Varaahamihira's B.rhatsa.mhitaa

[Agathe Keller]

Dear Greg,

I've noticed your message just now.

As far as I know no specific date is known for the B.rhasa.mhitaa, but 
just a period for the author, Varaahamihira. As noted by Toke, an 
extensive bibliography and date discussion  can be found under the
 Varaahamihira entry of Volume V  of David Pingree's  Census of the 
Exact Sciences in Sanskrit (CESS)
published by the American Philosophical Society in 1994.
The B.rhasa.mhitaa is discussed on p. 570. And David Pingree notes for 
Varaahamihira's time: ca. 550 A.D

If your colleague can't get hold of the CESS, I'll be glad to send him a 
paper copy of the relevant pages, he or she can just send an e mail to me.

Roger Billard, a mathematicain who studied statistically the date 
contained in sanskrit astronomical treatises sometimes disagrees with 
Pingree. But in the case of Varaahamihira, he notes "the end of the VIth 
century", which is somewhat the same.

I do not know if since then, any discussion has arrised on this subject.

yours

Agathe Keller

Rehseis
UMR 7596
Centre Javelot
CNRS-Université Paris VII
2 place Jussieu
75256 Paris Cedex 05