Mahabharata Quiz - 85

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Question – 85

In which verse does Vyasa say that the next phase ended in Krittika star and happened to coincide with Trayodasi?

Answer:

Vyasa said that day and night he was watching the moon increase in size. This was after the unexpected early Amavasya in Trayodasi. The moon showed ‘Kshaya’. The marks on the moon appeared nil with the lunar disc appearing hazy and red in the color of agni. Since this is a crucial verse let me give the word by word meaning of this verse.

ahorātraṃ mayā dṛṣṭaṃ tat kṣayāya bhaviṣyati

alakṣyaḥ prabhayā hīnaḥ paurṇamāsīṃ ca kārttikīm

candro 'bhūd agnivarṇaś ca samavarṇe nabhastale (MB: 6.2.22-23)

Meaning:

ahorātraṃ = day and night, continually (dual number, neuter, vocative, singular, stem: ahorātra)

mayā = by me (deictic instrumentative, singular, stem: asmad)

dṛṣṭaṃ = is seen (SB 5.10.11), seen (SB 1.12.30), being seen, personally seen

tat = there, in that place (neuter, nominative, accusative, singular, stem: tad)

kṣayāya = for destruction (BG 16.9, SB 4.29.22), for the sake of diminishing (SB 2.7.22), diminution, decay, loss (dative, singular, stem: kṣaya)

bhaviṣyati = it will be (SB 11.7.4), will appear (SB 2.7.38) (locative, singular, future participle, stem: bhaviṣyat)

alakṣyaḥ = no particular marks (stem: lakṣyaḥ meaning mark), insignificant appearance.

Prabhayā = with its light (SB 10.51.29) (feminine, instrumentative, singular, stem: prabha)

hīnaḥ = bereft of (SB 4.14.39-40) (nominative, singular, past passive participle, stem: hīna)

paurṇamāsīṃ = Full moon (ī-stem, singular, accusative)

ca = and, also, moreover

kārttikīm = Full-moon in the constellation of Kṛttikā, Full-moon in the month of Kārtika (ī-stem, singular, accusative)

candro 'bhūd = candra (moon) abhūt = Root verb: bhū, appeared (SB 10.19.7, SB 9.24.12) (third person, singular, tense paradigm aorist class, parasmaipada)

agnivarṇaś = having the colour of fire

ca = and, also, moreover

samavarṇe = of the same colour (singular, locative)

nabhastale = sky surface, firmament (neuter, locative, singular)

Overall meaning:

“Day and night seen by me that the diminution will be happening; also, in the firmament Full-Moon in Kṛttikā without marks and bereft of light, appeared in the same colour, in the colour of fire.”

Counted from the previous Amavasya that ended in Vishakha, the Full moon happening in Krittika means, the regular tithi cycle was not over; the Full Moon had occurred earlier than normal, in Trayodasi tithi. 

This verse is misinterpreted by almost all the Mahabharata researchers as indicative of a lunar eclipse in 13 days! In support of this, they show ‘Kṣaya”, “Prabhayā hīna” and “agnivarṇa” in the verse!

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