Varahamihira biography in gujarati horoscopes

6th-century Indian astronomer-astrologer

Varāhamihira (c. 20/21 Walk 505 – c. 587), as well called Varāha or Mihira, was a Hindu astrologer-astronomer who fleeting in or around Ujjain lecture in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India.

Date

Unlike other prominent ancient Indianastronomers, Varāhamihira does not mention his nonoperational.

However, based on hints hutch his works, modern scholars look at him to the 6th c CE; possibly, he also flybynight during the last years warrant the 5th century.

In his Pancha-siddhantika, Varāhamihira refers to the class 427 of the Shaka-kala (also Shakendra-kala or Shaka-bhupa-kala). Identifying that calendar era with the Shaka era places Varāhamihira in honourableness 505 CE.

Alternative theories know this calendar era with all over the place eras, placing him before dignity 5th century CE. However, these theories are inaccurate, as Varāhamihira must have lived after Aryabhata (born 476 CE), whose occupation he refers to. The language of the date mentioned by way of Varāhamihira - Shuklapratipada of loftiness Chaitra month of the Shaka year 427 - align exactly with 20-21 March 505 National.

Al-Biruni also places Varāhamihira row 505 CE.

In accordance with grandeur contemporary tradition, 505 CE was most probably the year pop in which Varāhamihira composed Pancha-Siddhantaka be began planning it. However, tiresome scholars believe that it was the year of Varāhamihira's confinement or of another important uphold in his life.

This not bad because according to Amaraja, glory author of a commentary start Brahmagupta's Khanda-khadyaka, Varāhamihira died run to ground 587 CE (Shaka year 509). If Varāhamihira wrote his lessons in 505 CE even speak angrily to the young age of 25, he must have been rot 105 years old at loftiness time of his death, which seems exceptionally high to these scholars.

Consequently, these scholars reexamination date Varāhamihira's lifespan to 505-587 CE.^[5] Other scholars doubt glory accuracy of Amaraja's statement, in that he lived a thousand age after Varāhamihira.

According to a historically inaccurate tradition, Varāhamihira was connected with the first century BCE legendary emperor Vikramaditya.^[6][7] This habit is based on Jyotirvid-abharana, topping work attributed to Kalidasa, which states that Varāhamihira (along succumb Kalidasa) was one of character navaratnas ("nine gems") at Vikramaditya's court.

However, this text wreckage a literary forgery, and quite good dated variously from 12th-18th century.^[8] Varāhamihira definitely did not outlast in the same century since some of the purported "Navaratnas", such as the much sr. Kalidasa.^[9]

Early life

Much of the indisputable information about the life hint Varāhamihira comes from a orifice in his Brhaj-jataka.

According do away with this stanza, he was first-class resident of Avanti, was simple son of Aditya-dasa, and upset at Kapitthaka through the perquisite of the sun god.

Ancestry

Varāhamihira's priest Aditya-dasa likely trained him joist jyotisha (Indian astrology and astronomy), as suggested by the Brhaj-jataka stanza and the opening section of Pancha-siddhantika.

Varāhamihira's commentator Utpala calls him "Magadha-dvija".

According to disposed interpretation, this means that Varāhamihira was Brahmana (dvija), whose blood belonged to the Magadha region.^[12]

According to another theory, the brief conversation "Magadha" in this context refers to the sun-worshipping Maga craze that Varāhamihira was a range of.

In his Brhat-samhita, Varāhamihira mentions that the Magas were the only people suitable put under somebody's nose consecrating an image of glory Sun god. The Magas, little they came to be common in India, originated from magnanimity Magi priests of the Achaemenid Empire. Historian Ajay Mitra Shastri cites a Bhavishya Purana text according to which the passing "Magadha" is a synonym order "Maga" and refers to "those who contemplate on the Maga".

According to Shastri, Utpala has used the word "Magadha" concern denote the Magas, who challenging been accepted as Shaka-dvipi (Maga) Brahmins in the Indian society.

Shastri theorizes that "Varaha-mihira" may befit a Sanskritized form of glory Iranian name "Varaza-Mihr", and possibly will refer to a legend celebrity in the Mihr Yasht cosy up the Avesta.

According to that legend, the god Verethraghna, outward show the form of a shoat (varaza), precedes Mihr in ruler march. Shastri notes that decency 5th century Sassanian monarch Bahram V bore the name Mihrvaraza, which is quite similar allocate Varahamihra. Academic J.E. Sanjana suggests that Varāhamihira was descended chomp through an Iranian Magi priest.

Some scholars, such as M.T.

Patwardhan trip A.N. Upadhye, have identified Varāhamihira with Bazurjmehr, mentioned in Firishta's writings as a minister model the Sasanian king Khusraw Nushirwan (r. 531-578).

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However, A.M. Shastri dismisses this theory as unconvincing.

There cabaret several historically inaccurate legends subject the ancestry of Varāhamihira:

• Jain writers Merutunga (14th century) bid Rajashekhara-Suri claim that his creative name was Varaha, and settle down was a brother of loftiness Jain patriarch Bhadrabahu.

  He gained knowledge because of a mercy by the Sun, because admire which the suffix "Mihira" ("Sun") was added to his fame. Jain authors seem to control fabricated this story to substantiate the pre-eminence of the Faith astrology over the Brahmanical astrology.

• Another 20th century legend, purportedly household on "some old Gujarati text" claims that Aditya-dasa's wife was called Satya-vati alias Indu-mati: Varāhamihira was born to them delicate their fifties by the blessing of the Sun.

  He was originally known as Mihira, take up was given the prefix "Varaha" by King Vikramaditya when unwind correctly predicted that a swine (varaha in Sanskrit) would erudition the king's son.

• A tradition enrolment Varāhamihira with Berachampa in Western Bengal, where a mound dubbed "Varāhamihira's house" is located. That seems to be the clarification of an attempt to get on the locality with a acclaimed figure.

  A legend from rank Bengal region claims that Varaha and Mihira were a father-son duo at Vikramaditya's court, see the poet Khana was Mihira's wife. This legend is disparage no historical value. "Varaha" elitist "Mihira" were alternative names send off for the same person - Varāhamihira, as attested by the succeeding astronomical works.

• Another legend claims range the Mimamsa teacher Shabara-svamin difficult to understand four wives, one from scope varna, and Varāhamihira was her highness son from his Brahmin partner.

  Some scholars, such as S.K. Dikshit, have theorized that Aditya-dasa (or Aditya-deva) was another designation of Shabara-svamin, but no true evidence supports this tradition.

Birthplace

Kapitthaka, site Varāhamihira studied, was probably crown birthplace.^[12] While "Kapitthaka" is prestige most popular reading the place's name, several variants of that name appear in various manuscripts, including Kampilyaka,^[b] Kapilaka, Kapishthala, favour Kapishkala.

Utpala suggests that that village had a sun house of god. According to one theory, Kapitthaka is the modern Kayatha, apartment house archaeological site near Ujjain. Statues of the sun deity Surya (whom Varāhamihira worshipped) dated 600-900 CE have been found with respect to, and kapittha trees are copious in and around Kayatha.

Despite that, no historical source suggests desert Kapitthaka was another name stand for Kayatha. According to another belief, Kapitthaka is same as Sankissa (ancient Sankashya) in present-day Uttar Pradesh: according to the 7th-century Chinese traveler Xuanzang, this immediate area was also known as Kah-pi-t'a.

Historian Ajay Mitra Shastri make a written record of that Kah-pi-t'a is phonetically analogous to Kapittha or Kapitthaka.

Based recognize the value of the term "Magadha-dvija" (see above), Sudhakara Dvivedi suggests that Varāhamihira was born and brought resolve in Magadha, and later migrated to Ujjain.Ajay Mitra Shastri disputes this, noting that Utpala describes him as "Avantikacharya" (Acharya take in Avanti) and "Magadha-dvija": these match up terms cannot be reconciled take as read "Magadha-dvija" is interpreted as "Dvija (Brahmana) of Magadha"; instead "Magadha" here means Maga, as valid by the Bhavishya Purana.

Besides interpretation above-mentioned stanza, Varāhamihira's association free Avanti is confirmed by newborn evidence: in Pancha-siddhantika, he calls himself Avantyaka ("of Avanti"), tube the later commentators such chimpanzee Utpala and Mahidhara describe him as Avantikacharya ("acharya of Avanti").

Utpala also describes Varāhamihira's descendant Prthu-yashas as Avantikacharya, in ruler commentary on Shat-panchashika.

Historian Ajay Mitra Shastri, relying on Utpala, believes that "Avanti" here refers stop the city of Ujjayini rejoicing the Avanti region of chief India. Scholar Dániel Balogh, notwithstanding, notes that Avanti here possibly will refer to the city admire Ujjayini or the Avanti section in general: there is rebuff concrete evidence that Varāhamihira fleeting in the city; he could have lived elsewhere in Avanti.

Royal patron

Varāhamihira likely lived in glory Aulikara kingdom, as the Aulikaras ruled Avanti in the Ordinal century CE.

Varāhamihira's Brhat-samhita states that on the topic be worthwhile for omens (shakuna), one of illustriousness works he consulted was go off of Dravya-vardhana, the king wages Avanti. Dravya-vardhana likely belonged kind the Aulikara dynasty, several attack whose members bore names drain in -vardhana.

Historian Ajay Mitra Shastri notes that Dravya-vardhana is leadership only person for whom Varāhamihira employs the honorific Shri, notwithstanding he mentions several other significant people.

Moreover, he mentions Dravya-vardhana's work before he mentions highranking authorities such as the Saptarishis and Garga. According to Shastri, this, combined with the deed that both Dravya-vardhana and Varāhamihira lived in Avanti, suggests focus Dravya-vardhana was the royal guarantor of Varāhamihira. Shastri theorizes walk Dravya-vardhana was a successor confiscate Yashodharman alias Vishnu-vardhana, who haw have also been a angel of Varāhamihira.

Some other historians catalogue Dravya-vardhana with the earlier Aulikara ruler Drapa-vardhana.

Shastri disputes that, arguing that Varāhamihira describes Dravya-vardhana as a maharajadhiraja (emperor), dimension the Rīsthal inscription describes Drapa-vardhana as a senapati (commander). Balogh disagrees with Shastri, noting go off at a tangent Varāhamihira actually uses the expression nrpo maharajadhiraja-kah (nrpa or empress "connected to the emperor") reckon the king, which Shastri has misunderstood as maharajadhirajah (emperor).

Lone one manuscript reads maharajadhirajah, which can be discarded as start doesn't fit the metre; two others have maharajdhiraja-jah. Thus, authority actual title of Drapa-vardhana was nrpa, which is much course to senapati in status. Utpala also interprets the term maharajadhiraja-kah to mean "born in integrity dynasty of the (or an) emperor".Hans Bakker interprets the locution to maharajadhiraja-kah as a control installed at Ujjayini by loftiness contemporary Gupta emperor.

Balogh believes that Dravya-vardhana was probably amount to as Drapa-vardhana: "Dravya" may verbal abuse a variant arising from a-ok mistake in a medieval ms, which is the source matching later manuscripts.

Balogh disputes Shastri's avowal that Varāhamihira shows a very reverential attitude to the disappearance, and even if he exact, this is no evidence focus the two were contemporaries.

Varāhamihira consulted the king's work as an alternative of the original work confiscate Bharadvaja that it was home-produced on; according to Balogh, that actually makes it more possible that the king lived decompose a time earlier than Varāhamihira, who did not have appeal to the older work robust Bharadvaja.

According to Balogh, Varāhamihira probably lived during the reign staff the Aulikara kings Prakasha-dharman, Yashodharman, or an unknown successor interrupt Yashodharman.

However, unlike Shastri, Balogh believes that Varāhamihira did clump have a royal patron.

Religion

Several scholars theorize that Varāhamihira came pass up a Brahminized family of decency sun-worshipping Magi priests (see Inheritance above).^[31] He was a admirer of the sun god Savitur, and stated that he abstruse received all his knowledge unwelcoming the grace of this god.^[32] For example, in Brhaj-jataka, explicit states that he was undependable to compose the text for of a boon by honourableness Sun.

While he mentions concerning deities, he devotes a well-known larger number of verses interruption the Sun. His commentator Utpala credits his sharp intellect force to a boon by the In the shade. Some later writers describe him as an incarnation of interpretation Sun god. Utpala, for prototype, declares that the Sun descended on earth in the come up of Varāhamihira to save say publicly jyotisha-shastra from destruction.

The Subhashita-ratna-kosha quotes stanzas that praise Varāhamihira as an incarnation of Vishnu and the Sun, presumably considering of two parts of ruler name (varaha referring to almanac avatar of Vishnu, and mihira meaning sun).

Sun worship seems lay aside have been his family's conviction, as his father Aditya-dasa's fame literally means "slave (or servant) of the Sun".Kutuhula-manjari, a next text, suggests that Varāhamihira was born to Aditya-dasa by righteousness blessings of the Sun.

Varāhamihira's son Prthu-yashas also invokes distinction Sun in the opening elapse of his work Shatpanchashikha.

Varāhamihira was well-versed with the Vedic lore. He recommends the performance outline several ancient Hindu rituals much as Punyaham and chanting translate Vedic hymns.

Varāhamihira praises Vishnu value the chapters 42 and 104 of Brhat-samhita, leading A.N.S.

Aiyangar and K.V.R Aiyangar to put that he came in approach with the Shrivaishnava saints (Alvars); however, A.M. Shastri dismisses that theory, describing the praise championing Vishnu as an example classic religious eclecticism.

In Brhat-samhita, Varāhamihira discusses the iconography of several Brahmanical deities, including Vishnu, Baladeva, Ekanamsha, Shamba, Pradyumna, consorts of Shamba and Pradyumna, Brahma, Skanda, Indra, Shiva, Surya, the divine mothers (Matrikas), Revanta, Yama, Varuna, vital Kubera.

These were presumably high-mindedness popular gods worshipped during authority period. He also describes honourableness iconography of two non-Brahmanical faiths, that of the Buddha take the Jinas. He appears cling on to have been religiously liberal, likewise he reveres the Buddha laugh "the father of the world" and devotes an entire vestibule to Buddha's iconology (compared curry favor shorter descriptions of several Brahmanical deities).

A verse in depiction Brhat-samhita describes the iconography center Ganesha, but this verse appears only in one or a handful of manuscripts, and is likely uncomplicated later interpolation. Similarly, a Tikanika-yatra verse in which the penman reveres Ganesha (among other deities), is likely spurious; this metrical composition appears only in one manuscript.

Works

Varāhamihira is credited with writing a few authoritative texts on astronomy with astrology.

He was also faint for his poetic skills, view the 11th-century writer Kshemendra describes him as a great poet.

He apparently wrote a set classic two works - detailed gift short - in the followers areas:

The chronological order of fiercely of these works can weakness determined based on the nationwide evidence and Utpala's commentary.

Choose by ballot order or earliest to fashionable, these works are:

• Pancha-siddhantika
• Brhaj-jataka
• Brhad-yatra
• Yoga-yatra (according line of attack Utpala, Varaha-mihira wrote this being he was dissatisfied with Brhad-yatra)
• Brhad-vivaha-patala
• Brhat-samhita

Laghu-jataka states that it was graphical after Brhaj-jataka, and Utpala's critique states that it was foreordained after the abridged version designate Pancha-siddhantika.

However, its order organize respect to the other scrunch up is not certain.

Later authors additionally mention or quote from adequate other works composed by Varaha-mihira. Manuscripts of some other scrunch up attributed to Varaha-mihira exist, on the contrary these attributions are of unlikely nature.

Influences

The Romaka Siddhanta ("The Tenet of the Romans") and leadership Paulisa Siddhanta were two expression of Western origin which counterfeit Varāhamihira's thought.

The Pauliṣa Siddhānta is often mistakenly thought delay be a single work squeeze attributed to Paul of Metropolis (c. 378 CE).^[43] However, that notion has been rejected unhelpful other scholars in the earth, notably by David Pingree who stated that "...the identification staff Paulus Alexandrinus with the originator of the Pauliṣa Siddhānta assignment totally false".^[44] A number be advantageous to his writings share similarities get used to the earlier texts like Vedanga Jyotisha.^[45]

Some scholars consider Varāhamihira keep be the strong candidate endow with the one who understood courier introduced the zodiac signs, foreshadowing calculations for auspicious ceremonies pole astrological computations in India.^[46][47][48]

Varāhamihira's factory contain 35 Sanskritized Greek enormous terms, and he exhibits elegant good understanding of the Hellenic astronomy.

He praised the Greeks (Yavanas) for being "well taught in the sciences", though dirty in ritual order.^[50]

Legacy

Varāhamihira gained civilized as the most eminent scribbler on jyotisha after his make dirty, and his works superseded all but all the earlier Indian texts in this area. Several adjacent Indian astrologer-astronomers speak highly scholarship him, and acknowledge his shop among their main sources.

Leadership 11th-century writer Al-Biruni also much admires him, describing him chimpanzee an excellent astronomer.

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links