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Varāhamihira
Varāhamihira ( 20/21 March 505 – 587), also called Varāha or Mihira, was an ancient Indian astrologer-astronomer who lived in or around Ujjain in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India. Date Unlike other prominent ancient Indian astronomers, Varāhamihira does not mention his date. However, based on hints in his works, modern scholars date him to the 6th century CE; possibly, he also lived during the last years of the 5th century. In his '' Pancha-siddhantika'', Varāhamihira refers to the year 427 of the ''Shaka-kala'' (also ''Shakendra-kala'' or ''Shaka-bhupa-kala''). Identifying this calendar era with the Shaka era places Varāhamihira in the 505 CE. Alternative theories identify this calendar era with other eras, placing him before the 5th century CE. However, these theories are inaccurate, as Varāhamihira must have lived after Aryabhata (born 476 CE), whose work he refers to. The particulars of the date mentioned by Varāhamihira - Shukla '' pratipada'' of the Chai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Pancha-siddhantika
''Pancha-siddhantika'' (IAST: ''Pañca-siddhāntikā'') is a 6th-century CE Sanskrit- language text written by astrologer-astronomer Varāhamihira in present-day Ujjain, India. It summarizes the contents of the treatises of the five contemporary schools of astronomy ( siddhantas) prevalent in India. Date The text refers to the Shaka year 427, which corresponds to 505 CE. Indian writers on astrology and astronomy generally chose an epoch year close to the date of composition of their texts, in order to facilitate correct astronomical calculations. Thus, 505 CE was most probably the year in which Varāhamihira composed ''Pancha-Siddhantaka'' or began planning it. The writings of both Varāhamihira and his commentator Utpala suggest that the text was Varāhamihira's first work. However, some scholars believe that 505 CE was the year of Varāhamihira's birth or of another important event in his life. This is because according to Amaraja, the author of a commentary on Brahmagupta's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Utpala (astronomer)
Utpala, also known as (') was an astronomer from Kashmir region of present-day India, who lived in the 9th or the 10th century. He wrote several Sanskrit-language texts on astrology and astronomy, the best-known being his commentaries on the works of the 6th-century astrologer-astronomer Varāhamihira. Date Utpala dates two of his commentaries on Varāhamihira's works to the year 888 of the ''Shaka kāla''. Assuming that Utpala refers to current year of the Shaka era beginning in 78 CE, these works can be dated to 965-966 CE. * For example, a verse in ''Jagac-candrikā'' - his commentary on the ''Bṛhaj-jātaka'' - states that he finished the work on the 5th day of the shukla paksha, bright half of the Chaitra month. This day began on Thursday, 9 March 965 CE and ended on Friday. Utpala states that he completed his work on Thursday. * Similarly, a verse in ''Saṃhitā-vivṛti'' - his commentary on the ''Bṛhat-saṃhitā'' - states that he finished it on the 2nd day of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Bṛhat Saṃhitā
''Bṛhat-saṃhitā'' is a 6th-century Sanskrit-language encyclopedia compiled by Varāhamihira in present-day Ujjain, India. Besides the author's area of expertise— astrology and astronomy—the work contains a wide variety of other topics.His book is divided into 3 sections namely Tantra, Hora and Samhita. Contents According to the penultimate verse of the text, it contains 100 chapters in less than 4000 ''shlokas'' (verses). Sudhakara Dvivedi's edition of the text, with Utpala's commentary, contains 105 chapters, plus the last chapter containing the table of contents; H. Kern's edition contains an additional chapter (#36) titled ''Raja-lakshnam''. According to Utpala, Varahamihira excludes five chapters from the contents, thus arriving at 100 as the number of chapters; However, Varahamihira himself excludes 3 more chapters from the table of contents, bringing the number of chapters to only 97; so, it is not clear how exactly is the number 100 is arrived at. Utpala cit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Brihat Jataka
''Brihat Jataka'' or ''Brihat Jatakam'' or ''Brihajjatakam'' (Sanskrit: बृहज्जातकम्), is one of the five principal texts written by Varāhamihira, the other four being ''Panchasiddhantika'', ''Brihat Samhita'', ''Laghu Jataka'' and ''Yogayatra''. It is also one of the five major treatises on Hindu predictive astrology, the other four being ''Saravali'' of Kalyanavarma, ''Sarvartha Chintamani'' of Venkatesh, ''Jataka Parijata'' of Vaidyanatha and ''Phaladeepika'' of Mantreswara. The study of this classic text makes one grasp the fundamentals of astrology. Structure ''Brihat Jataka'' is considered a standard textbook on Vedic astrology, and sometimes described as "India's foremost astrological text". The work covers the wide and complex range of predictive astrology. The brevity employed in its composition is noteworthy. In an article titled "On the Authenticity of the (Modern) Brhat Parasara Hora Sastra" published in the July and August 2009 issues of ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Navaratnas
Navaratnāḥ (Sanskrit dvigu ''nava-ratna'', , ) refers to a distinguished assembly of nine learned and virtuous individuals who adorned the royal sabhā (court) of certain illustrious List of Indian monarchs, bhūpati-s (kings) in History of India, Bhāratavarṣa. These ''navaratnāḥ'' were revered for their unparalleled proficiency in various Shastra, śāstra-s (sciences), Indian art, kalā-s (arts), and Rule of law, neeti (statecraft). Each ''ratna'' embodied excellence in a specific field—be it kāvya (poetry), Song, saṅgīta (music), Jyotiḥśāstra, jyotiṣa (astronomy), Baidya, vaidyaśāstra (medicine), Logic, tarka (logic), or dharmaśāstra (law and ethics). Though primarily known from ''Puranas, purāṇic'' and ''History of India, itihāsic'' traditions, the concept symbolizes the ideal of a king as a patron of jñāna (knowledge) and kalā (art). The most renowned ''navaratna'' councils are traditionally associated with Vikramaditya, Vikramāditya of Ujj ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Shaka Era
The Shaka era (IAST: Śaka, Śāka) is a historical Hindu calendar era (year numbering), the epoch (its year zero) of which corresponds to Julian year (calendar), Julian year 78. The era has been widely used in different regions of the Indian subcontinent as well as in Southeast Asia. According to the Government of India, it is referred as the Shalivahana Era (IAST: Śālivāhana). History The origin of the Shaka era is highly controversial. There are two Shaka era systems in scholarly use, one is called ''Old Shaka Era'', whose epoch is uncertain, probably sometime in the 1st millennium BCE because ancient Buddhist and Jaina inscriptions and texts use it, but this is a subject of dispute among scholars. The other is called ''Saka Era of 78 CE'', or simply ''Saka Era'', a system that is common in epigraphic evidence from southern India. A parallel northern India system is the ''Vikrama Era'', which is used by the Vikrami calendar linked to Vikramaditya. The beginning of the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Maga Brahmin
Maga Brahmins (also known as Sakaldwipiya Brahmin or Bhojaka Brahmins) are a class of Brahmins primarily concentrated in northern India. Mentions Hindu texts The earliest extant Hindu text to mention the Magas is Samba Purana (c. 7th-8th century CE); the legend made its way into the Bhavishya Purana and even a twelfth century inscription in Eastern India. After being cursed into a leper, Samba urged Krishna to restore his youth who expressed his inability and deferred to the Sun-God. So, acting upon the advice of Narada, Samba left for the forests of Mitravan on the banks of Chandrabhaga, where the Sun-God resided. There, he propitiated the Sun-God into appearing before himself and secured a cure but, in return, had to accept setting up a solar temple. While the temple was set up using an image received from the Sun-God himself, securing a priest for the temple proved difficult — Brahmins could not be recruited since such worshippers took the offerings for themselves and h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Ujjain
Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain division. It is one of the Hindu pilgrimage centres of Sapta Puri famous for the ''Kumbh Mela'' (Simhastha) held there every 12 years. The ancient and world famous temple of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is located in the center of the city. The city has been one of the most prominent trade and political centres of the Indian Subcontinent from the time of the ancient Mahājanapadas until the British colonisation of India. An ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the Shipra River, Ujjain was the most prominent city on the Malwa plateau of central India for much of its history. It emerged as the political centre of central India around 600 BCE. It was the capital of the ancient Avanti kingdom, one of the sixteen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems. Much about his life is unknown except what can be inferred from his poetry and plays. His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored before the 5th century CE during the Gupta era. Kalidas is mentioned as one of the seven Brahma avatars in Dasam Granth, written by Guru Gobind Singh. Early life Scholars have speculated that Kālidāsa may have lived near the Himalayas, in the vicinity of Ujjain, and in Kalinga. This hypothesis is based on Kālidāsa's detailed description of the Himalayas in his '' Kumārasambhavam'', the display of his love for Ujjain in '' Meghadūta'', and his highly eulogistic descriptions of Kalingan emperor Hem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
6th-century Brihat Samhita Of Varahamihira, 1279 CE Hindu Text Palm Leaf Manuscript, Pratima Lakshana, Sanskrit, Nepalaksara Script, Folio 1 Talapatra From A Buddhist Monastery, 1v, 2r 2v Leaves
The 6th century is the period from 501 through 600 in line with the Julian calendar. In Western culture, the West, the century marks the end of Classical Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire late in the previous century left Europe fractured into many small Germanic kingdoms competing fiercely for land and wealth. From the upheaval the Franks rose to prominence and carved out a sizeable domain covering much of modern France and Germany. Meanwhile, the surviving Eastern Roman Empire began to expand under Emperor Justinian, who recaptured North Africa from the Vandals and attempted fully to recover Italy as well, in the hope of reinstating Roman control over the lands once ruled by the Western Roman Empire. Owing in part to the collapse of the Roman Empire along with its literature and civilization, the sixth century is generally considered to be the least known about in the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages. In its second g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Date
Date or dates may refer to: * Date, the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') * Jujube, also known as red date or Chinese date, the fruit of ''Ziziphus jujuba'' Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner ** Group dating ** First date ** Blind date * Play date, an appointment for children to get together for a few hours *Meeting, when two or more people come together Chronology *Calendar date, a day on a calendar * Date (metadata), a representation term to specify a calendar date **DATE command, a system time command for displaying the current date * Chronological dating, attributing to an object or event a date in the past **Radiometric dating, dating materials such as rocks in which trace radioactive impurities were incorporated when they were formed Arts, entertainment and media Music * Date (band), a Swedish dansband * "Date" (song), a 2009 song from ''Mr. Houston'' * Date Records ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
