Yaskacharya, while explaining the Nirukta (Etymology/Semantic etymology) of VRtra and Indra (using the story where in VRtra is killed by Indra), identifies two groups of students in this regard: Historians (Aitihaasikom: i.e. those who believe that VRtra is an actually the son of Asura Tvashtra (i.e they consider the Itihasas (Epics) as history)) and Nairuktas (those who don’t harbor the above belief but rather consider the Epics as allegories and try to derive what they actually represent and the associated meanings.
Dr. Jayasree Saranathan is a staunch Historian in the above sense; and her monumental work, Mahabharata 3136 BCE is the culmination of years of effort to identify when the actual War took place. Of course, it is easy to establish 3136 BCE as the date of the war considering the temporal relation between it and beginning of Kaliyuga at the time of death of Sri Krishna. But this will remain a legend unless and until a connection can be made between some internal event in Mahabharata with a well proven external event. Meticulous research by Dr. Jayasree reveals that certain unnatural events (which can be caused by a comet striking the earth) noticed just before the war finds a parallel with well recognized temperature drop (which can be due to a comet strike)in the Holocene Period, occurring in 3136 BCE. This is an evidential connection not easy to refute. Of course she has suggested further radio dating studies which I am sure will support her contentions.
The work by Dr. Jayasree is a treatise too
covering various aspects of Astronomy as well as Jyothisha; one can learn a lot
about these subjects by studying this easy to understand book. It will be an
asset to any library and deserves translation to all other Indian languages.
Dr. Narayanan Bhattathiri, MBBS DMRT MD PhD
Former Senior Research Fellow, International School of Dravidian Linguistics,
Former
Professor of Radiotherapy, Pariyaram Medical College, Kannur Kerala,
Former
Assoc. Prof., Regional Cancer Center, Trivandrum, Kerala
