Varhamihira

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Var
Varhamihira

Born

Died

505 CE

587 CE

Occupation

Nationality

Ethnicity

Period

Subject

Notable works

astronomer, mathematician,
mathematician and astrologer

Indian

Indian

Gupta era

Astronomy, Astrology,Mathematics
Astrology

Pancha-Siddhntik
ntik, Brihat-Samhita, Brihat Jataka

Varhamihira pronunciation (helpinfo) (Devanagari: ) (505587

587 CE), also
called Varaha or Mihir, was anIndian
an
astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer who
lived in Ujjain.. He was born in Avanti region, roughly corresponding to modernmodern
day Malwa,, to Adityadasa, who was himself an astronomer. According to one of his own
works, he was educated at Kapitthaka. He is considered to be one of the nine jewels
(Navaratnas)) of the court of legendary ruler Yashodharman Vikramaditya of Malwa.
[1]

[2][3]

Contents
[hide]

1 Works

o
o
o

1.2 Brihat-Samhita
1.3 On Astrology

2 Influences
3 Contributions

o
o
o
o

1.1 Pancha-Siddhantika

3.1 Trigonometry
3.2 Arithmetic
3.3 Combinatorics
3.4 Optics

4 See also
5 Notes
6 External links

Works[edit]

He was the first one to mention in his work Pacasiddhntik that the ayanamsa, or the
shifting of the equinox, is 50.32 seconds.
Part of a series on

Hindu scriptures

Vedas[show]

Vedangas[show]

Upanishads[show]

Puranas[show]

Itihasa[show]

Other scriptures[show]

Scripture classification[show]

Timeline[show]

Pancha-Siddhantika[edit
edit]
Varahamihira's main work is the book Pacasiddhntik (or Pancha-Siddhantika
Siddhantika,
"[Treatise] on the Five [Astronomical] Canons)) dated ca. 575 CE gives us information
about older Indian texts which are now lost. The work is a treatise on mathematical
astronomy and it summarises five earlier astronomical treatises, namely theSurya
the
Siddhanta, Romaka Siddhanta,
Siddhanta Paulisa Siddhanta, Vasishtha Siddhanta and Paitamaha
Siddhantas.. It is a compendium of Vedanga Jyotisha as well as Hellenistic
astronomy (including Greek, Egyptian and
a Roman elements). He was the first one to
mention in his work Pancha Siddhantika that the ayanamsa, or the shifting of the equinox
is 50.32 seconds.
[4]

The 11th century Iranian scholar Alberuni also described the details of "The Five
Astronomical Canons":
"They [the Indians] have 5 Siddhntas:

Srya-Siddhnta, ie. the Siddhnta of the Sun, thought to be composed

by Ladeva,but actually composed by Mayasura also known as Mamuni
Mayan as stated in the text itself.
Vasishtha-siddhnta, so called from one of the stars of the Great Bear,
composed by Vishnucandra,
Paulisa-siddhnta, so called from Pulisa, the Greek, from the city of Saintra,
which is supposed to be Alexandria, composed by Pulisa.
Romaka-siddhnta, so called from the Rm, ie. the subjects of the Roman
Empire, composed by rshea.
Paitahama-siddhnta.

Brihat-Samhita[edit]
Another important contribution of Varahamihira is the encyclopedic Brihat-Samhita. It
covers wide ranging subjects of human interest, including astrology, planetary
movements, eclipses, rainfall, clouds, architecture, growth of crops, manufacture of
perfume, matrimony, domestic relations, gems, pearls, and rituals. The volume
expounds on gemstone evaluation criterion found in the Garuda Purana, and
elaborates on the sacred Nine Pearls from the same text. It contains 106 chapters
and is known as the "great compilation".

On Astrology[edit]
He was also an astrologer. He wrote on all the three main branches
of Jyotisha astrology:

Brihat Jataka - is considered as one of the five main treatises on Hindu astrology
on horoscopy.
Laghu Jataka - also known as 'Swalpa Jataka'
Samasa Samhita - also known as 'Lagu Samhita' or 'Swalpa Samhita'
Brihat Yogayatra - also known as 'Mahayatra' or 'Yakshaswamedhiya yatra'
Yoga Yatra - also known as 'Swalpa yatra'
Tikkani Yatra
Brihat Vivaha Patal
Lagu Vivaha Patal - also known as 'Swalpa Vivaha Patal'
Lagna Varahi
Kutuhala Manjari
Daivajna Vallabha (apocryphal)

His son Prithuyasas also contributed in the Hindu astrology; his book Hora Sara is a
famous book on horoscopy. Khana (also named Lilavati elsewhere) the medieval
Bengali poetess astrologer is believed to be the daughter-in-law of Varahamihir.

Influences[edit]
The Romaka Siddhanta ("Doctrine of the Romans") and the Paulisa
Siddhanta ("Doctrine of Paul") were two works of Western origin which influenced
Varahamihira's thought, though this view is controversial as there is much evidence
to suggest that it was actually Vedic thought indigenous to India which first influenced
Western astrologers and subsequently came back to India reformulated. Number of
his writings share similarities with the earlier texts likeVedanga Jyotisha.
[5]

[6]

A comment in the Brihat-Samhita by Varahamihira says: "The Greeks,

though barbarians., must be honored since they have shown tremendous interest in
[7]

our science....." ("mleccha hi yavanah tesu samyak shastram kdamsthitam/ rsivat te

'p i pujyante kim punar daivavid dvijah" (Brihat-Samhita
(Brihat
2.15)).

Contributions[edit
edit]
Trigonometry[edit]]
Varahamihira's mathematical work included the discovery of the trigonometric
formulas

Varahamihira improved the accuracy of the

th sine tables of Aryabhata I.

Arithmetic[edit]
He defined the algebraic properties of zero as well as of negative numbers.

[8]

Combinatorics[edit]
He was among the first mathematicians to discover a version of what is now known as
the Pascal's triangle.. He used it to calculate the binomial coefficients.
[9][10][11]

Optics[edit]
Among Varahamihira's contribution to physics is his statement that reflection is caused
by the back-scattering
scattering of particles and refraction (the change of direction of a light ray as
it moves from one medium into another) by the ability of the particles to penetrate inner
spaces of the material, much like fluids that move through porous objects.
[12]

1. ^ "the Paca-siddhntik
ntik ("Five Treatises"), a compendium of Greek, Egyptian, Roman
and Indian astronomy. Varhamihira's
Varhamihira's knowledge of Western astronomy was thorough.
In 5 sections, his monumental work progresses through native Indian astronomy and
culminates in 2 treatises on Western astronomy, showing calculations based on Greek
and
nd Alexandrian reckoning and even giving complete Ptolemaic mathematical charts and
tables. Encyclopdia Britannica (2007) s.v.Varahamihira ^
2. E. C. Sachau, Alberuni's India (1910), vol. I, p. 153