[Advaita-l] On the history of Bharathavarsha

[Shrinivas Gadkari]

Namaste to everyone with sraddhA in purANa-s,
 
I completely agree with Jaldhar. While we should certainly burn within
due to the insults inflicted on us by gross distortions of our history we 
better direct this "agni" to a more thorough, systematic and holistic
evaluation of our historical accounts.
 
Here are some thoughts about which I have convinced myself with whatever
little study/ readings I have been able to undertake.
 
1. We must take the end of last ice age which occurred around 10,000 BC
very seriously. Manu vaivasta corresponds to this time. Indra-s killing of
vRtra very likely refers to central role played by indra in mass scale melting 
of glaciers around the globe.
 
2. Pre 10,000 BC history recorded in the purANa-s most likely crosses the
limits of India. We should be open to possibilities that some of the incidents
in this era happened elsewhere. 
 
3. Periods of yugas in purANa-s are given as 4800, 3600, 2400, 1200 divine years 
for satya, tretA, dvApAra and kalI respectively. For the time being, if we ignore
the word divya (divine) and count these as years, and postulate that we are at 
the end of kali yuga, the beginning of previous satya yuga falls around 10,000 BC.
 
4. After the great floods that followed the end of ice age the civilization was 
thoroughly disturbed/ dispersed. If at all the was migration of Vedic culture it was 
around this time (not into India but into other lands).
 
5. We should be open to evaluating possibility of centers of vedic culture in pre
10,000 BC being on lands that are currently under sea. Not to say there was
no vedic culture in India then, but admit the possibility that  equally large
vedic cultures existed elsewhere. Also be open to the possibility that ancient
Egypt and Greek cultures may be evolutions from this ancient Vedic culture
after the disruption/ dispersion around the time of great floods.
 
Regards,
Shrinivas
 
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I just want to address this bit.  First of all, let's be clear that 
Vidyashankar's effort is not "to pit one Matam against another" but to 
understand the truth about Indian history and you should be ashamed to say 
such a thing.  It is true that unscrupulous people do twist legitimate 
research for their own agendas.  Does that mean we should the same?  On 
the contrary such people should be encouraged to use these sources as much 
as possible.  Have you heard the proverb "sunlight is the best 
disinfectant"?