बृहत्संहिता (आचार्य वराहमिहिर - स्थापत्य, खगोल, मौसम व जल विज्ञान)

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such shallow and biased learning has been manifested by
many orientalists in the West is deplorable. From a single
Sanskrit Sloka that reads, 'The Yavanas are Mlechchas;
in them, this Science is established; therefore, even they
deserve worship like Rishis.........' in the west, they have
gone so far as to declare that all Indian sciences are but
echoes of the Greek; whereas a true reading of the Sloka
may show that the Mlechcha disciples of the Aryans are
herein praised in order to encourage them to a further study
of the Aryan Sciences.........".
Only a sage can comprehened this Science, says
our author (II-4). The present author does pay homage
to the ancient authorities on this subject. He also just
alludes to the various theories regarding creation pro-
pounded by the Sankhyas, Vaiseshikas, Meemamsakas
and others and passes on to the subject on hand. The
Science consists of three Skandhas or branches, viz.
Ganita, Hora and Sakha (vide I-9). The treatment of
the whole subject in all its details is said to be संहिता
(Samhita) which itself means a collection. Accordingly
Garga says that the Great Brahman who is well-versed
in these three branches is said to be an expert in Sam-
hita. But our author points out that he has already done
justice to two of the branches, viz., Ganita (गणित) and
Jataka (जातक) in his पञ्चसिद्धान्तिका (Panchasiddhantika) and
बृहज्जातक (Brihat Jataka) respectively (vide I-10). He
gives in the 2nd Chapter the details of the संहिता (Sam-
hita) thereby indicating that the term Samhita is inde-
pendently used for the Sakha also by itself. But he
gives a resume of the first two Skandhas also.
It has been stated (CVII-13) that this work consists
of 100 Adhyayas, in Slokas 3900 when converted into