Ayanamsa and Indian Chrononogy --- The Age of Varahamihira , Kalidasa etc.,

An Astronomical Proof
by V. Thiruvenkatacharya, M.A.L.T., Madras Educational Service (Rtd.)

Extracted from the Journal of Indian Hidtory Vol. XXVIII, Part II, No.83


Astronomers have played no small part in fixing up the Chronology of Indian History; but I consider that the lost word on the subject has not been said; this is mainly due to the complexity of the meterials dealt with. The late Swamikannu Pillai, having fixed 536 A.D. as the year of zero Ayanamsa, came to the conclusion that Varahamihira lived in the sixth century A.D. But his method requires reconsideration on purely astronomical grounds and the object of this article is a reconsideration of the subject in a different light. The results arrived at may not be new, but I am sure that the method adopted is entirely original; I commend this article to the attention of oriental scholars for their critical study.

We have seen that the epoch of Panchasiddhantika of Varahamihira is 427 Saka i.e., 127 B.C. In the same book, he gives some more points for the verification of the correctness of this date.

Varahamihira and His Sakakala by Sri V. Thiruvenkatacharya

Pandit Venkata Chelam, in an appendix to his book Chronology of Kashmir History writes:
In this as well as many other publications of mine, I had several occasions not only to refer to but also to prove the genuineness of the Saptarshi Era and the Kali era. In fact many of the questions dealt with by me in my works have a bearing on these eras. The validity of much of what I have said on several problems of Chronology, depends on the genuineness or otherwise of these eras. My esteemed friend Sri. V. Venkatacharya M.A.,L.T., has written masterly thesis on the saptarshi era in which he proved its validity and genuineness with incisive logic and incontrovertible astronomical evidence.
I have great pleasure in publishing hereunder the thesis, which he kindly sent to me with a wish that it might be published as an appendix in the present volume. I am deeply thankful to him for this favour.

Varahamihira and His Sakakala
A necessity for rectification of Chronology of Indian History,
by Sri V.Thiruvenkataclnarya, M, A., L.T., Madras Educational Service (Retired)
Astronomical data the sheet-anchor of Indian Chronology.

There are a number of astronomical references in our ancient literature which give the lie direct to the existing pet theories of historians. One of the references is as follows and it is given by Varahamihira.
"The Great Bear- Saptarshis - was in the constellation Magha, when Yudhishthira was ruling; add 2526 years to his kala to get the Saka kala." .... (Brs. 13-3)