Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c14.30

v2.c14.30

They include quite a large number of quotations from the Gārgi. Their works must have existed before Varāha. It shows *that there were at least five works compiled by SAGES before Varāhamihira. In addition to these names, Varāha has referred to Ācāryas like SATYA, MAYA, YAVANA, MAṆITHYA, JĪVAŚARMĀ, VIṢNUGUPTA**. Out of these, Satya’s name occurs six times. There are, in addition, several vague references like “according to one, some one, earlier śāstras, the earlier writers, etc.” From this it appears that a number of “human authors” had lived before Varāhamihira. He has definitely mentioned the names of Six Ācāryas, that 10 to 12 works were compiled, that they became popular and that five of them came to be adored as ‘compilations of SAGES’—These things could not have possibly happened during a period of 50 or 100 years. They would easily require five or six centuries for this; and Utpala remarks (commentary on 7.7 of Bṛhajjātaka) that the Viṣṇugupta, referred to by Varāha, was CĀNAKYA himself. From this, he was possibly Cāṇakya Viṣṇugupta, the minister of CANDRAGUPTA; and there are no reasons to disbelieve this surmise.