Brihat Samhita: The Magnum Opus of Varaha Mihira

Brihat Samhita: The magnum opus of Varahamihira URMI CHANDA-VAZ MA-I, Ancient Indian Culture, #031, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, 2015 e: [email protected] Abstract Acharya Varahamihira was one of the greatest astrologers of ancient India. Belonging to the 6 th century CE of the Gupta Age, he composed numerous texts on astrology and allied subjects. Among his notable works is the Brihat Samhita, which is an extraordinary treatise on not just astrology but a host of other subjects – from architecture to agriculture, from meteorology to physiognomy, from economics to dental hygiene! This paper presents a short background and review of the text with brief analyses of the major subject categories. Introduction With India slowly emerging from its colonial hangover, there is a revival of interest in its glorious past. Ancient texts are being translated and accessed by more researchers in order to understand the nation's contribution to the different arts and sciences. While reams have been written about the ancient Indian religions, culture and the arts, not much attention has been given to the body of sciences. Western scholars have only been eager to dismiss the corpus of Indian scientific literature as unscientific. However, there has been a definitive paradigm shift in academic inquiry over the years and the Indian approach to science is finally beginning to get its due. While many of the Right Wing's claims may be unchecked and exaggerated, history attests to the existence of many of ancient India's peerless scholars and their splendid achievements. One such work of 'science' that warrants more research is 1 the Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira who lived during the Gupta Era. Background The Gupta Age is verily called India's Golden Age because of the tremendous growth the nation – particularly the north of India – witnessed in all respects. Not only was commerce and the crafts thriving, but also polity and science. Formal education too flourished with Brahmanical institutions and Buddhist monasteries offering training. In this background of the sixth century common era, India produced the crème-de-la-crème of knowledge and culture in the form of stalwarts like Kalidasa, Aryabhatta, Sushruta and Varahamihira. Varahamihra also known as Varaha or Mihira, was considered to be one of the 'nine gems' or navaratnas of King Vikramaditya or Chandragupta II's court. He was a famous astrologer, astronomer, philosopher, scientist, mathematician and poet. There are several legends and folktales 1 associated with him, which attest to his popularity not just in ancient India, but also in the subsequent times. There is some contention about his date of birth, but Varahamihira was born Circa 500 CE in Kapitthaka and died in Avanti (Ujjain) in 587 CE2. He was the son of Adityadasa, a sun-worshipping Maga Brahmin and an astrologer. Varahamihira learnt astrology from his father and mastered the Vedas and after a meeting with the great mathematician, Aryabhatta at Kusumapura, he became interested in astronomy3. Often referred to as The Prince of Indian Astronomers, Varahamihira's major works are in the field of astronomy and astrology. He famously composed Panchasiddhantika, and other works like Yoga Yantra Brihat Jataka, Laghu Jataka, Brihat Yatra, Brihat Vivahapatala, Swalpavivahapatala, and the Brihat Samhita. The Panchasiddhantika is his most famous astrological work, for it gives valuable references to five contemporaneous astronomical works, viz. Paitamaha, Romaka, Paulisha, Vaashishtha and 1 A K Chakravarty, Some Studies on Varahamihira, (Indian Journal of History of Science, 26 (I), 1991), p 71 2 Vanadeep K et al, M, Meticulous and meritorious meteorology enshrined in the Brihat Samhita – A comparative case study over four Indian regions situated in diverse climatic zones, (Indian J. Innovations Dev., Vol. 1, No. 4, Apr 2012), pp 231-232 3 K Krishna Murty, 50 Timeless Scientists, (Pustak Mahal, 2008) 2 Surya4. Of these Romaka and Paulisha are known to be references to Roman and Greek schools of thought, which Varahamihira himself preferred 5. On the foundation of these five systems, he devised three branches or skandhas6. These were: siddhanta and ganita (theory and mathematics), hora and jataka (horoscopy and natal astrology), and samhita (collection), a branch which dealt with all other aspects of knowledge. It is to this third branch that the Brihat Samhita belongs. The Brihat Samhita The term Brihat Samhita literally translates to the 'big collection', and the name is truly justified, given the encyclopaedic nature of the composition. It has 797 verses and is spread over 33 chapters. In the prelude to his translation of the Sanskrit text of the Brihat Samhita, Rama Krishna Bhat7 (1981) classifies its subject matter into a mind-boggling 18 categories! They are: 1. Astronomy 2. Geography 3. Calendar 4. Meteorology 5. Flora 6. Portents 7. Agriculture and Economics 8. Politics 9. Physiognomy 10. Engineering 11. Botany 12. Industries 4 G. V Devasthali, The History and Culture of the Indian People: The Classical Age, (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 5th ed. 1997), p 321 5 Swami Sivapriyananda, Astrology and Religion in Indian Art, (Abhinav Publications, 1990), p 16 6 Ibid. p 17 7 M Ramakrishna Bhat, (Translated into English by), Varahamihira's Brihat Samhita, Part I, (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 1996), p xvi 3 13. Zoology 14. Erotics 15. Gemology 16. Hygiene 17. Auguries 18. Stellar Lore However, Varahamihira does not take credit for original content. In fact, he mentions very clearly in the beginning that he is merely commenting upon the work of past sages. In ch. 1, verse 2, he says: “Having correctly examined the substance of the voluminous works of the sages of the past, I attempt to write a clear treatise neither too long nor too short.”8 As Gluklich9 rightly says, “The author was a collector and cataloger, not a creative scientist (except in astrology and astronomy). As the name of the work itself indicates, its data came from numerous sources, some of them probably quite old. … But the prestige and systematic nature of the Brihat Samhita gave its material the authority of prescriptions.” Having said that, the importance of the Brihat Samhita cannot be undermined as an excellent source of information on the social, political and religious conditions of India in the sixth century common era under the Gupta rule, especially since most of the original texts Varahamihira refers to are lost. The treatise is also worthy of study for its poetical merit. Keith 10 opines, "...he shows himself a master of the learning of his day in wide fields of knowledge, and thoroughly skilled in language and metre, not at times without a real touch of poetic ability.” This paper will further examine the important areas where the Brihat Samhita has created an impact. It will outline in brief the contents of each subject category and some of its possible connotations. The paper hopes to underline the massive scholarship of the treatise and its importance thereof. 8 N Chidambaram Iyer, (Translated into English by), The Brihat Samhita of Varaha Mihira, (South Indian Press, 1884), p 1 9 Ariel Glucklich, The Strides of Vishnu : Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective, (Oxford University Press, 2008), p 124 10 A. Berriedale Keith, A History of Sanskrit Literature, (Motilal Barnarsidass Publishers, 1993), p 529 4 i. Astrology and Astronomy in the Brihat Samhita Since Varahamihira was primarily an astrologer, astrology and astronomy make up for more than half the content of the Brihat Samhita. In the translation (Iyer, 1884) referred to for this paper, the text has been divided into two sections, the first containing highly technical information about the subject, while the second is a compendium of all sorts of subjects. The first section, comprising 47 chapters is aimed at professional astrologers who will understand and appreciate the detailed descriptions on planets, their positions and their respective ramifications. He begins the section by describing the characteristics of the ideal astrologer. The Acharya then goes on to display his deep, intuitive knowledge of celestial bodies and planetary movements. He was the first to describe many astronomical phenomena such as equinoxes, solstices, eclipses, comets, meteors and even sun spots – which are now a scientifically-established phenomena. Varahamihira devotes several chapters on predictive astrology, based on the position of planets, bodily characteristics (angavidya: chapter 51), and omens. These predictions pertain to natural phenomena and the general health, welfare and prosperity of people – both royalty and laymen. There are also some chapters devoted to auspicious days and times pertaining to birth, weddings, travel, etc. as well as ways of charting calendar periods. In his unique book, Sandalwood and Carrion: Smell in Indian Religion and Culture, James McHugh points out how Varahamihira even used smells for prosnostication! In three seemingly disconnected passages, Varahamihira tells us a man's fortunes depending on the smell of his semen 11! The common manner of practice of Hindu astrology as we know it today, owes a great deal to Varahamihira's masterful treatise. Dreyer12 avers, “Varahamihira... did for jyotish, what Ptolemy did for Greek astronomy and astrology. …He summarised all the astronomical and astrological knowledge available in India in a series of definitive books. ...His methodical approach gave Jyotish its scientific status and influenced generations of practitioners in this field.” 11 James McHugh, Sandalwood and Carrion: Smell in Indian Religion and Culture, (Oxford University Press, 2013), p 81 12 Ronnie Gale Dreyer, Vedic Astrology: A Guide to the Fundamentals of Jyotish, (Weiser Books, 1997), p 20 5 ii. Meteorology and allied subjects in the Brihat Samhita Because planetary activity and climate are connected, Varahamihira's Brihat Samhita deals with the subjects like meteorology, hydrology and seismology. The importance of rain in an agriculture-driven economy, has been underlined in this text. Chapters 21 to 31 are devoted to rain and other natural phenomena. He writes on rain, on Yogas like Rohini and Swati, on winds, cloud formations, earthquakes, rainbows, dust storms and thunder bolts among other things. Rain gauging comes across as an important function of the ancient Indian astrologer. He writes several verses describing the colours of the sky, shapes of clouds, the positions of nakshatras , the growth of vegetation, behaviour of animals, the nature of lightening and thunder and associated rainfall patterns. Interestingly, Varahamihira not only talks about rainfall and resulting crop production but also comments on the rise and fall of prices of crops thereupon! Varahamira describes the general geography of the region and also devotes an entire chapter to seismic activity and earthquakes. He classifies earthquakes by way of nakshatra time and gives many natural indicators predicting quakes and some mythological reasons for their occurrence. There is another remarkable chapter on 'Undercurrents' (chapter 54), where Varahamihira explains how to gauge underwater sources based on geographical pointers. He mentions different kinds of plants, reptiles, insects and other creatures as well as soil markers for groundwater sources. Elaborate studies have been undertaken by contemporary scholars on this aspect and science has indeed corroborated the accuracy of many of the parameters described by the great ancient scientist. Iii. Architecture in the Brihat Samhita Four expansive chapters in the Brihat Samhita deal with the science and craft of architecture. Chapter 53 is on House Building, Chapter 56 on Temples, chapter 57 on Durable Cements, Chapter 58 on 6 Temple Images and Chapter 60 'On the fixing of images in Temples'. These chapters, along with other Shilpa texts, form the basis of Vastu Shilpa and Vastu Shastra as we understand them today. Varahamihira describes in some detail the kinds and dimensions of houses to be built by certain classes of people. He also expertly comments upon the technical aspect of cement mixtures and other masonic techniques. But it is in the context of temple architecture, religious sculpture and iconography that the Brihat Samhita has received a lot of importance. The Brihat Samhita lists 20 types of temples ranging from one to twelve storeys high 13. The text also lists at least 56 design requirements in temple construction. For example: “The Garbhagriha or the inner apartment shall be half as broad as the breadth of the temple and walls shall be raised all round. The breadth of the entrance to the garbhagriha shall be a fourth of the breadth of the room and its height shall be twice the breadth.” (Chapter 56, verse 12). There are similar detailed prescriptions about the central and ancillary icons in a temple – whether Hindu or Buddhist – as well as sacred rules pertaining to their installation. So popular was this section that it found place in Alberuni's 10th century composition called Indica. A chapter on sculptures was translated and included in the said book14. Varahamihira devised and collated important tenets in Vastuvidya, fusing elements of mythology and architecture. His 81-square grid became a popular layout plan, with each grid accorded to a particular deity. The Vaastupurusha concept, as elucidated in his book, is still observed in the field of vastru shastra. These helped create blueprints not just for the builder but also the priest. Installations rites of mortar and god were dealt with equally by the genius that was Varahamihira. Along with Manasara and Shilpa Ratna, the Brihat Samhita became an important source book for architectural guidelines in the ancient through medieval periods. 13 Subhash Kak, Space and Cosmology in the Hindu Temple, (Paper presented at Vaastu Kaushal: International Symposium on Science and Technology in Ancient Indian Monuments, New Delhi, November 16-17, 2002), p 2 [Sourced from http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/Time2.pdf] 14 Albrecht Weber, The History of Indian Literature, (Routledge, 2013), p 274 7 iv. Environment in the Brihat Samhita Varahamihira shows an exceptional knowledge of the environment in his treatise. In his chapter on Undercurrents (see ii), he lists a number of positive and negative bio indicators that point to or negate the existence of groundwater at that point. In the exhaustive floral and faunal clues on water divination, Varahamihira lists the number of plants, reptiles, insects and other creatures, which offer valuable insights on the biodiversity, climatic and soil conditions of the period. The Brihat Samhita also has a separate chapters on plants and animals. Chapter 29 is devoted to Flowers and Plants, in which he indicates and interprets what the growth patterns of certain plants and flowers means. He enumerates in great detail the kinds of plants that should or should not be planted next to each other and the distance to be maintained between them. Plant nutrition and disease has also been touched upon. Mention of grafting, pruning and fertilizing techniques further testify for the incredibly deep knowledge Vaharamihira had on matters on gardening and plant life. The Chapters 61 through 67 describe briefly the features of animals like dogs, roosters, turtles, goats, horses and elephants. Varahamihira also chronicles exceptional behaviours of animals in the section of omens, and between chapters 89 and 94, he explains the omens thereof. Chapter number 55 on gardening also demonstrates Varahamihira's knowhow on plant life. v. Gemology in the Brihat Samhita Gems and jewels are first mentioned in the Brihat Samhita in the astrological context 15. The text makes a mention of at least 22 types of jewels16, including diamonds, sapphires, rubies, beryls, amethysts, corals, moon-gems, etc. There are independent chapters (81 to 84) devoted to diamonds, pearls, rubies, and emeralds. It gives various parameters, some of which are used even by modern Indian 15 Ernst Wilhelm (Translated into English by), Graha Sutras, (Kala Occult Publishers, 2006), p 248 16 Sailendra Nath Sen, Ancient Indian History and Civilization, (New Age International, 1999), p 240 8 gemologists. These chapters elaborate the sources of these gems and their quality. The author describes the size, shape, clarity, purity, weight and even prices of some of these gems. He also recommends the kinds of gems to be worn by people of different castes. Jewels were used not just for ornamentation, but also for astrological reasons like protection against evil. Pearls seem to have been popular in the Gupta Age, as Varahamihira describes many kinds of pearls and pearl necklaces: ranging from one-string necklaces to 1008-stringed ones 17. These notes offer valuable insights on not just the technical points of gemology, but also their uses in astrology and the prevalent trade practices in that industry. At the core of Varahamihira's recommendation of gemstones in astrology lies a concern for human welfare. This feature is almost a constant through the Brihat Samhita and this is what has endeared the writer to generations of readers. vi. The Human Condition in the Brihat Samhita Speaking of human welfare, a considerable part of the Brihat Samhita deals with this aspect. It forms the interesting non-technical content in the text, which appeals to the lay reader. Human condition is universal after all. Spread over the second part of the treatise, Varahamihira devotes a great many chapters to describing people of the society. He has chapters (68, 69, 70) on the features of laymen and women and of Mahapurushas or great men. The chapter on Angavidya and its contents has already been mentioned above (see i). Further, there are chapters on 'In Praise of Women' (74), 'Amicability' (75) and 'Sexual Union' (78). These chapters are extraordinarily exhaustive, and describe every desirable and undesirable attribute. Varahamihira clues the reader in on the prosperity or adversity to be expected on the basis of all body parts – from the hair on the head to the toes on the feet. In addition to physical features, he also comments upon the subject's complexion, voice, strength, height, weight, and gait among other 17 Ibid 9 things. He also classifies and describes people according to their dispositions and this may be considered among the earliest personality types in a psychological context. He is pleasantly prowomen in the chapter 'In Praise of Women', which is exemplified in the following verse: “ In no world has Brahma created a gem superior to women, whose speech, sight, touch, thought, provoke pleasurable sensations. Such a gem in the shape of a woman is the fruit of a person's good deeds, and from such a gem a person obtains both sons and pleasure. A woman therefore resembles the goddess of wealth in a family, and must be treated with respect, and all her wants must be satisfied.” (ch. 74, verse 4) However, the truth of a patriarchal society emerges in the subsequent chapter on sexual union, where the 'good wife' archetype is firmly established in subordination. Moral ideals are introduced in the chapter on 'Amicability', while the ideals of physical pleasure and marital life in 'Sexual Union'. vii. Miscellaneous subjects in the Brihat Samhita This last category includes a lot of varied subjects, ranging from trade commodities (chapter 41), to pimples (chapter 52), from umbrellas (chapter 73) to spermatic drugs (chapter 76), and from 'Cots and Seats' (chapter 79) to perfume mixtures (chapter 80)! When a grand astrologer chooses to include lamps and toothbrushes in his magnum opus, it comes across as strange, but there is a lot to be read between the lines regarding the society that Varahamihira lived in. These miscellaneous subjects open a window to the social life of the period, pointing especially at the opulence of the Golden Age. It also shows how the great scholar could write with equal ease on matters great and small, without losing his poetic grace. But most importantly, Varahamihira's Brihat Samhita shows how 'scientific, secular' treatises can be humane. Unlike Western thought, where science is all about cold objectivity, this treatise is laced with concern for the human condition. It reflects the Indian belief in the interconnectedness of all things. 10 Conclusion The Brihat Samhita is truly the magnum opus of Varahamihira – the great 6 th century CE scholar. He deals with a dizzying number of subjects in this encyclopaedic treatise and gracefully condenses knowledge from all important walks of life for future generations. Scholars and laymen alike stand to benefit from the study of this text, for it has both – scientific and literary merit. Lal 18 succinctly sums it up saying, “He (Varahamihira) has displayed his poetic genius even in the treatment of a highly technical subject. … He is not pedantic or verbose in diction nor monotonous in versification.... his diction is lucid, charming and elegant.” 18 Mohan Lal, Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot, (Sahitya Akademi, 1992), p 4494 11