Abdication of the throne by the Pandavas marked the beginning of Kali Yuga – Aihole and other inscriptions (Supplement to Mahabharata date series: 12)

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Kali Yuga of 4,32,000 year span in the grand scale of 10 times of that duration of Catur Maha Yuga and 1000 times the span of a day of Brahma (Kalpa) started with distinct markers. The foremost marker told by Puranas is historical – of Krishna leaving this world. Two more historical events happened closely after kali Yuga began. We will discuss them in this part.

The three historical markers for Kali Maha Yuga are

·         Kali Yuga started with Krishna’s departure from the earth.

·         It was followed by the Pandavas relinquishing the throne.

·         Parikshit was given the crown.

On seeing the Adharma of Kali increasing around him after the exit of Krishna, Yudhiṣṭhira stepped down from the throne and crowned Parikshit. Then the Pandava brothers quit their householder status by casting of their Agni into water, says Mahabharata.[1] They were no longer required to do Agni related homas as a householder would.

The same event is told in Srimad Bhagavatam with additional information. Bhagavatam says that Yudhiṣṭhira conducted “prājāpatyāṁ” by which he placed Agni within himself![2]

prājāpatyāṁ nirūpyeṣṭim
agnīn apibad īśvaraḥ

prājāpatyām — Prājāpatya sacrifice;

nirūpya — having performed;

iṣṭim — goal;

agnīn — fire;

apibat — placed in himself;

īśvaraḥ — capable.

Meaning: Yudhiṣṭhira performed a Prājāpatyam yajna and placed in himself the fire for quitting household life.[3]

His brothers, on seeing Kali’s Adharma everywhere followed his footsteps (SB: 1-15-45)

The next verse tells what they meant by following his footsteps.

They also had done the Prājāpatyaṃ yajna to quit the householder dharma and become Sadhus.

A unique feature of Prājāpatyaṃ yajna as given in Yajur Veda and extoled by many luminaries such as sage Yajnavalkya and Bodhayana is that after relinquishing all the belongings, the doer of this yajna gives up his Agni too, but places it within himself.

As long as one is a householder the sacrificial fire must be kept burning on all days of his life. Even when the Pandavas went to forest they had taken their Agni with them to do Agnihotra every day. At the time of one year of incognito living their Agni was sent to the kingdom of Drupada to be maintained by him. This Agni would remain with oneself until one leaves this earth when one’s mortal remains would be consumed by this Agni.

For one who had relinquished his householder Dharma and embraced Sanyasi Dharma by doing the Prājāpatyaṃ yajna, the Agni that is going to consume his mortal remains would be placed within oneself! It is like self- cremating and doing one’s last rites by oneself. All the Pandava brothers had done this by Prājāpatyaṃ Yajna as soon as Kali Yuga started.

This information is contained in Aihole inscription!

Aihole inscription deciphered

The inscription of the Chalukya king Pulikeshin II found in a Jain temple at Aihole in Karnataka is a major evidence for the date of Kali Yuga. However it had run into controversy due to a single reference to Bharata, which is being interpreted in two ways to either mean the beginning of Kali Yuga or the beginning of Mahabharata war. With the above details from both Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam on the mode of relinquishment of the Pandavas, we are able to understand the verse better.

Verse 33 and 34 of this inscription gives the date of the Jain temple built by Ravikirti who had composed the verses of the inscription in Sanskrit. The entire inscription is in praise of the king Pulikeshin II. The importance of the verse is that it gives the time in Kali years and also the Shaka years, but from when, is disputed – is it from the time of Mahabharata war or from the beginning of Kali Yuga when Krishna left.

Let us take a look at the inscription as given in Indian Antiquary. [4]

The underlined word is disputed: “Bhāratādāhāvāditah”. What does this mean? From the time of Mahabharata war?  Or from some other event of the Bharata?

This verse was analyzed by Kota Venkatachelam who suggested a correction of “shateshu” in verse 33 to “gateshu”. But he assumed that the verse refers to Mahabharata time and deducted 37 years (not mentioned in the verse) to arrive at the Mahabharata date as 3138 BCE which has been picked out by a few researchers as truth immortal. There is no basis for 37 year gap between Kali Yuga and the war, as Mahabharata clearly states a gap of 35 years only. Kali Yuga started in the 36^th year after the war. Let us now examine the verse to know the time period given and pick out the disputed “Bhāratādāhāvāditah” at the end of the decipherment.

Verse 33:

Trimshatsu = 30

trisahasreshu  = 3000

Bhaarata daaha avaaditaha  = ( to be translated at the end)

Sapta abda shatayukteshu = 700

Gateshu = gone

abdeshu panchasu = 5 years

Verse 34:

Panchāshatsu = 50

Kalaukāle = in Kali’s Time (7^th case)

shattsu  = 6

panchashatāsu  = 500

Samāsu = putting together, aggregation, conjunction, combination, connection, union, totality. (stem:  samāsa: masculine vocative singular)

samatitāsu = samatIta = gone or passed by

shakānām = of the shaka (6^th case)

Api – unto, on

bhubhujām =  king (accusative)

Meaning:

Trimshatsu (30) trisahasreshu (3000) Sapta abda shatayukteshu (700) abdeshu panchasu (5)

Gateshu Kalaukale (having gone in Kali Kaala) = 3735 years gone in Kali Kāla

Panchaashatsu (50) shattsu (6) panchashataasu (500) Samaasu samatitāsu shakānāmapi = 556 years having gone in the Shaka era.

Kali years = 3735

Shaka years = 556

Kali years – Shaka years = 3735 – 556 = 3179

3179 is the beginning of Shalivahana shaka!

Deducting 78 CE when this shaka began = 3179 – 78 = 3101 BCE = Kali Yuga begin date.

It is very clear that this inscription refers to Kali years at the time of inscribing it.

The Shaka year is undoubtedly Shalivahana shaka.

The Kali age being mentioned in this goes to show that “Bhāratādāhāvāditah” doesn’t refer to the end of Mahabharata war. Then what does it mean?

Let us split the word.

Bhāratāt = singular, masculine, 5^th case = from Bharata, a reference to Yudhishthira, the foremost among the Bharatas.

Dāha = √dah, burning, combustion, internal heat.

More meanings given below from Sanskrit dictionary

Note the meaning ‘place of cremation’.

There is something called, “Dāha-bali” mentioned in Garuda Purana, which is pinda offered to the deceased at the time of cremation. Dāha is associated with cremation agni.

Bhāratāt Dāha reminds us of the final fire deposited within the body of Yudhiṣṭhira at the Prājāpatyaṃ Yajna when he gave up everything.

The last word is avādita.

Avādita = to burn down, to consume.

The meaning is complete.

Bharatāt Dah (√dah) avādita = from (the time) Bharata consumed (reposited) the fire (within by Prājāpatyaṃ yajna).

This is a clear indication of the abdication of the throne by Yudhishthira that took place at the beginning of Kali Yuga.

The Aihole inscription stands as a solid proof for linking the abdication with the beginning of Kali Yuga.

Similar reference to Bharata is found in Aryabhatiya.

Aryabhatiya reference 

Aryabhatiya refers to the historical event of abdication by the Bharata.

Aryabhatiya mentions the lapse of 6 Manus, 27 Yugas and 3 “Yuga-pada” on a Thursday at “Bharatāt Purvam.”[5]

Two issues arise here: What is Yuga pada? What is meant by Bharatāt Purvam?

The Pada in Yuga – Pada doesnot mean ‘quarter’, but it means ‘foot’. Vayu Purana offers authenticity for this.[6]

The Yuga padas are not of equal length. By the lapse of 6 Manus, 27 Catur Maha Yuga and the three Yuga padas of the 28^th Catur Maha Yuga, Aryabhatiya is referring to the beginning of Kali Maha Yuga only. But why then the term Bharatāt Purvam is used instead of Kaliyugāt Purvam?

The date coinciding with the abdication of the Bharata (Yudhishthira), followed by a Shaka (sub period of Kali Yuga) named after him (Yudhishthira), Aryabhata had referred to the beginning (Purvam) either of Bharata relinquishing the throne or the beginning of the shaka of Bharata (Yudhishthira). Both ways it points out to the historical moment connected with Bharata.

Aryabhata’s time coming within 150 years of Pulikesin II who also made a reference to ‘Bharata’, it appears that this kind of reference to the start of Kali Yuga was in vogue around that time period.

In this regard, the claim by Vedveer Arya that Kali Yuga commenced before the Mahabharata war is totally unfounded. A clipping from his presentation is reproduced below.

Both the internal evidence and the external evidence stand nullified. It was established in Part 10 of the supplementary series what those “Kali” verses mean. With the war happening at Dvapara- Kali sandhi, all those references cannot be treated as the time of the start of Kali Yuga.

The external reference quoted by him was explained by me above. With the complete duration of 6 Manus, 27 Yugas and the first three Yugas of the current 28^th Yuga getting over at the beginning of Kali Yuga, there is no way to assume that Aryabhata referred to some other date. The beginning of Pandava samvat 12 year later is nowhere found in the verse. The commentator is obviously wrong. In Jyothisha texts, such as “Jyothisha Graha Chinthamani”, a guide book for Pancanga writers, Pandava Samvat is one year later than Kali Yuga, not 12 years. Aryabhatiya verse doesn’t refer to Pandava Samvat.

Janamejaya’s inscriptions.

Janamejaya’s grant to Sitarama temple in Hampi in his 29^th regnal year which happened to be the year Plavanga was already discussed in Part 1. Plavanga is indeed the 89^th year counted from Pramathi, the first year of Kali Yuga. His father Parikshit ruled for the first 60 years of Kali Yuga. Janamejaya’s 29^th year perfectly matches with 89^th Kali Year (Yudhishthira Shaka). The calendar date was 2nd November, 3013 BCE

There are three other inscriptions of Janamejaya found in Karnataka that are rejected as spurious by the colonial Indologists. For decipherment we need at least four features of Pancanga which we get in one of them found at Begur. The first three columns show the grants given by Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit. The last was a recent one. Our focus is on the first three columns.[7]

 

Continued below

Janamejaya was on a Dig-Vijaya to South when he made the donations to the Brahmins who participated in the Sarpa-yajna for conducting worship for Vyatipada and eclipse. 

The Prashasti of the three grants are the same. The “katakam utkalita’ refers to the rising Kataka lagna when the King issued the grant.  

The first grant on the left gives valuable clues such as Citra month, Krishna Paksha Tritiya, Bhauma dina (Tuesday) and Indrabha nakshatra, a reference to Visakha ruled by Indragni. When checked in the Jhora software, it perfectly matched for 10th January, 3014 BCE. It was given in Adhika Caitra. Another grant found at Kuppagede matched well for the Nija Caitra. 

Janamejaya grant at Begur

The grant was given for the sake of Vyatipada, says the inscription. The next day was Vyatipada. The alignment of Pancanga features is proof for the authenticity of the details of the inscription. This perfect matching shows that the grant was true. The Sarpa Yaga was done in the year Parabhava, in 3014 BCE. 

Begur grant as well as the Hampi grant go well with the tenure of the king Janamejaya in Kali Yuga, with both the grants giving solid proof for Kali Date at 3101 BCE.

By all sources, Kali Yuga date is non-challengeable and connected with Krishna’s departure and Pandavas departure too.

Computational nature of Kali Yuga is unique

The calculation of Kali date is such that another inscription found at Parthivapuram issued in the reign of Ko-Karunandadakkan, has recorded the Kali ahargana – the exact number of days elapsed since the Kali Yuga began.[8]

The grant was issued on 1449087^th day of Kali Yuga!

Converted into years, it was on Kali year 3967, 105 days, 48 Nazhigai, 51 vinadi, 38.304 tatparai.

The calculation is as follows.

Conversion formula for one year into tatparai

Number of days converted into years

The grant was issued at the lapse of 3967 Kali years. Completion of 105 days shows that Kataka month was running then.

Deducting 3101 BCE, the calendar year is 866 CE, which was the 9^th year of his reign as per the inscription. This shows that the king ascended the throne some time after the middle of Kataka month in 857 CE. This is how dates are deducted with the base as Kali Yuga. Strangely this method is missing in Mahabharata dating. The Kali Yuga date gives an easy deduction of the year of Mahabharata war.

Back to the topic, the Kali date did not start on some day; it had a specific beginning in all the cycles of small and big time. Only then this kind of calculation is possible. When we see 105 days in the above calculation, a question comes how to convert it into months, because not all months are of same length. And which month to be counted as the first one is the next question. For all the features there is a ‘first’ and all the ‘firsts’ started on the first day of Kali Yuga. Totally there are 8 features known as Ashtanga in the computation of a Kali date.

The top three of Ashtānga are

1.      Yuga (four Yugas)

2.      Years (60 year cycle)

3.      Months (solar months)

This is followed by Pancanga.

4.      Week-day (7 days)

5.      Star (27 stars starting from Asvini. 1 star = 13° 20” )

6.      Tithi (the lunar phase = 12°)

7.      Yoga (total distance travelled by the sun and the moon in a day. Cycle starts with Vishkambha yoga)

8.      Karana (half of tithi = 6°.  Cycle starts with Bava karana )

Features 2 to 8 are part of the first, i.e. Kali Yuga when all these features started their respective new cycles. This is shown below for 23^rd January, 3101 BCE when Kali Yuga began with its first day.

First day of Kali Yuga – Pancanga cycles started together

The tithi – nakshatra – Yoga – Karana started their cycles simultaneously on the 1^st day of Kali Yuga. The day was Friday and the solar month, Mesha. The lunar month is not in the reckoning in the four-unit time computation (solar, saumya, nakshatra and savana). Only the lunar tithi-paksha is taken into consideration in a given solar month.[9]  From that time onwards, the seven features of the Ashtanaga are continuously going on in their own cycles and are tracked till date.

This kind of computation doesn’t exist if the Yuga started at the day Bhima killed Duryodhana. Did the month, star, tithi, karana etc., start at the beginning of their respective cycles at that time? No. Duryodhana was hit on Shravana day, on a Monday, in the year Krodhi, during Amawasya. When none of these were starting their respective cycles, how can it be said that a new Yuga began?

The Yuga beginning is not a regnal year, where the year and day of coronation of a king is taken into consideration. Yuga is about cosmic Time. A cosmic entity such as Krishna became a deciding marker for the start of Yuga. Such being the relevance of a Maha Yuga, it sounds ridiculous that Kali Yuga started at the time Bhima killed Duryodhana or Krishna killed Kamsa.  It just shows one thing. Those who have no exposure to studies in history and epigraphy, apart from astrology should never even dream to date Mahabharata - relying only on the astronomy simulator.

Another issue is needed to be solved. That is about the Shaka eras.

(To be continued)

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[1] Mahabharata: 17-1-20

[2] Srimad Bhagavatam: 1-15 -39

[3] https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/15/39/

[4] Indian Antiquary, Vol 5, p.70  https://archive.org/details/TheIndianAntiquaryVolV/page/n91/mode/1up

[5] Aryabhatiya: 1-5

[6] Vayu Purana 1-32- 64

[7] ‘Two new Chalukya Grants’ by Lewis Rice, April 1879

[8] Huzur Office Copper Plates, Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 4 (2016): 454-458

[9] The lunar month is called as the day of the manes (Pitrus), and the solar year is called the day of the Devas. A combined luni-solar is limited to the tithi in a solar month. Today this is ignored mostly in North India but retained in South India.