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Question – 37
From a single tithi,
namely Krishna Saptami, you derived the dates of exile and the date of
Kichaka-vadha. Does it mean that dating of Mahabharata is an astrological
exercise than an astronomical endeavor?
Answer:
Any research on date
depends on the kind of data available. Here the data is taken exclusively from
the text itself. Only two types of data are available in the text of the Mahabharata.
One is about the
Pancānga elements such as tithi, star etc., mentioned for the events. The Mahabharata
does give these features for major events. These features are in use even
today. These features continue endlessly such that it is possible to simulate
the combination of these for a past date from the present combination. It just
involves mathematical calculations which are incorporated in astrology
simulators like Jhora.
The second set of data pertains to the planetary references in the Mahabharata. They might appear along with the Pancānga elements or stated as ‘nimitta-s’. The first problem is encountered by one while sifting through astronomy factors – are they true astronomy positions or nimitta-s?
For example, the reference to the star Arundhati
appearing to have caused the star Vasistha trail behind, is a nimitta and not an
astronomy feature. But this is taken as an astronomy feature by Mr. Nilesh Oak taking along with him a huge chunk of
Indians into abysmal foolishness. Understanding the astronomy features
itself requires a certain level of knowledge of astrological terminologies because
both planetary positions and nimitta-s found in the Mahabharata are from the
domain of astrology. Vyasa didn't possess the knowledge of modern astronomy such as
Right ascension, Declination and visual magnitude.
In the case of the
second set, namely, planetary combinations, we must be aware of the limitations
of the simulators. They are not watertight like the Pancānga details. It is because
there is an element of uncertainty in the planetary movement over long period.
Those who follow planetary positions (as part of astrology) will be aware that
the position of Saturn in Vaakhya system is not the same as in Drik system. It
is lagging from what it is seen in Drik system.
Drik is what the
NASA or Swiss ephemeris provide by way of current positions. They are extrapolated to past by means of a
set of calculations which are not valid for long periods such as the
Mahabharata. More so with the position of the moon. The position of the moon
can be checked from numerous inscriptions available in India, particularly
South India, on eclipses giving the date, solar days, the star transited by the
moon during eclipse etc. A random check done by this writer by picking out one eclipse
every 100 years for 1000 years showed that none matched with the NASA date of
the same eclipse. In some cases, the eclipse should not have been visible as
per the NASA data whereas epigraphic evidence shows that people observed vrat,
puja, daana etc. during such eclipses.
This gives the
foremost lesson that moon data is unreliable astronomically. The discrepancies
start appearing from 200 years backwards from now. There are other issues such
as the equinoctial position of the sun which is unreliable right from 1800 CE
backwards – which again can be cross checked with inscriptional data. Astronomers
are aware of the limitations of equinoctial values, but simulator makers incorporate
them for tens of thousands of years. Indologists believe the publicity gimmick
of those simulator creators and fall an easy prey, by taking clueless masses
into their blissful ignorance.
