Scientific Date – Mahabharata War – 4

The Exact Date of Mahabharata War…

Harivansh (Vishnu Purana A. 5) states that when Nanda carried Krishna to Gokul on Shravan Vadya Navami day, there was dry cow – dung spread all over the ground and trees were cut down. The presence of Dry Cow dung all over in Gokul indicates the presence of summer in the month of Shravan. Trees are usually cut down in summer to be used as fuel in the rainy season. The seasons move one month backwards in two thousand years. Today the rainy season starts in Jeshtha but two thousand years ago, at the time of KaIidas, rainy season used to start in Ashadha. At the time of Krishna’s birth the summer was in the month of Shravana while today it is in Vaishakha.

Thus the summer is shifted by four months; hence Krishna’s period comes to 4 x 2000 = 8000 years ago approximately. This means about 6000 years B.C. the same period we have seen above.

At the time of Mahabharata, the Vernal Equinox was at Punarvasu. Next to Punarvasu is Pushya Nakshtra. Vyas used “Pushyadi Ganana” for his Sayan method, and called Nirayan Pushya as Sayan Ashvini. He shifted the names of further Sayan Nakshtras accordingly.

At that time Winter Solstice was on Revati, so Vyas gave the next Nakshatra Ashwini the first place in the Nirayan list of Nakshatras. Thus he used Ashvinyadi Ganana for the Nirayan method. Using at times Sayan names and at times Nirayan names of the Nakshatras, Vyas prepared the riddles. By the clue that Nirayan Pushya means Sayan Ashvini, it is seen that Nirayan names of Nakshatras are eight Nakshatras ahead of the Sayan names.

Thus the Saturn in Nirayan Purva, and Sayan Rohini, Jupiter was in Nirayan Shravan, and Sayan Swati (near Vishakha), while the Mars was in Nirayan Anuradha and Sayan Magha, Rahu was between Chitra and Swati, by Sayan way means it was in Nirayana. Uttara Ashadha(8 Nakshtras ahead). From these positions of the major planets we can calculate the exact date.

The procedure is as follows…

On 5th May 1950, the Saturn was in Purva Phalguni. From 1950 I deducted 29.45 years to get the year 1920 when the Saturn was again in Purva. In this way the author prepared a vertical column of the years when the Saturn was in Purva. Similarly, the author prepared vertical columns of the years when the Jupiter was in Shravan and Rahu in Uttara Ashadha. Then the author searched in horizontally to find out the year common in all the three columns. It was 5561 – 62 B.C. when all the three great planets were at the required places. Then the calculations…

Bhisma expired at the onset of Uttarayan i.e. on 22nd December. This is a fixed point according to the modern Scientific Calendar. He was on the arrow-bed for 58 nights and he had fought for ten days. Hence 68 days earlier than 22nd December the War had started. This shows that the War started on 16th October. We have to calculate the planetary positions of 16th October 5561 B.C.

SATURN:

Encyclopaedia of Astronomy by Larousse states that one rotation of Saturn takes 26 years and 166 days. One year means 365.25 days. So the Saturn’s round takes 29.4544832 years.

5th May 1950, Saturn conjugated with Purva. We have to see its position in 5561 years B.C. 5561+1950 = 7511 years.
7511 / 29.4544832 = 255.00362 rounds
This means that Saturn completed 255 rounds and has gone ahead by 0.00362 or 1.3 degrees. Hence Saturn was in conjugation with Purva on 5th May 5561 B.C.
On 16th October’ 5562nd B.C. i.e. 164 days later it must have travelled (0.0334597 degrees (daily pace) multiplied by 164 days =) 5.487 degrees. So Saturn was at 141 degrees or in Purva Nakshatra.
In October 1962, Saturn was at 281 degrees 1962 + 5561 = 7523 years.
7523 / 29.4544832 = 255.41103 turns.
After completing 255 full turns, Saturn has gone back by 0.411003 turn i.e. 148 degrees.
281 – 148= 133 degrees. This was the position of Saturn in Purva.
Calculating from 1931 or 1989 also Saturn appears at 141 degrees in Purva. Thus on 16th of October 5562nd B.C. Saturn was in Purva as told by Vyas in Mahabharata.

RAHU:

Rahu takes 18.5992 years per rotation. It was at 132 degrees on 16th Oct.
1979. 1979 + 5561 = 7540; Now, 7540 / 18.5992 = 405.39378 turns 0.39378 turns means 141.7 degrees.

Rahu always goes in reverse direction. We have to go in the past, so adding 141.7 to original 132 we get 273 degrees. This is Uttarashadha where Rahu was situated (by Nirayan method).
Calculations from 1989, 1962 and 1893 confirm Rahu in Uttara Ashadha.

JUPITER:

Jupiter takes 11.863013 years per rotation. On 16th October 1979, it was at 129 degrees. 1979 + 5561 = 7540. 7540 / 1.863013 = 635.58892 turns 0.58892 turn = 212 degrees. So Jupiter was 212 degrees behind the original position.

129 – 212 = -83. -83; 360 – 83 = 277 degree 277 degrees is the position of the star of Shravana. So Jupiter was in conjugation with Shravan. The span of Shravan is 280 degree to 293 degree.
Calculations from 1989, 1932 and 1977 show Jupiter in 285 and 281 degrees or in the zone of Shravana. This confirms the position told by Vyas.

MARS:

Mars takes 1.88089 years per rotation. On 16th October 1979, Mars was at 108 degree.
1979 + 5561 = 7540 yrs. 7540 / 1.88089 = 4008.7405 turns. 0.7405 turns means 266 deg.
Mars was 266 deg behind the original position of 108 deg.

108 – 266 = 158. 360 – 158 = 202 deg.

This is just beyond the star of Vishakha which is at 200 deg. Though in Vishakha – Zone Mars has crossed the Star of Vishakha and intends to go in Anuradha, so the description of Vyas as “Anuradham Prarthayate” that it requests or appeals Anuradha, appears to be correct.
Calculations from 1962 and 1900 show Mars at 206 and 208 degrees and therefore though in Vishakha, it can be called as appealing Anuradha “Anuradham Prarthayate”.

Thus it is seen that Maharshi Vyas used tricky but correct terms. He has not written any false statement because he was the Truth – abiding Sage.

--- Shri Chandan Priyadarshi