--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "ehlsmith" <ehlsmith@...> wrote:>
Could you enumerate what those reasons are? Obviously, for this
> finding to carry any great weight it will be necessary at least to
> show that the passages in the epic's text are actually unambiguous
> references to the specified celestial events.
I am citing these textual references from Dr. Achar's paper E&OE.
Kr.s.n.a's departure:
maitri_ muhu_rta, month ka_rtika, day revati naks.atra
tato vya_pete tamasi su_rye vimala udgate
maitre muhu_rte sampra_pte mr.dvarcise diva_kare
kaumude ma_si revatya_m s'aradante hima_game
sphitasayasukhe ka_le kalyah sattvavantam varah (V 81.6-7)
Kr.s.n.a departs from Hastinapura on uttara phalguni day; Karn.a
accompanies him and has a long conversation.
Karn.a describes:
pra_ja_patyam hi naks.atram grahas ti_ks.n.o maha_dyutih
s'anais'carah pi_d.ayati pi_d.ayan pra_ninodhikam
kr.tva_ ca_n:garako vakram jyes.t.ha_ya_m madhusu_dana
anura_dham pra_rthayate maitram sams'mayanniva
nu_nam mahadbhayam kr.s.n.a karun.am samupasthitam
vis'esena hi va_rs.n.eya citra_m pi_d.ayate graha
somasya laksma vya_vr.ttam ra_hurarka mupes.yati
divas'colkah patanyetah s'anirghatah sakampanah (V 141.7-10)
Lunar eclipse on full moon day of ka_rttika together with solar
eclipse on the following new moon. Two eclipses separated by 13 days:
candrasu_ryavubhau grasta_vekama_sim trayodas'im (III.6.32)
Bhi_s.ma dies soon after the sun turns northwards:
maghoyam samanupra_pto ma_sah pun.yo Yudhis.t.hira
tribhaga s'es.ah paks.oyam s'uklo bhavitum arhati (XIII.153.28)
[Add to this the tradition, Bhi_s.ma_s.t.ami of ma_gha s'ukla].
alakseprabhaya_hi_nam paurn.ama_sim ca ka_rttikam
candro abhu_dagnivarn.as'ca padmavarn.e nabhasthale (VI.2.23)
rohin.i_m pi_d.ayannesasthito ra_jan s'anais'carah
vya_vr.ttam laks.ma somasya bhavis.yati mahadbhayam (VI. 2.32)
Again, Saturn at Rohini. (See Figure. 11).
On Aparvan.i:
Dr. Achar notes three eclipses, not two:
caturdas'im pancadas'im bhu_tapu_rvam ca s.od.as'im
imam tu na_bhija_na_mi ama_va_sya_m trayodas'im (VI.3.28)
candrasu_rya_vubhau grasta_Vekama_se trayodas'im
aparvan.i graha_vetam praja_h samksapayisyatah (VI. 3.29)
TO quote Dr. Achar:
"Vya_sa refers to a lunar eclipse at ka_rtika, a solar eclipse at
jyes.t.ha, and a pair of eclipses within thirteen days. But, nowhere
does he say that the interval between the kartika lunar eclipse and
the jyes.t.ha solar eclipse is thirteen days. At the time of the
ka_rtika lunar eclipse, Kr.s.n.a was still in Hastina_pura. Eight
days had passed when he rode with Kr.s.n.a on uttaraphalguni day. He
is the one who refers to amvsya occurring at jyeÿ÷ha later on the
seventh day in his conversation with Karn.a. Karn.a knows that a
lunar eclipse had occurred and that it was going to be a solar
eclipse, for he says, " somasya laks.ma vya_vr.ttam ra_hurarka
mupes.yati." If the solar eclipse in jyes.t.ha had followed the
lunar eclipse on ka_rtika full moon within a thirteen-day interval,
it would have already been mentioned. Since nobody mentions it, the
interval between these two eclipses must have been normal. The
simulations show that to be the case."
36 years after the war, another sequence of lunar-solar-lunar
(three) eclipses occurs Oct. 20, 3031 BCE was a penumbral lunar
eclipse again! followed by annular solar eclipse on Nov. 5; another
eclipse on Nov. 19 within an interval of less than 14 days (See
Figure 26a).
caturdas'i pancadas'i kr.teyam rahuna_ punah
tadaca bharate yuddhe pra_pta ca_dya ks.aya_ya nah (XIV.3.17)
Prof. Achar says that there was a penumbral lunar eclipse on 29
September 3067 BCE. (See Figure 14).