Page:A History of Civilisation in Ancient India based on Sanscrit Literature Vol 2.djvu/262

244 Âryabhatta's successor, Varâhamihira, was a true born son of Avanti. He was born in Avanti, and was the son of Âditya Dâsa, himself an astronomer. The Ujjayinî list compiled by Dr. Hunter, as well as Alberuni, give 505 as Varâhamihira's date, and it is probable that this was the date of his birth. We have already stated before that he was one of the "nine gems" of Vikrama's court, and it has been ascertained by Dr. Bhao Daji that the astronomer died in 587

He compiled in his famous Panchasiddhântikâ five older Siddhântas, viz., Paulisa, Romaka, Vasishtha, Saura, and Paitâmaha. We have spoken of these Siddhântas in the last Book.

Varâhamihira is also the author of Brihat Sanhitâ, which has been edited by Dr. Kern. It is a work consisting of no less than 106 chapters, dealing with various subjects. The first twenty chapters relate to the sun, moon, earth, and planets; chapters 21 to 39 deal with rain, winds, earthquakes, meteors, rainbow, dust-storms, thunderbolts, &c.; chapters 40 to 42 treat of plants and vegetables, and commodities which are available in different seasons; chapters 43 to 60 speak of various miscellaneous matters, including portents, house-building, gardening, temples, images, &c.; chapters 61 to 78 deal with various animals, and with men and women, &c.; chapters 79 to 85 treat of precious stones, furniture, &c.; chapters 86 to 96 treat of various omens; and chapters 97 to 106, of various matters, including marriages, the divisions of the zodiac, &c.

The above enumeration of contents carries no adequate idea of the encyclopædic nature of this great work. The amount of general information which it contains, apart from its merit as an astronomical work, is of the utmost value to the historian. Thus, chapter 14 is a complete geography of India of the sixth century, and mentions the names of numerous provinces and towns. Chapters 41 and 42 contain an enumeration of a vast number of com-