Book Description

Varāhamihira also called Varaha or Mihir; was an Indian astronomer; mathematician; and astrologer who lived in Ujjain. He was born in Avanti (India) region; roughly corresponding to modern-day Malwa; to Adityadasa; who was himself an astronomer. Educated at Kapitthaka; he is considered to be one of the nine jewels (Navaratnas) of the court of legendary ruler Yashodharman Vikramaditya of Malwa. Varahamihira's main work is the book Pañcasiddhāntikā dated ca. 575 CE gives us information about older Indian texts which are now lost. 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". Among Varahamihira's contribution to physics is his statement that reflection is caused by the back-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. He was also an astrologer. He wrote on all the three main branches of Jyotisha astrology and His son Prithuyasas also contributed to Hindu astrology; his book Hora Sara is a famous book on horoscopy.