetic similarity to the words Rome and Paul that the Romaka Siddhanta should be translated as the "Doctrine of the Romans" and the Pulisa Siddhanta should be regarded as the "Doctrine of Paul" .But it is a definite leap in faith to assume he was equating Yavanas with Greeks." ("mleccha hi yavanah tesu samyak shastram kdamsthitam/ rsivat te 'p i pujyante kim punar daivavid dvijah" (Brihat-Samhita 2. There are sufficient reasons as we have said already to assume that Varahamihira was not referring to Greeks when he was talking about Yavanas. excelled others. must be honored since they were trained in sciences and therein. Taurus. It is assumed that his work is based on Roman rather than Greek sources. The two fish rise by both (head and foot). But there is no valid reason for doing so since there is no evidence that the Romans had anything to teach the Indians .. A remark in the Brihat-Samhita by Varahamihira says: "The Greeks. Gemini. Sagittari and Capricorn are known as the night signs. with the exception of Gemini.The signs Aries.. they rise with their feet.. he must be able to prove experimentally. the diameter of the day.” “All things which are perceived by the senses are witness in favor of the globular shape of the earth. sidereal and civil reckoning of time and to what use each of these is adopted or not. and refute the possibility of its having another shape” . and how it happens that there are added months and subtractive days. He must know the cause of the swift and slow motion. by means of the agreement between the shadow and the clepsydra. He ought to be clever in geometrical operations and in the calculation of time in order to determine the form of earth. He must be skilful in ascertaining the distance of each planet from the earth expressed in yojanas. He must know there are 4 kinds of months. half months. the direction. the northern and southern course and the moving mean epicycle of the sun and other planets. . years. further the dimensions of their orbits and the distance of the places on earth in yojanas. sidereal. colour and place of the eclipses of the sun and moon. solar . the depression of the pole..VARAHAMIHIRA’S QUOTES ON ASTRONOMY Varahamihira mentions various aspects of astronomy. the rising of the signs. between observation and calculation. seasons. duration. the cycle of the circuit of the asterisms etc. He must know the divisions of the heavens and the skies and of time . in order to qualify as an astronomer. and lunar. at how many ghaiikas the sun enters the prime vertical. measure. circle. in ages. the gharikas corresponding to the shadow of the gnomon and such like processes. half years. also the future conjunctions and hostile encounters of the nine planets. And when there is a discrepancy between the siddhantas. that an astronomer should have command of . He must be able to explain in what respect the reckoning after solar time shows similarity or difference compared with lunar. the ascensional differences in time. amount of obscuration. at what moment the sun has reached the soisticial point. He must tell the moment of commencement and separation. months. civil. Alberuni expressed his opinion of Varahamihira as follows: “Varahamihira seems sometimes to side with the Brahmanas to whom he belonged and from whom he could not separate himself. but each individual blossom has the same position as the other. one could not say. trees. And if Yamakoti and Rum (cities) are opposite to each other. since the „low‟ does not exist. he wrote. and other planets revolved. cities. On the whole.” In later times. Everyone speaks of himself with regard to his own self. They encircle it on all sides.Regarding the positions of the objects on the surface of the earth and its natural attractive power. as it is in every particular identical with another place on earth and „one place could as little „fall‟ as any other. If the earth had motion. For the earth attracts that which is upon her. all are around the globe of the earth. How could one say of one place of the earth that it is „low‟. whilst all of them are around the globe like the blossoms springing on the branches of a Kadamba tree. neither the one hanging downward. the moon.” Varahamihira. „I am above and the others are below‟. as it is the „below‟ towards all directions and heaven is the „above‟ towards all directions. he said.” . regarded the earth as an immovable sphere fixed at the centre of the universe. one is „low‟ in relation to the other. “Mountains rivers. around which the sun. however. men and angels. nor the other standing upright. “A bird would not return to its nest as soon as it had flown away from it towards west. his foot stands firmly on the basis of truth and he clearly calls out the truth. . but embellished them in attractive poetic and metrical styles.Some more Trigonometric results attributed to Varahamihira: He not only presented his own observations. The usage of a large variety of meters is especially evident in his Brihat Jataka and Brihat-Samhita.