Scientific Date – Mahabharata War – 2

From The Research Article of Dr. P. V. Vartak on the Topic of Scientific Dating of Mahabharata War 
Now, Let us continue more by looking at other inscriptions. This might be interesting.

GREEK RECORDS:

The Greek Ambassador Magasthenis has recorded that 138 generations have passed between Krishna and Chandragupta Maurya. Many scholars have taken this evidence, but taking only 20 years per generation they fixed the date of Krishna as 2760 years before Chandragupta.

But this is wrong because the record is not of ordinary people to take 20 years per generation. In the matter of general public, one says that when a son is born a new generation starts. But in the case of kings, the name is included in the list of Royal Dynasty only after his coronation to the throne. Hence, one cannot allot 20 years to one king. We have to find out the average/king by calculating on various Indian Dynasties.

Let considered 60 kings from various dynasties and calculated the average of each king as 35 years. Here is a list of some of important kings with the no. of years ruling.

Chandragupta Maurya : 330-298 B.C = 32 years.

Bindusar : 298-273 B.C = 25 years.

Ashoka : 273-232 B.C = 41 years.

Pushyamitra Shunga : 190-149 B.C = 41 years.

Chandragupta Gupta : 308-330 A.D = 22 years.

Samudragupta : 330-375 A.D = 45 years.

Vikramaditya : 375-414 A.D = 39 years.

Kumargupta : 414-455 A.D = 41 years.

Harsha : 606-647 A.D = 41 years.

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Total = 327 years && Average is 327/9 = 36.3 years.

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Multiplying 138 generations by 35 years we get (138 * 35) 4830 years before Chandragupta Maurya.

Adding Chandrgupta’s date 320 B.C. to 4830 we get 5150 B.C.as the date of Lord Krishna.

Megasthenis, according to Arian, has written that between Sandrocotus to Dianisaum 153 generations and 6042 years passed. From this data, we get the average of 39.5 years per king. From this we can calculate 5451 years for 138 generations.

So Krishna must have been around 5771 B.C.

Pliny gives 154 generations and 6451 years between Bacchus and Alexander. This Bacchus may be the famous Bakasura who was killed by Bhimasena. This period comes to about 6771 years B.C. Thus Mahabharata period ranges from 5000 B.C. to 6000 B.C.

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SHRIMAD BHAGWAT: 

Bhagwat gives 28 Kaurava kings from Parikshit to Kshemaka. “From Kshemaka, the Pandava Dynasty will end in Kaliyug, and Magadha Dynasty will start.” [Bhagwad 9-22-45]. This implies that the Pandava kings ruled before the advent of Kaliyug, i.e., before 3101 B.C and Magadha dynasty will not super – impose the Pandava Dynasty.

Further it is stated in Bhagwat that after 28 Kaurava kings, Magadha Dynasty would rule and 22 Magadha kings would govern for 1000 years. Here it is given an average of 1000 years for 22 kings. It can be found that the 28 Kaurava kings would have ruled for 1273 years and then Magadha Dynasty started with King Sahadeva, whose son was Somapi.

On the other hand, Maghasandhi was the son of Sahadeva and the grand – son of Jarasandha [Ashwamedh-82]. Many scholars have neglected this fact and have assumed that this Sahadeva fought in the Mahabharat War and was the son of Jarasandha.

Ripunjaya is the last king in the list of 22 Magadhas. But Bhagwat 12.1.2-4 mentions that Puranjaya will be the last king who will be killed by his minister Shunak. It is to be noted that there is no mention of the kings between Ripunjaya and Puranjaya. People have wrongly taken the two names as that of one and the same person, without any evidence.

Bhagwat 12.1.2-4 state that Shunak would coronate his son Pradyota as the King and later five Kings would rule for 138 years. After this Pradotya Dynasty, Shishunga Kings, 10 in number, would rule for 360 years. Thereafter 9 Nandas would rule for 100 years. Nanda would be destroyed by a Brahmin and Chandragupta would be enthroned. We know that Chandragupta Maurya ascended the throne in 324 B.C. So we can thus calculate backwards:

9 Nandas = 100 years

10 Shishungas = 360 years

5 Pradotyas = 138 years

22 Magadhas = 1000 years

28 Kauravas = 1273 years

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74 Kings 2871 years

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We find here only 74 kings, but Megasthenes tells us about 138 kings. So 138-74 = 64 kings are missing. These may be from the period between Ripunjaya and Puranjaya. Thus calculating from the data of 74 kings who ruled for 2871 years, we get a period of 2496 years for 64 kings. Adding the two we get 5367 years for 138 kings.

This is preceding Chandragupta’s time, who came to throne in 324 B.C.

Hence, 324+5367 = 5691 B.C. is the approximate date of Parikshit.

---- Shri Chandan Priyadarshi