Mahabhara - An Astronomical Proof

7/31/2019 Mahabhara - An Astronomical Proof

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Mahabharat: An Astronomical Proof from the Bhagavat Puraan

By: Manasvi Mehta (www.twitter.com/manasvirajmehta)

Determination of the exact period of the Mahabharat, the greatest epic of the Sanskrit language and

treasure of Hindu tradition, has been one of the most difficult and controversial problems of

religious history since the eighteenth century. Religious historians outside India have consistently

argued that the events described in the Mahabharat and the Purans are completely mythical and have

virtually no relationship to history. On the other hand, Indian scholars have argued, equally

vehemently, that the stories of Hindu scriptures are irrefutable facts of history. It has been pointed

out that nothing comparable to the genealogy of the Bible exists in the entire collection of Hindu

sacred literature. All the generations of mankind between Abraham and Jesus Christ are clearly

identified in the Bible while the purans merely mention that 1115 years will pass between the reign

of Nanda, the first famous king of Kali-age (kaliyuga), and Parikshit, the last Pandava king of the

Dvapar age (Dvaparyuga). Detractors of ancient Indian tradition have used this argument for

centuries as the most powerful weapon in their intellectual arsenal to attack the foundations of the

rich and varied tradition of Sanskrit epics and Purans which represents a perfect socio-cosmic

harmony of history and mythology.

Fortunately, many works of the Vedic and Puranic tradition contain a sufficient number of clues in

the form of astronomical observations which can be used to determine the approximate date of

Mahabharata and thus establish the historical authenticity of the events described in this great epic.

Notable among these works are the Parashar Sanghita, the Bhagvat Puran, Shakalya Sanghita, and

the Mahabharat itself. Aryabhatta, one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers of India in

the fifth century AD, examined the astronomical evidence described in the Mahabharata in his great

work known as the "Aryabhattiya". According to the positions of the planets recorded in theMahabharata, its approximate date was calculated by Aryabhatta to be 3100 BC implying that the

great war described in the Mahabharata was fought approximately 5000 years ago, as most Hindus

have always believed.

A number of British scholars of the 19th century, especially Friedrich Max Muller, tried to interpret

this astronomical evidence to prove that the observations recorded in Hindu scriptures are

imaginary. As an amateur astronomer, I propose to examine the astronomical evidence presented in

the Bhagvat Puran and Max Muller's criticism of this evidence in light of the advances made in

astronomy in the past fifty years. Max Muller, in the preface to his translation of the Rigveda,

examines the astronomical observations described in the Bhagvat Puran and concludes that these

observations are "imaginary", apparently because they did not agree with the prevalent views of the

European, primarily British, Indologists of the nineteenth century about the time of the

Mahabharata. These astronomical observations about the positions of the Saptarishis (Ursa Major)

and some predictions based on their movement are contained in the second chapter of the twelfth

Canto of the Bhagvat Puran. In relating the story of lord Krishna's life to king Parikshat, the granson

of Arjuna, Rishi Shukdeva explains:

saptarshinam tu yau purvau drshyete uditau divi |

tayostumadhye nakshatram drshyate yat samam nishi || 27 ||

tenaita rishayo yuktastishthantyabdashanta nranama |

tey tvadiye dwijaha kale adhuna charshita maghaha || 28 ||

"When the Saptarshis (the constellation of Ursa Major) rise in the east, only two stars are visible atfirst. In the middle of two stars, one of the lunar mansions (nakashatra) appears on the opposite side

of the sky. The seven rishis stay with this lunar mansion (asterism) for hundred earth years.


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Parikshit! from the time of your birth to the present time, they have been positioned with the

'Magha' lunar mansion". According to a similar observation, recorded in the Shakalya Sanghita,

"their (Saptarshis') movement is eight minutes of the arc a year .... and moving in the north into

different positions, the rishis employ 2700 years in revolving through the assemblage of twenty

seven lunar mansions (translated by Max Muller)". Max Muller accepts the interpretation of the

shlokas in the Bhagvat Puran, especially the phrase "the lunar mansion in the middle of these two

stars (tayostumadhye Nakshatram)," as the extension of the line connecting the two stars away fromthe pole star. With this interpretation, the movement of the Saptarshis does indeed become

imaginary, as noted by Max Muller, "Now although this movement of the seven Rishis is but

imaginary, it was used for chronological purposes." Other interpretations are, however, possible if

the recorded positions of the seven rishis are examined without the predictions made in the Bhagvat

Puran about the direction of their movement. This modified interpretation can reinforce the

conclusions drawn by Aryabhatta from his calculations about the date of Mahabharata.

A more plausible interpretation of the observations described in the Bhagvat puran, especially the

phrase "the lunar mansion in the middle of the two stars (tayostumadhye nakshatram)" is that "the

perpendicular line drawn from the midpoint of these two stars towards the ecliptic" intersects at a

certain lunar mansion (nakshatra), when extended towards the ecliptic. It is entirely likely that

ancient Indian mathematicians deliberately avoided the use of the term "perpendicular" in describing

the astronomical observation, for the simplicity of interpretation. A sky map in exhibit 1 depicts the

approximate position of the Saptarshis in relations to the zodiacal constellations visible in the

evening sky in the month of August 1990 from North America. The positions of the astronomical

objects shown in this exhibit are in general agreement with the positions of stars in the sky maps

published in the August 1990 issue of the "Astronomy" magazine. These observations, made from

Boston area which has a latitude of approximately 43 degrees North, can be easily verified without a

telescope or binoculars since most of these stars and constellations are clearly visible with naked

eye in the evening summer sky in the northern hemishere. As compared to northern India from

where the observations of the Bhagvat Puran were made, this lattitude is too far north and from

Boston the Saptarshis appear to be circling the pole star during the night instead of rising in themorning. On an early morning in the month of August, the two stars of the Saptarshis highest over

the horizon from Boston are the so called pointers.

Exhibit 1

Approximate Positions of the Saptarshis (August 1990)

North

. .

. .

. .

. * Dubhe .

. . .. Merak * . * .

. . . (Ursa Major) .

.Pisces . * . .

.. . * Saptarshis .

. . * * . .

. . Pole * . *Swati .

. . Star Vishakha .

Ecliptic---------->. * . * . .

. Aquarius * . . . West

East . . Anuradha . .

. . * . .. . . * Jyeshtha.

. Capricornus . Saturn . * * .


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. * * Scorpius

. Sagittarius Mula * .

. * * .

. .

. .

. .

. .

South

The line connecting these stars intersects at the north pole when extended northwards. In most parts

of India, except the extreme northern parts of Kashmir, these stars will appear to be rising in early

morning. Arabian astronomers, who transmitted most of the knowledge of astronomy in the middle

ages to Europe, named these stars Merak and Dubhe. Arabian mathematicians and astronomers had,

as a well established fact of history, acquired most of their knowledge of algebra, arithmatic and

astronomy from India. In 1990, as shown in the map in exhibit 1, this line intersects between the

zodiacal constellations of Libra and Scorpios, very close to the brightest star in the constellation of

Libra. The entire constellation of scorpios has a clearly identifiable shape and the two bright stars of

Libra are also clearly visible with naked eye. According to the Indian system of naming the twenty

seven stations through which the moon passes each night during its periodic movement, the

brightest star of Libra is known as the "Vishakha" nakshatra. The Saptarshis are thus positioned in

the "Vishakha" nakshatra in the present century.

Between the current location of the Saptarishis and the position mentioned in the Bhagvat, i.e., the

Magha nakshatra, twenty three lunar mansions intervene, from Anuradha to Ashlesha, if the

direction of movement opposite to the commonly accepted interpretation of the predictions made in

the Bhagvat is followed (Exhibit 2). This direction of movement is equally likely since no records

are available to establish the exact direction the saptarshis have historically followed.

Exhibit 2: Direction of the movement of the Saptarishis

Position of the Saptarshis at the time of the Bhagvat PuranCurrent position of the Saptarshis

1. Pushya

27 1 2 2. Punarvasu

26 3 3. Ardra

25 * . . 4 4. Mrigashisa

. . 5 5. Rohni 24 . . 6 6. Krittika 23 . . 7 7. Bharni 22 . . 8 8. Ashvini

. V 9. Revati 21 V Proposed 9 10. Uttara Bhadrapada

Max Mullers's direction 10 11. Purva Bhadrapada 20 Direction 11 12. Shatabhisha 19 ** 12 13.

Dhanishtha 18 13 14. Shravana17 14 15. Uttara Ashadha

16 15 16. Purva Ashadha 17. Mula 18. Jyestha 19. Anuradha 20. Vishakha 21. Swati 22. Chitra 23.

Hasta 24. Uttara Phalguni 25. Purva Phalguni 26. Magha 27. Ashlesha

The relative movement of Saptarshis through twenty three mansions implies that the observations

described in the Bhagvat Puran must have been made either around 300 BC, or 3000 BC, since the

positions of the Saptrshis repeat every 2700 years. The possibility of these observations in 300 BC

can be completely ruled out because the period around 300 BC is a matter of recorded history. The

historical events of the fourth century BC are recorded in sufficient detail by many Indian as well as

Greek historians. Alexander, the Great, invaded a part of India during this period, when

Chandragupta Morya was the ruler of Pataliputra, and these events are described by Plutarch in

"Parallel Lives" with meticulous detail. The stories of Bhagvat were as prevalent in India in thefourth century BC as they are now and most of the Purans are considered older than 300 BC. For

example, according to the Encyclodepia Britannica, Sir William Jones, the most famous Indologist


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of the 18th century, estimates the time of the Bhavishya Puran to be 550 BC in his tranlation of an

article describing the game of chess in this Puran. Therefore, the most logical conclusion that can be

drawn from these descriptions is that the astronomical observations described in the Bhagvat Puran

were probably made approximately 5000 years ago, an entire cycle of Saptarshis before the reign of

Chandragupta. The position of the Saptarshis in Magha during the time of Mahabharata is thus in

complete agreement with the estimate of approximately 3000 BC given by Aryabhatta. It is

extremely likely that Max Muller's conclusions about astronomy of the Bhagvat Puran being"imaginary" were based on a questionable interpretation of the direction of movement of the

Saptarshis.

An unavoidable question that arises from this modified interpretation is why have the conclusions of

Max Muller remained so widely accepted for more than a hundred years? There are two possible

reasons for it. First, most astronomers work with expensive telescopes in sophisticated observatories

located primarily in advanced industrialized countries and are not familiar with the observations

recorded in the Purans or Upanishads. And second, most "pundits" and religious scholars in India

are more concerned with astrology rather than the practical aspects of astronomy. The theoretical

and speculative inclination of Indian intellectual endeavor has been a major stumbling block in the

discovery and interpretation of many mathematical, scientific and astronomical facts recorded in the

sacred books of India. A largely unnoticed story from the history of early moslem incursions into

India is extremely relevant to this argument. Alberuni, a famous Arabic scholar who accompanied

Mahmud Ghazanvi on his seventh infamous compaigns across north India, once asked an average

Indian pundit, well versed in mathematics and metaphysics, where the lunar mansion "Anuradha"

was in the sky. The learned pundit showed total inability to associate any names mentioned in his

almanac (Jantri) with the visible stars and constellations in the sky. There is certainly no dearth of

learned scholars and pundits in India, but it appears that an average pundit does not have a great

need or desire to understand the cosmic connection behind the religious ritual.

A third inescapable reason, perhaps far more important than the previous two, has also prevented a

critical scrutiny of Max Muller's arguments. Our knowledge of astronomy was extremely limited at

the time of Max Muller but in the past 100 years it has advanced by leaps and bounds with theavailability of large optical and radio telescopes and dedicated scientists. There are now convincing

answers available to the question why the Saptarshis change their positions. According to the New

Atlas of the universe by Patrick Moore, five of the seven stars of the Saptarshis (the Plough of Ursa

Major) are travelling through the space in the same direction while other two, Alkaid and Dubhe,

are moving in opposite direction. Consequently, after a sufficiently long time the plough tends to

lose its characterstic shape and the perpendicular line drawn from the midpoint of Merak and Dubhe

crosses the ecliptic at different lunar mansions, changing 3.6 degress of arc in a century. There is

still no scientific explanation of why every 2700 years this movement should repeat but a clue can

be found in the work of Anthony Aveni, the noted author of a recent book titled "The Empires of

Time: Calendars, Clocks and Cultures". According to this book, there is a widespread belief inmany African and American Indian cultures that the entire solar system revolves in our galaxy (VV

comment: also refer to Atharva. Kanda 14 and Yajurveda Chap 3 and 33), the Milky Way, around

the brightest star in the Pleiades. The cluster of Pleiades, in the Taurus constellation, is known as

the Seven Sisters or "Krittikas" in Hindu astronomy. The brightest star in the Pleiades is Alcyone

and the sun completes one revolution around this star in approximately 3000 years. There are no

astronomical maps available to verify this observation and no scientific computations can prove or

disprove this theory easily but this widespread belief has made Pleiades one of the most sacred

object in the sky in practically every country and culture. This periodic revolution could be the

reason why the Saptarshis repeat the positions described in the Bhagvat Puran, every 2700 years.

Carl Segan, a renowned astronomer at Cornell University, who hosted the public television series

"Cosmos" in 1985, pointed out that Hindus were the only ones who came anywhere close tocorrectly estimating the real age of the universe. Unlike many cultural traditions which treat science

and religion as antithetical to each other, the Hindu tradition encourages the study of physics and


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metaphysics both for a comparative understanding of the true nature of the cosmic mystery

surrounding and pervading the universe. The observations recorded in the Bhagvat Puran thus

present a challenge to the modern astronomer to reestablish the connection between the diversity of

what the scientists call "Phenomenon" and the underlying spiritual unity of what the renowned

German philosopher Immanuel Kant called the "Noumenon".

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Mahabhara - An Astronomical Proof