Earth and sky

 “Varāhamihira — The Man Who Tried to Read the Earth and Sky Together.”

Varāhamihira (वराहमिहिर) was one of ancient India’s great astronomers, mathematicians, astrologers and scholars, who lived around the 6th century CE, probably around 505–587 CE.

He is particularly associated with Ujjain, which was an important centre of astronomy in ancient India.

What made him remarkable?

Varāhamihira brought together knowledge from several traditions—Indian, and also astronomical ideas that had come from the wider world—and organized them systematically.

His two most famous works are:

Pañca-Siddhāntikā — The Five Astronomical Treatises

A remarkable summary of the astronomical knowledge of his time. It discusses five earlier systems of astronomy, including the Sūrya Siddhānta and traditions associated with Greek astronomy.

Bṛhat Saṃhitā — The Great Compilation

This is much broader than astronomy. It is almost an encyclopaedia of 6th-century Indian knowledge—covering astronomy, weather, rainfall, earthquakes, architecture, agriculture, plants, gems, water-finding, omens, calendars and many other subjects.

He also wrote the Bṛhat Jātaka, an important work on Jyotiṣa (astrology).

An interesting connection

Varāhamihira was a contemporary of Āryabhaṭa's tradition and belonged to the remarkable period of Indian mathematical astronomy when scholars were trying to understand the movements of the Sun, Moon and planets mathematically.

One especially interesting thing about him is his openness to knowledge from different civilizations. His Pañca-Siddhāntikā preserves evidence of interaction between Indian and Greek astronomical traditions.

“Varāhamihira — The Man Who Tried to Read the Earth and Sky Together.”

His Bṛhat Saṃhitā makes him especially fascinating because he wasn't interested only in the heavens—he observed the Earth, its weather, water, plants, architecture and natural phenomena too.