Recently a gentleman in twitter blocked me for disagreeing with his date for mahabharatha war. He was proposing a date of 3067 BC based on the work done by Professor Narahari Achar and Srinivas Raghavan. The youtube video of Prof Achar is at
https://youtu.be/T1i04gl6hE4
This blogpost is to place all the evidences in mahabharatha that clearly contradicts the dates proposed by Prof Achar.
The important dates of mahabharata war as proposed by Prof Achar
Sept 26 3067BC - Krishna leaves from Upaplavya to hastinapura
Sept 28 - Krishna reaches hastinapura
Sept 29 - Eclipse at karthick purnima
Oct 8 - Krishna rides with Karna back to Upaplavya
Oct 14 - Solar eclipse at jyesta
Nov 22 - War begins
Jan 13 3066 BC - Winter solstice
Jan 17 - Bhishma expires
Sep 26 and Sep 28 3067 BC
As per mahabharata udyoga parva Krishna leaves Upaplavya on Revati and reaches Hastinapura in 2 days. The month mentioned is Karthika. The dates and the month match. To match the year Prof considers two evidences from udyoga parva and bhishma parva. The evidences are that the shani is in rohini and angaraka has retrograded near jyesta. Now this happens every 200-250 years. The year could be 3067BC or 2831BC or 2625BCE or 2368BCE etc.
Sep 29 3067 BC
Udyoga parva and bhishma parva gives evidence that the karthik pornima had a lunar eclipse. The date Sep 29 matches up with the evidence. But another crucial piece of evidence is that this lunar eclipse was unique. This lunar eclipse is followed by a solar eclipse in 13 days. According to the date suggested by Prof Achar the following solar eclipse is on Oct 14th. Now here lies the problem. Between Sep 29 and Oct 14 there are 15 days not 13 days. Here is the kick. Oct 14 3067 BCE in new delhi region was not a solar eclipse at all. The moon comes close to sun but it does not form an eclipse.
Oct 8 3067 BC
The udyoga parva says that Krishna rode back with karna after talks broke down. Prof Achar randomly places this event on uttara phalguni day and claims it happened on Oct 8th. There is no evidence that Krishna rode with Karna on Uttara Phalguni day.
In fact in Udyoga parva when talks broke down duryodhana says that Star Pushya is in ascendant and that the troops march from hastinapura to Kurukshetra on the same day. Between Pushya and Uttara Phalguni there are 3 stars so atleast 2 days in between. Would Krishna be idling around in Hastinapura when Kurus were marching to war?
In fact Shalya parva says that Krishna hurried back to Upaplavya and he gathered pandavas and went to war on Pushya nakshtra. This evidence completly breaks the bogus date of Oct 8th to shreds. If Krishna was in Upaplavya in Pushya nakshatra how can Krishna Karna samvada happen on uttara phalguni?
Another evidence from Shalya parva is that Balarama left for thirta yatra in disgust in Pushya nakshatra. Prof Achar accepts this evidence. But he fails to mention that Balarama left to tirtha yatra from Upaplavya not Hastinapura. Shalya parva clearly states that Krishna reached Upaplavya, talks to Balarama, Balarama leaves in disgust when Krishna supports pandavas. Then Krishna leaves with Pandavas to war in Pushya nakshtra. Hence Krishna cannot be having the return journey from hastinapura on uttara phalguni day.
Oct 14 3067 BC
As I mentioned before, there was no solar eclipse on this day visible from new delhi area. Another argument being put forth is that 13 day between eclipses is between this "solar eclipse" and the following lunar eclipse. There is no evidence in mahabharatha for it. Mahabhartha states that the 13days were between lundar eclipse in karthik purnima and the following solar eclipse.
Nov 22 3067 BC
For no reason Prof Achar pushes the date of war to Nov 22 when his solar eclipse happened on Oct 14. There is no evidence in mahabharatha to claim that war happened more than a month after the solar eclipse. When both sides are eager for a war why would they wait so long to fight. Duryodhana wanted to march to kurukshtra on Pushya nakshtra. Professor is claiming with no evidence why war would happed a month and a half after peace talks fails.
Jan 13/Jan 17 3066 BC
Now here comes another absurd date. Professor claims Jan 17 to be Magha shukla ashtami when Bhishma passed away. If karthik purnima was on Sep 28, Magha purnima would be in 3 months. Magha purnima would have happened in December. Then how can Magha shukla ashtami happen in Jan 17?
Between the dates Nov 22 when war began and Jan 17 when bhishma passed away there are 58 days. But mahabhartha states in Anushana parva that 68 days passed between starting of war and the day bhishma dies. Yudhishtra spent 50 nights in hastinapura after war ended. Bhishma has been lying in the bed of arrows for 58 days. Professor Achar's dates don't add up.
I have unsuccessfully tried to reach out to Professor Achar. I hope someone can pass this blogpost to him.
I have replied to essentially the same comments many times over. However, I am going to reply briefly.
ReplyDelete1.The point that the solar eclipse after the Kartika pornima occurs in thirteen days
There is no evodence for this conjecture, at the time of Krishna -Karna samvada, the lunar eclipse has already taken place, the solar eclipse is yet to occur. There is no reference to two eclipses in thirteen days here.
The reference to two eclipses occurs in Bhishma parva, when Vyasa discusses the harm to the entire population. The correct explanation is there is an eclipse season of three eclipses, a lunar, a solar and a second lunar eclipse which occurs in 14 days. I have dis cussed this in detail in several publications, including my recent book just published by SAKSHI in Bengaluru. Such reference to eclipses occurring 'aparvani' can be traced to Atharvaveda parishishtha. The problem of non visibility at DElhi of the solar eclipse of 14 oct is also discussed with eclipse trajectory in the book.
2. The comments on Oct 8.
The uttaraphalguni is an inference, it must be ashtami tithi for the amavasya to occur in seven days. The account in udyoga parva is a contemporaneous account, where as the account in Salya parva is a recap of a past event. One has to read carefully the original text and not make comments based on translations
3. Nov 22
They are moving huge armies. The logistics of moving and establishing camps in two days, making sure of all the supplies of war! The peace talks failed on Pushya, Krishna did meet Kunti and others. Even if he had rushed it would take two days to get to upaplavya.
These comments may or may not satisfy the author of this post. I am not hiding from anybody, I am just tired of answering the same questions again and again. People should at least try to read what has already been discussed. For preserving my own sanity I request the author not to throw accusations.
for more datails, read my book. This should not be considered an advertisement for the book, it costs only Rs. 50.
Thank you professor for your comments. I will read your book and then post a detailed review.
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