[Advaita-l] Historicity of Mahabharat - I

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

In response to the recent post of Shree Kameswara Rao on Advaital list. 
I had posted the following article many years ago. It is now included in my book "Journey Beyond: A Non-Dual Approach" - published by the Indic Academy - made available online on Amazon.------------------Sadananda: This article isbased on the information that I found in the March 1995 issue of Saptagiri published in Telugu byTirumala Tirupati Devastaanam, authored by Shree Janamaddi Hanumanta Rao. Thearticle itself was based on the research effort by Professor K. SrinivasaRaghavan. The research was acclaimed by several famous pandits of Panchanga Shaastra, including theSecretary of the All India Panchanga Samskarana Sangha, Pandit RadhashyaamShaastri from Haryana, and Vice-Chancellor of Saurashtra University, Shree D.R.Mankad. 


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Based on the astrologicalinformation provided by Veda Vyaasa (position of the stars etc), Mahabharata war was estimated to havestarted in 3067 B.C. on November 22. On the day of the war, the astrologicalpositions of the Sun, Moon, Rahu, Saturn, Guru, Mangala and Sukra planets havebeen described by Vyaasa. By looking at the position based on Panchangam, Indian calendar, andmatching with the position of the stars described by Vyaasa and comparing withthe Julian calendar, one can arrive at the precise dates of the war.Furthermore, all other related incidents that took place before and after thewar were described in Mahabharat, andthe dates of these can precisely be matched with the Julian calendar, asdiscussed below.

 

Shree Krishna made a last minuteeffort to make peace but failed. He left Upaplaavya city on Kaartiika Shuddha Dvaadasi day in Revati Nakshatra (star) between 7:36 –8:24 a.m. He reached Hastinaapura during BharaniNakshatra, and had discussions with the Kouravaas till Pushyami Nakshatra. The day Duryodhana rejected the peace proposalwas Krishna Panchami. Krishnaleft Hastinaapura, and had consultations with KarNa before he departed (Herevealed to KarNa that He was the eldest son of Kunti on Uttara Palghuni day). Krishnainformed KarNa that Duryodhana must get ready to fight, seventh day from thatday, which will be Amaavaasya day(New-Moon day) with JyeshTa Nakshatra. Krishna returned to Upaplaavya city on Chitta Nakshatra. Three days after thaton Anuuraadha Nakshatra,Balarama came to Upaplaavya. Next PushyaNakshtra day, Pandavaas left with Krishnafor Kurukshetra. 

 

Fifteen days after return fromUpaplaavya city, Balarama left on PunarvasuNakshatra on a tour of sacred places. (Balarama did not want to participatein the war that involved cousins on both sides.) He returned to Kurukshetraafter forty-two days in the ShravaNaNakshatra. The war already started eighteen days earlier. On the nineteenthday, BahuLa Caturdashi day, ShravaNa Nakshatra, Duryodhana died. Itwas the fifty-ninth day after Amaavaasya withJyeshTaa Nakshatra. 

 

Krishnareturned from Hastinaapura after his unsuccessful peace mission, on Uttara Palghuna day. Starting from thatday, the seventh day was New-Moon day (amaavaasya)with Saturn on Rohini Nakshatra asdiscussed by Vyaasa. Rahu was approaching the Sun, and the moon was turningtowards Amaavaasya (New-Moon day).

 

36 years after the Mahabharatawar, Yaadava kula was destroyed. This was predicted by Krishnaby astrological happenings – “Rahu has compressed Purnima on Chaturdasi day.This happened once before the Mahabharata war and again will be happening soonand this will lead to our destruction”. He remembered Gandhari’s curse on theYadava kula. 

 

Astronomically, a strangephenomenon occurred during the Mahabharata war. The lunar cycle (paksha – normally is 15 days) sometimeshappens in fourteen days. However, during the Mahabharata war time a rare thinghappened – the paksha got compressedto 13 days (may be 13 is a bad number). This aspect has been discussed in the Bhiishma parva – 3rd Adhyaaya. Guru and Shani are inVaishaaka, Moon and Sun entered the same house one after the other making amaavaasya occur on the trayodasi day itself . This peculiar condensationof the thithiis into thirteen fromfifteen is a rare phenomenon as discussed by Vyaasa in Mahabharat and is inevitably followed by mass destruction due towar. This incident provided a direct means to establish the precise date ofMahabharata war.

 

According to Julian calendar thistype of planetary collision occurred definitely in 3076 BC, in November. Vyaasawrites:

 

Caturdashiim panchadashiim Bhuuta puurvamca shoodhashiim

Imaantu naabhi jaaneham Amaavaasyaam trayodashiim

Chandra suurya bhougrastou Ekamevam trayodashiim

AparvaNi grahaNe tou Prajaa sakshapaishyataH||

 

“ I have seen fourteen days a paksha, fifteenth day completion orextension to sixteenth day also. This amaavaasyafalling on the thirteenth day itself I have never seen before” – saysVyaasa. That in the same month Sun and Moon eclipses falling during the missingthithiis was a rare phenomenon,resulting in large-scale disaster to people. 

 

One month before, in Margashira, during Purvaashhaada Nakshatra, armies of Pandavaas and Kouravaasassembled on the West and the East sides of the Hiranya river, respectively.The next day was Navaraatri and Durga Puja day. Duryodhana was itching for thewar. That evening Duryodhana sent a word with Sakuni’s son Ulaka, “ We havefinished the prayer to the arms and everybody is ready – why there is furtherdelay in starting the war?” The next day, MargashiraShudda Ekadashi day, in KRittikaNakshatra, the war started. Hence, the famous Bhagavad Geeta teaching also started on that day. The war began at6:30 a.m. The date according to Julian calendar was 22nd November, 3067 B.C.
 To be continued in the next post.
Hari Om!Sadananda