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Question – 88
Did unusual Kshaya
tithi-s cause Trayodasi Pournami? How did the moon appear then?
Answer:
The unusual repetition
of kshaya tithi-s, apparently caused by the disturbance on the lunar orbit due
to the comet-hit resulted in faster than normal movement of the moon. That it
continued in the next phase is made out from the expression, “tat kṣayāya bhaviṣyati”
which was seen by Vyasa day and night.
The other expressions
given by Vyasa which were mistaken to mean an eclipse are taken up now. The phrase
“alakṣyaḥ prabhayā hīnaḥ” is quoted by opponents to indicate an eclipse. Taking the meaning of ‘alakṣyaḥ’ as
‘invisible’, the Mahabharata researchers thought it referred to an eclipse as
there was a ‘reduction in the moonlight’ (prabhayā hīnaḥ). But Alakṣya is the
opposite of Lakṣya with one of the meanings, “mark”. Alakṣya means without
marks.
Here we must
recall Vyasa’s verse on “Somasya lakṣma vyāvṛttaṃ” where he meant seeing
changes in the marks on the lunar disc. So naturally he was expected to look
intently at the waxing moon for the fresh mark that he had seen days ago. To
his dismay, no marks were seen anywhere on the moon. Then what did he see? He
explains it in the next line, “candro 'bhūd agnivarṇa” - the moon appeared in
the colour of fire. Additionally, the increase in brightness day after day
expected in the waxing phase was no longer happening. The lunar disc appeared
entirely devoid of marks and bereft of light.
The verse under
discussion (quoted in question - 85) perfectly expresses the dull appearance of
the lunar disc that was recovering from a comet-hit. Two probable reasons can
be cited for such appearance; one, related to the atmospheric aberrations in
the observer’s location and two, disturbed lunar soil yet to settle down on the
surface of the moon.
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