Varahamihira

Astrologer, astronomer, and polymath Varahamihira, born in c. 505 and passed away in c. 587, also known as Varaha or Mihira, was an ancient Indian who resided in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh, India). He was born to Adityadasa at Kayatha, in the Avanti region, which roughly corresponds to present-day Malwa (a region of Madhya Pradesh, India). In one of his own writings, he claims to have attended Kapitthaka for his education. According to Indian traditions, he was one of the “Nine Jewels” (Navaratnas) at the court of Malwa king Yashodharman Vikramaditya. This assertion, however, is made for the first time in a significantly later text, and scholars question its veracity because neither Varahamihira nor Vikramaditya existed in the same century, nor did Varahamihira live during the same century as many of the other individuals in the list of the “nine jewels,” such as the far older Kalidasa.

The topic has a chance of being asked as a UPSC Prelims History Question or as a Current Affairs Question.

Note: UPSC 2023 is approaching closer, supplement your preparation with the free Daily Video Analysis of The Hindu Newspaper by BYJU’S.

Varahamihira UPSC Notes PDF –Download PDF Here

About Varahamihira

The Brihat Samhita, an exhaustive study on architecture, temples, planetary motions, eclipses, timekeeping, astrology, seasons, cloud formation, rainfall, agriculture, mathematics, gemology, perfumes, and many other themes, was one of Varahamihira’s most famous works. Varahamihira claims that while he summarised prior works on astronomy, the Shilpa Sastra, and temple building in some verses, his exposition of many design theories and models is among the earliest texts to have survived. The Persian traveller and scholar Al Biruni quoted passages from the Brihat Samhita and lyrics from Varahamihira. In addition, Varahamihira is credited with authoring a number of reputable works on astrology and astronomy. He studied Greek, and in his writing, he lauded the Greeks (Yavanas) for being “highly schooled in the sciences,” while being impure in terms of the religious order. According to some academics, he is a strong candidate for understanding and popularising the zodiac signs, astrological calculations, and predictions for auspicious rituals.

Works of Varahamihira

Pancha-Siddhantika

The Pancasiddhantika, or “Treatise on the Five Astronomical Canons,” is Varahamihira’s most important work and provides details on earlier Indian works that are now lost. It was written around 575 CE. The work is a summary of five preceding works on mathematical astronomy by five writers, including the Surya Siddhanta, Romaka Siddhanta, Paulisa Siddhanta, Vasishtha Siddhanta, and Pitamaha Siddhanta. It is a compilation of Hellenistic and Vedanga Jyotisha astronomy (having Greek, Egyptian and Roman elements). Varahamihira was the first person to state that the equinox shifts by 50.32 arc seconds per year, or the Ayana.

Indians have five Siddhantas:

1. Surya-Siddhanta, the Sun’s Siddhanta, was assumed to have been penned by Latadeva, but was actually created by Mayasura, also known as Mamuni Mayan, as stipulated in the text itself.
2. Vishnucandra authored Vasishtha-siddhanta, named after one of the Great Bear’s stars.
3. Paulisa-Siddhanta, named after Paulisa of Saintra, was composed by Paulisa.
4. The name Romaka-Siddhanta comes from Srishena’s Rum.
5. Paitahama-Siddhanta.

Brihat-Samhita

Varahamihira’s encyclopaedic Brihat-Samhita is another significant addition. Even though the book focuses primarily on divination, it also covers a wide range of other topics. It encompasses a wide range of human interests, such as astronomy, planetary motions, eclipses, rainfall, clouds, architecture, crop development, perfume manufacturing, matrimony, and household interactions. The book expands on the Garuda Purana’s gemstone appraisal criterion and the hallowed Nine Pearls from the same literature. It is known as the “great compilation” because it has 106 chapters.

On Astrology

Mihira’s most famous astrological work is Hora Shastra or Brihadjathaka. It is largely written in code language. For this book, more than a dozen commentaries have been composed. The Brihadjathaka is the foundation of the Kerala School of Astrology. His son Prithuyasas also made contributions to Hindu astrology; his work Hora Sara is well-known in the field of horoscope. Khana (also known as Lilavati in other places), a medieval Bengali poet and astrologer, is thought to be Varahamihira’s daughter-in-law.

Note: UPSC 2023 is approaching closer, keep yourself updated with the latest UPSC current affairs where we explain the important news in a simplified manner.

Note: You can make your current affairs revision robust using Free Monthly Magazines by BYJU’S.

Influences

Varahamihira’s philosophy was influenced by two Western works: the Romaka Siddhanta (“The Doctrine of the Romans”) and the Paulisa Siddhanta. The Paulisa Siddhanta is frequently misunderstood as a single composition ascribed to Paul of Alexandria (c. 378 CE). Other researchers in the field, however, have dismissed this theory, most notably David Pingree, who declared that “…the identification of Paulus Alexandrinus with the author of the Paulia Siddhanta is totally false”.  A few of his works are related to earlier texts such as Vedanga Jyotisha.

Contributions of Varahamihira

Trigonometry

Varahamihira enhanced the precision of Aryabhata’s sine tables.

Combinatorics

He discovered the first 4×4 magic square.

Optics

Varahamihira’s contribution to physics includes his assertion that reflection is generated by particle backscattering and refraction (the change in direction of a light ray as it moves from one medium into the other) by the particles’ capability to penetrate internal spaces of the medium, similar to fluids moving through porous items.

Note: You may get all the History Questions for the UPSC Mains exam by visiting the linked article.

Start your IAS Exam preparation by understanding the UPSC Syllabus in-depth and planning your approach accordingly.

Related Links: