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Question – 85
In which verse does
Vyasa say that the next phase ended in Krittika star and happened to coincide
with Trayodasi?
Answer:
Vyasa said that
day and night he was watching the moon increase in size. This was after the
unexpected early Amavasya in Trayodasi. The moon showed ‘Kshaya’. The marks on
the moon appeared nil with the lunar disc appearing hazy and red in the color
of agni. Since this is a crucial verse let me give the word by word meaning of
this verse.
ahorātraṃ mayā dṛṣṭaṃ
tat kṣayāya bhaviṣyati
alakṣyaḥ prabhayā
hīnaḥ paurṇamāsīṃ ca kārttikīm
candro 'bhūd
agnivarṇaś ca samavarṇe nabhastale (MB: 6.2.22-23)
Meaning:
ahorātraṃ = day
and night, continually (dual number, neuter, vocative, singular, stem:
ahorātra)
mayā = by me
(deictic instrumentative, singular, stem: asmad)
dṛṣṭaṃ = is seen
(SB 5.10.11), seen (SB 1.12.30), being seen, personally seen
tat = there, in
that place (neuter, nominative, accusative, singular, stem: tad)
kṣayāya = for
destruction (BG 16.9, SB 4.29.22), for the sake of diminishing (SB 2.7.22),
diminution, decay, loss (dative, singular, stem: kṣaya)
bhaviṣyati = it
will be (SB 11.7.4), will appear (SB 2.7.38) (locative, singular, future
participle, stem: bhaviṣyat)
alakṣyaḥ = no
particular marks (stem: lakṣyaḥ meaning mark), insignificant appearance.
Prabhayā = with
its light (SB 10.51.29) (feminine, instrumentative, singular, stem: prabha)
hīnaḥ = bereft of
(SB 4.14.39-40) (nominative, singular, past passive participle, stem: hīna)
paurṇamāsīṃ = Full
moon (ī-stem, singular, accusative)
ca = and, also,
moreover
kārttikīm =
Full-moon in the constellation of Kṛttikā, Full-moon in the month of Kārtika
(ī-stem, singular, accusative)
candro 'bhūd =
candra (moon) abhūt = Root verb: bhū, appeared (SB 10.19.7, SB 9.24.12) (third
person, singular, tense paradigm aorist class, parasmaipada)
agnivarṇaś =
having the colour of fire
ca = and, also,
moreover
samavarṇe = of the
same colour (singular, locative)
nabhastale = sky
surface, firmament (neuter, locative, singular)
Overall
meaning:
“Day and night
seen by me that the diminution will be happening; also, in the firmament
Full-Moon in Kṛttikā without marks and bereft of light, appeared in the same
colour, in the colour of fire.”
Counted from the previous Amavasya that ended in Vishakha, the Full moon happening in Krittika means, the regular tithi cycle was not over; the Full Moon had occurred earlier than normal, in Trayodasi tithi.
This verse is
misinterpreted by almost all the Mahabharata researchers as indicative of a lunar eclipse in 13 days!
In support of this, they show ‘Kṣaya”, “Prabhayā hīna” and “agnivarṇa” in the verse!
