Varahamihira was just Mihira. For his mastery of the subject astronomy and astrology Magadha kingdom’s King Vikramaditya conferred on him the emblem of the Varaha (boar). It was the greatest award by the kingdom. From that time Mihidra became Varaha Mihitra.

Varaha Mihira was born in 499 AD. Into a family of Brahmins settled. Kapittha, a village near Ujjain. His father was Adityadasa who was worshipping the Sun god. He taught Mihira astrology.

Young Mihira once met Aryabhata, the great mathematician at Kusumapura (Pataliputra) and was inspired. He took up astrology as a lifetime pursuit. He approached the King Chandra Gupta Vikramaditya. Varahamihira was one of the nine gems of Vikramaditya’s court.

Varahamihira was a scientist. His theories are
(1) Earth is spherical.
(2) Some force id keeping bodies stuck to the round earth.
(3) Plants and termites serve as indicators of underwater.
VarahaMihira’s treatises such as Pancha Siddhantika, Brihat Samhita and Brihajjataka are great treasures of knowledge.