Meanwhile in Rajputana, the great Varahamihira, India's most celebrated astrologer, wrote excellent treatises on astrology and astronomy.

Though not officially a Vedic rishi like Parashara or Jaimini, he is considered the father of Vedic Astrology and Astronomy till this day.

He was of East Persian (Scythic) origin, born in the city of Ujjain, the capital of the Scythian dominated region called Sakastana.

In Varahamihira's time, 'Sakastana', or 'Land of the Scythians', was a vast tract of land which included modern Afghanistan, Seistan, and Rajputana. The influence of Sakastana, gave shape to the Northern Indian Culture as we know it today.

He belonged to the legendary class of Magi Kings or 'Sun-Priests' from Persia. The same type of priests that visited Jesus Christ at the time of his birth, centuries before.

The focus of his work was the system of Persian Solar Astronomy as laid down by the Zoroastrian Magi King tradition.

He wrote a magnificent treatise on the subject called the Shurya- Siddhanta. It was named after the Persian Sun-God As-Shur. The term 'Shurya-Siddhanta' means 'Treatise of the Sun', while the alternative name 'Saura-Siddhanta' denotes 'Treatise of the Sun-worshippers'.

The Persian Solar Astronomy (Shurya-siddhanta) contrasted and complimented enormously, the known Vedic Lunar astronomy of the time.

This led to the new Surya Siddhanta system to gradually supersede and incorporate itself into Vedic Jyotish, and it has remained supreme ever since.

He wrote three important books: Pancha-siddhantika, Brihat Samhita, and Brihat Jataka. Brihat Samhita is a compilation of an assortment of topics that provides interesting details of prevailing beliefs, and Brihat Jataka is a treatise on astrology.

However, the most famous work by Varahamihira is the treatise on mathematical astronomy called the Pancha-siddhantika ('Five Astronomical Treatises'), dated 575 AD.

It is a summary of five earlier astronomical systems, namely the Surya, Romaka, Paulisa, Vasistha and Paitamaha siddhantas.

The Paulisa-Siddhanta was of Chaldean-Egyptian origin. The Romaka-Siddhanta was Roman in essence. The Paitamaha Siddhanta appears to be ancient Vedic.

However, the Surya Siddhanta or Saura-Siddhanta system of Persian astronomy, was the most accurate and is the system most widely used today. The modern system differs but in minor details from Varahamihira's classical system.

In time, the Greeks made their way past Persia and into India, and they were amazed at the knowledge that the Greeks possessed of Astronomy and Astrology. Varahamihira himself extolled their abilities.

Up to this point, Jyotish did not posses the signs of the constellations of the zodiac, or the weekdays, but were incorporated with the advent of the Greeks, as well as the usage of solar returns, degree aspects, and horary astrology. These elements were later translated into Sanskrit and known as Varshaphal, Tajika, and Prasna respectively.

Such was the impact of the Greeks, that Indians proceeded to write a treatise on Greek astrology, known as the Yavana Jataka.

Most people are under the false assumption that the Jyotish we know of today is what was originally revealed to Sage Parashara, when in fact, Persian, Greek and Chaldean elements were introduced, and translated into the Sanskrit language, then inserted into the original texts written by the Vedic Sages.

Vedic Astrology suffered a hiatus when the northern invasions began, but recovered relatively quickly, and the majority of the Jyotish classic texts were preserved.