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Question – 47
When did Krishna
begin his journey for peace to avert the war between Pandava-s and Kaurava-s? Did
he begin the journey in Sharad season or Varsha season?
Answer:
Krishna started
the journey to Hastinapura in the Sharad season in ‘Kaumudi’ month, says the
Mahabharata.
Krishna started in
Maitri Muhurta, on the day of
Revati coming in the waxing phase of Kartika, mentioned as “Kaumudi Maasa” If the Full Moon
of Kartika occurred in the star Krittika, the tithi on Revati was likely to be Shukla
Dwadasi. By Kartika Shukla Dwadasi, half of the Sharad season was over. This
prompted Vyasa to say that Krishna started at the end of Sharad season.
The exact line is
this: “kaumude māsi
revatyāṃ śarad ante
himāgame”. By stating “sharad ante” Vyasa did not give
any room for doubt on the season running then. Unfortunately, this was interpreted
by Mr. Nilesh Oak that it refers to
the Varsha season, to suit his date of the Mahabharata.
If the Varsha
(rainy) season was running then, lack of heat must have been indicated, since
the sun could be mostly hiding behind the clouds. But the words “arciṣi divākare” in the verse say
the opposite. Arciṣi is the name of
one of the twelve suns that is characterized as blazing or in flame. It is
referred so in Ṛg Veda in that sense.
The sun of the
rainy season cannot be described as ablaze. In the very next line of the same
verse the growth of abundant crops is mentioned thereby rejecting any scope for
an interpretation that it was rainy reason (MB:5.81.7). Enlarged corn and grains
on top had come up in time (kāle kalyaḥ) abounding with life. Crops of this
description cannot be seen in the rainy season. These crops are the result of
the rainy season that appear in the Sharad season. These were present in the
surroundings under the blazing sun when Krishna started off from Upaplavya
carrying the message of the Pandava-a to the Kaurava-s.
