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Question - 40
Is it possible to reconstruct the 5-year Yuga for the current times too?
Answer:
It is possible to construct the 5-year Yuga for the current times too but such calendar will not fulfil the purpose of the 5-year Yuga. It is because the 5-year Yuga is based on two factors:
1. The Sun will be in the star of Uttarayana, but not necessarily in the exact degree of winter solstice, because of the second condition.
2. The 1st year of the Yuga must start in Shukla Pratipat and this must coincide with the star of the Uttarayana.
For example, today the Sun begins its northward journey (winter solstice) in the 6th degree of Moola nakshatra. The Sun continues to turn northward in Moola star right from the year (approximately) 1450 CE. It has traveled more than 7 degrees in Moola star all these years, but not always in conjunction with the moon (Shukla Pratipat) in the Moola star or in the exact location of the Uttarayana. The moon was conjunct with the Sun 7 days ahead of the true position of the Uttarayana in the year 1450 CE. It means, the Uttarayana was observed 7 days earlier than the actual position of the Uttarayana in the year 1450 CE.
This discrepancy will occur every 2 and half stars (which is the distance travelled by the Sun / equinoctial sun between two consecutive shukla pratipat-s). What probably had happened was that they had two standard calendars:
# one at zero ayanamsa position for which the corresponding Uttarayana position was at zero degree Capricorn (Uttarashadha star will be there)
# another at Dhanishtha at 27 degree forward of zero degree Capricorn. This will be the 27th degree of Capricorn. This was explained by Lagadha in Rik Jyothisha.
Only at these two points - 0 degree Capricorn and 27 degree Capricorn - Shukla Pratipat also will occur (approximately ). The 0 degree Capricorn position of the Uttarayana was present during the Mahabharata time. That calendar (produced in the previous question- answer) was used for the next 1800 years though the exact Uttarayana position of the Sun was not taken into consideration. They stuck with only the tithi - that is, Shukla Pratipat to begin the Yuga. It will not occur anywhere other than at 0 and 27 degrees of Capricorn.
Once the Uttarayana had reached 27 degrees of Capricorn (with the equinox forward moving) the calendar was changed to the new position of the sun where Shukla Pratipat occurred. Sage Lagadha prepared a manual for that position which is available even now as Lagadha Jyothisha. . The Uttarayana position of the sun will be taken from Dhanishtha and the Shukla Pratipat happening near that will determine the 1st year of the Yuga. The subsequent year positions will be derived from that as explained in the last post.
After reaching 27 degrees of Capricorn, the Sun will return back as per the Vedic theory of to and fro motion. When the Equinox and solstices are processing, the Vedic society stopped using the 5- year Yuga because of the injunction that precessing equinox will bring misfortunes to the world. Particularly, after the Uttarayana had slipped backward of Capricorn, the 5 year Yuga must have been frozen and replaced with what we have now.
Now we stick to Uttarayana at zero degree Capricorn, irrespective of whatever be the position of Uttarayana. This will not be changed until the Uttarayana returns to the zero degree Capricorn after making a turn-around near the 3rd degree of Moola. As per texts, the revival of Dharma will happen only then.
So, in the final analysis, the concept of the 5-year Yuga can be applied even now, but the conjunction of Shukla Pratipat with the exact Uttarayana position will not be guaranteed. Also the negative injunction on precessing equinox / Uttarayana calls for remedial measures which is however enforced by having the Uttarayana at Makara Sankramana (zero Capricorn) with Sankramana puja and tarpan. This injunction can be read in Brihat Samhita.
The bottom-line is that in any event of the Uttarayana position - that which is followed now or in the 5-year Yuga - the exact location of the Uttarayana is NOT taken into consideration. This must be understood by anyone wishing to date the Itihasa-s.
