Mahabharata Quiz - 117

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Question – 117

In what ways the comic impact is expressed in the Mahabharata? Does it say anything about NOx?

Answer:

The cosmic impact and the release of NOx by the falling meteor showers are expressed by Vyasa by way of the effect on the terrestrial life, waterways and in atmospheric changes. He noted them as nimitta-s. In all 48 nimitta-s pertaining to terrestrial observations and 12 atmospheric nimitta-s were mentioned by him to Dhritarashtra. He referred to 20 planetary nimitta-s of which four were related to odd appearances when the earth had swung suddenly. They were discussed in the previous questions and listed in Question No 101.

The most common feature found in many of the nimitta-s pertain to the pollution caused by NOx, that include many oxides of Nitrogen, responsible for air pollution, acid rain and smog. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) produced abundantly by the object entering the earth’s stratosphere is reddish-brown in colour that it causes red clouds, bloody rains and makes the waters appear blood-red in colour. The pollution is equal to what happens when one is exposed to cigarette smoke, burning fossil fuels, butane, smoke from combustion engines etc., that cause lung diseases and asphyxiation. These features can be seen in many of the nimitta-s about animals and birds.

All these nimitta-s with the description of how they were the result of the comet impact is discussed in my book. To name a few of them:

Ø  The hue of the weapons and the water, as also of coats of mail and standards, is like that of fire.

Reason: Fire signifies reddishness. NOx contamination.

Ø  The waters of rivers have become bloody.

Reason: NOx contamination. A sure sign associated with meteor-impacts.

Ø  The wells, foaming up, are bellowing like bulls.

Reason: Seismicity induced by the crash of the meteor.

Ø  Meteors, effulgent like Indra's thunderbolt, fall with loud hisses. 

Reason: Explicit statement of a shower of meteors

Ø  People, for meeting together, coming out of their houses with lighted brands, have still to encounter a thick gloom all round.

Reason: The haze in the atmosphere continues for days and months in the case of meteor-impacts only.

Ø  From the mountains of Kailāsa and Mandara and Himavat thousands of explosions are heard, and thousands of summits are tumbling down.

Reason: Obvious reference to the fragments having landed on the Himalayan range. Also due to induced seismicity by the crash of the meteors. Langtang as the likely region of impact was already discussed in Question 96. 

And many more like this.