[h=2]MAHABHARATHA WAR : WHEN IT WAS FAUGHT[/h]MAHA BHARATHA WAR: WHEN IT
WAS FAUGHT
Friends,
There are differing views about the dates of Maha Bharatha war. According to Dr. D.S Dwivedi of the Parit ReSearch Institute, Vaisali , Biharwhich was published in the Indian Express dated 12-10-1984, the Epic war of Maha Bharatha started on a Tuesday on November 14, 3137BC. According to him KALI YUGA started in the year 3101 BC.
According to Dr. E. Vedavyas who was a senior IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh, in his thesis “ASTRONOMICAL DATING OF THE MAHA BHARATHA WAR says that the Epic war began on a Tuesday in October, 3138 BC on an Amavsya (NEW MOON ) day. He has relied on the observation of the sky as recorded in the great epic Maha Bharatha . He has also verified it with the method of Radio-Carbon dating. In fact , he evolved a scientific dating method by using the references of Veda Vyaasa who has written the position of fixed stars, eclipses, and the motion of constellations “SAPTHA RISHIS” or as we call it in English as “GREAT BEARS” .
Another eminent scientist Dr. P.V Vartak fixes the date as 16th October,5562BC.
A great Epigraphist , Dr. D.C. SARCAR who was the former Chief Epigraphist of Government of India opines that Maha Bharatha “was a mith, devoid of little historicity, opening , as it were the flood gates of controversy all over the country…..”
The Great Epic Maha Bharatha was called once as “JAYA” and it comprised only with 8,800 verses. When it was known as MAHA BHARATHA it started containing 24,000 Verses. In the present available form it contains 100.000 verses.
According to Prof. B.B.LAL , The Maha Bharatha text which is now available “refers not only to the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Parthians but also HUNAS. The present text, therefore, is unlikely to be earlier than the 4th Century A.D. and if KRISHNA was a historical figure, he is unlikely to have been later than BUDDHA who lived in 6th Century B.C. , for history after the BUDDHA is so well known that there is hardly any scope to accommodate KRISHNA AND MAHA BHARATHA in it…….”
Late, Dr. B. Venkatraman, a noted astrologer of Bangalore fixes the Maha Bharatha war on the strength of Astronomical calculation as 37 years before KALI YUGA started. According to him KALIYUGA started in the year 3102 B.C. He said that Mousala Parva of Maha Bharatha had mentioned that Sree- Krishna died after 36 years of Maha Bharatha War which must be somewhere in the year 3066 BC . According to Late Dr. B.V.Raman , in the Karna Parva the planetary positions of 17th day battle is given. Likewise he contends that astronomical data of Dharma Puthra’s coronation and ASVAMEDHA sacrifice all point out to fix the year of Maha Bharatha War as 3066 B.C.
One Sri. P.G. Krishnan Nair from Kerala has written about the demise of Bheesh as given in Maha Bharatha “ll अष्टपञ्चाशतं रात्र्या, शयानस्याद्य मे गताः शरेषु निशिताग्रेषु यथा वर्ष- शतं तथा, माघोfयं समनुप्राप्तो, मासः सौम्यो युधिष्ठिर, त्रिभागशेषः पक्षोयं, शुक्लो भवितु मर्हति ll” Anushaasika Parvam-167-26-28. “ ll शुक्ला पक्षस्य चाष्टम्यां, माघमासस्य पार्त्थिव, प्राजापत्ये च नक्षत्रे, मद्धयं प्राप्तो दिवाकरे, निवृत्तमात्रे त्वयन, उत्तरे वै दिवाकरे, समावेशय दात्मान-, मात्मान्येव समाहितः ll” – Shaanthi parva – 47 -3 -4. In this THRIBHAAGA SHESHA: has been interpreted as “ when the 1/4 part is over means he fell down on CHATHRTHI DAY” This interpretation is given by Dr. S.B. Roy.
From this we get the information about Bheeshma’s date of death as Magha Shukla Paksha (ie. After the new moon day ) .
” The epic is generally defined: A long narrative poem on a great and serious subject, related in an elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race.
Mahabharatha is a great Epic of Hindus. Now let us see what is an epic.” The epic is a long narrative poem on a great and serious subject, related in an elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose action depend the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. The traditional epics were shaped by a literary artist from historical and legendary materials which had developed in the oral traditions of his nation during a period of expansion and warfare. “ “In ancient Indian epics such as the Ramayana, which had mythical Vimana flying machines that were able to fly within the Earth’s atmosphere, and able to travel into space and travel submerged under water, along with a weapon which could destroy an entire city. The ancient Hindu mythological epic, the Mahabharatha, mentions the story of the King Revaita, who travels to heaven to meet the creator Brahma and is shocked to learn that many ages have passed when he returns to Earth, anticipating the concept of time travel. Portions of the Biblical text “Revelation” read literally like science fiction and science fantasy: “There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ”
Hence we cannot fully believe these great Epics. However we can definitely say that
(a) Mahabharatha war a reality and not mith.
(b) Although the war was not fought in large scale as described in our Great Epic Maha Bharatha , this event was very significant as it attracted many writers, and balladeers who portrayed this complex theme of this great Epic.
© While as per Puranic data the war was fought in the later period of 9th Century BCor beginning of 10th Centuary BC which is corroborated by archaeological evidence , astronomical calculations based on the narration of the Great Epic seems to be wrong since Mahabharatha took place during the Iron age since the tools used in the war made of Iron points out that the war might have happened during the Iron Age starting from the year 1000 BC. Hence from the above circumstances we can infer that the war might have taken place only during the iron age and therefore can be placed between the year 1200BC and 1000BC .
(d) Maha Bharatha became very popular by 5th Century A.D. and our Indian Astrological Pundits codified the traditional dates of war which found their way to several epigraphical records thereafter.
Friends, I had told that this great Epic Mahabharatha was known as JAYA. I would like to elaborate on this :
(a) Initially it was narrated to YUDHISHTIRA ? by VYASA in 8800 verses as JAYA
(b) Again SHUKRACHARYA narrated this to PARIKSHIT as JAYA BHARATHA in 24000 Verses .
© VAISAMPAYANA narrated this story as BHARATHETHIHASA to JANMEJAYA in 24000 verses.
(d) This became MAHABHARATHA with 100000 verses with Upakhyaanas when told to SAUNAKA AND OTHER SAGES by LOMAHARSHNA AND UGRASRAVA.
Friends, such a great work could not have been dealt with one person.
Why I said Mahabharatha belong to Iron Age ? First , let me say that the weapons used belongs to Iron Age.
Secondly the word AYASA seen in Rig Veda is assigned to KRISHNA AISA meaning Black Metal or Iron which occurs in Atharva Veda which was propounded before Maha Bharatha period. Archaeologicallly, therefore, the Original work of MAHABHARATHA called JAYA can be placed around 1000 BC plus or minus 100 to 200 years.
Regards and NAMASKARAMS,
P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN
WAS FAUGHT
Friends,
There are differing views about the dates of Maha Bharatha war. According to Dr. D.S Dwivedi of the Parit ReSearch Institute, Vaisali , Biharwhich was published in the Indian Express dated 12-10-1984, the Epic war of Maha Bharatha started on a Tuesday on November 14, 3137BC. According to him KALI YUGA started in the year 3101 BC.
According to Dr. E. Vedavyas who was a senior IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh, in his thesis “ASTRONOMICAL DATING OF THE MAHA BHARATHA WAR says that the Epic war began on a Tuesday in October, 3138 BC on an Amavsya (NEW MOON ) day. He has relied on the observation of the sky as recorded in the great epic Maha Bharatha . He has also verified it with the method of Radio-Carbon dating. In fact , he evolved a scientific dating method by using the references of Veda Vyaasa who has written the position of fixed stars, eclipses, and the motion of constellations “SAPTHA RISHIS” or as we call it in English as “GREAT BEARS” .
Another eminent scientist Dr. P.V Vartak fixes the date as 16th October,5562BC.
A great Epigraphist , Dr. D.C. SARCAR who was the former Chief Epigraphist of Government of India opines that Maha Bharatha “was a mith, devoid of little historicity, opening , as it were the flood gates of controversy all over the country…..”
The Great Epic Maha Bharatha was called once as “JAYA” and it comprised only with 8,800 verses. When it was known as MAHA BHARATHA it started containing 24,000 Verses. In the present available form it contains 100.000 verses.
According to Prof. B.B.LAL , The Maha Bharatha text which is now available “refers not only to the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Parthians but also HUNAS. The present text, therefore, is unlikely to be earlier than the 4th Century A.D. and if KRISHNA was a historical figure, he is unlikely to have been later than BUDDHA who lived in 6th Century B.C. , for history after the BUDDHA is so well known that there is hardly any scope to accommodate KRISHNA AND MAHA BHARATHA in it…….”
Late, Dr. B. Venkatraman, a noted astrologer of Bangalore fixes the Maha Bharatha war on the strength of Astronomical calculation as 37 years before KALI YUGA started. According to him KALIYUGA started in the year 3102 B.C. He said that Mousala Parva of Maha Bharatha had mentioned that Sree- Krishna died after 36 years of Maha Bharatha War which must be somewhere in the year 3066 BC . According to Late Dr. B.V.Raman , in the Karna Parva the planetary positions of 17th day battle is given. Likewise he contends that astronomical data of Dharma Puthra’s coronation and ASVAMEDHA sacrifice all point out to fix the year of Maha Bharatha War as 3066 B.C.
One Sri. P.G. Krishnan Nair from Kerala has written about the demise of Bheesh as given in Maha Bharatha “ll अष्टपञ्चाशतं रात्र्या, शयानस्याद्य मे गताः शरेषु निशिताग्रेषु यथा वर्ष- शतं तथा, माघोfयं समनुप्राप्तो, मासः सौम्यो युधिष्ठिर, त्रिभागशेषः पक्षोयं, शुक्लो भवितु मर्हति ll” Anushaasika Parvam-167-26-28. “ ll शुक्ला पक्षस्य चाष्टम्यां, माघमासस्य पार्त्थिव, प्राजापत्ये च नक्षत्रे, मद्धयं प्राप्तो दिवाकरे, निवृत्तमात्रे त्वयन, उत्तरे वै दिवाकरे, समावेशय दात्मान-, मात्मान्येव समाहितः ll” – Shaanthi parva – 47 -3 -4. In this THRIBHAAGA SHESHA: has been interpreted as “ when the 1/4 part is over means he fell down on CHATHRTHI DAY” This interpretation is given by Dr. S.B. Roy.
From this we get the information about Bheeshma’s date of death as Magha Shukla Paksha (ie. After the new moon day ) .
” The epic is generally defined: A long narrative poem on a great and serious subject, related in an elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race.
Mahabharatha is a great Epic of Hindus. Now let us see what is an epic.” The epic is a long narrative poem on a great and serious subject, related in an elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose action depend the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. The traditional epics were shaped by a literary artist from historical and legendary materials which had developed in the oral traditions of his nation during a period of expansion and warfare. “ “In ancient Indian epics such as the Ramayana, which had mythical Vimana flying machines that were able to fly within the Earth’s atmosphere, and able to travel into space and travel submerged under water, along with a weapon which could destroy an entire city. The ancient Hindu mythological epic, the Mahabharatha, mentions the story of the King Revaita, who travels to heaven to meet the creator Brahma and is shocked to learn that many ages have passed when he returns to Earth, anticipating the concept of time travel. Portions of the Biblical text “Revelation” read literally like science fiction and science fantasy: “There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ”
Hence we cannot fully believe these great Epics. However we can definitely say that
(a) Mahabharatha war a reality and not mith.
(b) Although the war was not fought in large scale as described in our Great Epic Maha Bharatha , this event was very significant as it attracted many writers, and balladeers who portrayed this complex theme of this great Epic.
© While as per Puranic data the war was fought in the later period of 9th Century BCor beginning of 10th Centuary BC which is corroborated by archaeological evidence , astronomical calculations based on the narration of the Great Epic seems to be wrong since Mahabharatha took place during the Iron age since the tools used in the war made of Iron points out that the war might have happened during the Iron Age starting from the year 1000 BC. Hence from the above circumstances we can infer that the war might have taken place only during the iron age and therefore can be placed between the year 1200BC and 1000BC .
(d) Maha Bharatha became very popular by 5th Century A.D. and our Indian Astrological Pundits codified the traditional dates of war which found their way to several epigraphical records thereafter.
Friends, I had told that this great Epic Mahabharatha was known as JAYA. I would like to elaborate on this :
(a) Initially it was narrated to YUDHISHTIRA ? by VYASA in 8800 verses as JAYA
(b) Again SHUKRACHARYA narrated this to PARIKSHIT as JAYA BHARATHA in 24000 Verses .
© VAISAMPAYANA narrated this story as BHARATHETHIHASA to JANMEJAYA in 24000 verses.
(d) This became MAHABHARATHA with 100000 verses with Upakhyaanas when told to SAUNAKA AND OTHER SAGES by LOMAHARSHNA AND UGRASRAVA.
Friends, such a great work could not have been dealt with one person.
Why I said Mahabharatha belong to Iron Age ? First , let me say that the weapons used belongs to Iron Age.
Secondly the word AYASA seen in Rig Veda is assigned to KRISHNA AISA meaning Black Metal or Iron which occurs in Atharva Veda which was propounded before Maha Bharatha period. Archaeologicallly, therefore, the Original work of MAHABHARATHA called JAYA can be placed around 1000 BC plus or minus 100 to 200 years.
Regards and NAMASKARAMS,
P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN
