________________
OSIMY Stoerengi
IS
Dr. Ajay Mitra Shastri [ Reader, Ancient Indian History and Culture and Archaeology,
Nagpur University, Nagpur ]
en
Varahmihira and Bhadrabahu
--
Varāhamihira is justly reckoned as a doyen of astronomers and astrologers of ancient India. He surpassed all other fellow workers in the field by composing standard works, both copious and abridged, on all the three branches of Jyotisa, viz., (i) tantra (mathematical astronomy), (ii) hora (horoscopy), and (iii) sakha or samhita (natural astrology). Several of his writings have come down to us. Unfortunately we possess very meagre information regarding his life and time. From what he himself tells us we know that he was the son as well as a pupil of one Adityadāsa and a resident of Avanti and obtained a boon from the Sun god at a place called Käpitthaka. His Panca-siddhantika (1.8) specifies the Saka year 427 (=505 A. D.) which evidently has a reference to the date of the composition of the work. We also have some evidence to indicate that he was a Sun-worshipping Maga Brāhmana. His son Pșthuyasas was also an astrologer and his work, Satpancasika, is still extent.3
Some late Jaina writers, however, narrate stories which seek to establish some relationship between Varāhamihira and Bhadrabāhu. Thus, the Prabandha-cintamani tells us that in the city of Paraliputra there lived a Brāhmaņa boy named Varāha who was, ever since his birth, devoted to the study of astrology. But because of poverty he had to subsist by tending cattle. Once he drew a horoscope (lagna) on the surface of a rock but forgot to efface it before returning home in the evening On remembering it he went back to the spot in the night, where he found a lion sitting over it; but he effaced the drawing fearlessly by putting his hand under the lion's belly. The lion gave up his animal mask and appeared as the Sun god and told him to ask a boon. Varāha requested him to show him the entire circle of stars and planets whereupon the god had him seated in his transport and enabled him to examine closely the movements of all the heavenly bodies. When he returned after a year he be
ac
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
