Eclipses in Mahabharata

I am starting a series of articles today on the auspicious occation of Karthik Pournima. This was the day in 1504BCE when Bhagvan Sri Krishna entered Hastinapura with a mission of peace.

Eclipses in Mahabharata:

Descriptions of eclipses in the Mahabharata is a crucial evidence supporting the date of 1504 BCE. This blog discusses the verses on eclipse to show why only 1504BCE fits all these evidences.

Candidate years:

Three crucial evidences are necesarry to reduce the potential candidates for the date of mahabharata war. These are
1. Bhishma nirvana in the month of Magha
2. Saturn in Rohini
3. Mars retrograding in Jyesta

These reduces the field of candidates to 858 BCE, 1300 BCE, 1504 BCE, 1741 BCE, 1946 BCE, 2183 BCE, 2625 BCE etc. But the winning candidate has to pass the eclipse test. Following are the four unique charachterictics of the eclipses during the Mahabharata war

1. Lunar eclipse happens on Karthik Pournima.
2. The solar eclipse happens during the amavasya following Karthik pournima.
3. Only 13 days interval exist between lunar and solar eclipse
4. Seven days before the solar eclipse moon is at Pushya nakshatra.

the items 3 and 4 make the ecplise an extremely rare event. Only a date of 1504 BCE meets the criteria.

Lunar eclipse on Karthika pournima:

In Bhishma parva Vyasa provides several astronomical observations before the war. He clearly mentions that a lunar eclipse occurse in Karthik pournima. The verse containing this information is given below


Evidence 1: Lunar eclipse on Karthik Poornima
आलक्षे प्रभया हीनां पौर्णमासीं च कीर्तिकीम् । चन्द्रोऽभूदग्निवर्णश्च पद्मवर्णे नभस्तले ॥ 6-2-23
Translation: On even the fifteenth night of the lighted-fortnight in (the month of) Kartika, the moon, divested of splendour, became invisible, or of the hue of fire, the firmament being of the hue of the lotus.

Evidence 2: Ketu at Krittika
कृत्तिकां पीडयंस्तीक्ष्णैर्नक्षत्रं पृथिवीपते । अभीक्ष्णवाता वायन्ते धूमकेतुमवस्थिताः ॥ 6-3-30
Translation: Of fierce deeds is also, O monarch, afflicting the constellation Kirtika. Rough winds, portending fierce danger, are constantly blowing.

The first verse says that the full moon is divested of its splendor  in the month of Karthika. If there is any doubt on why moon is divested of its splendor, the second verse clears the doubt. The second verse says that the fierce planet Ketu is afflicting Krithika. If the lunar node ketu is afflicting Krithikka then lunar eclipse would occur in the month of Kritthika.

These two evidences confirm that lunar eclipse occurred on Karthik Pournima.

Solar eclipse at the end of Karthika month:

As we know that a solar eclipse precedes or succeeds a lunar eclipse. The evidence of solar eclipse succeeding a lunar eclipse is provided by Vyasa. He mentions that solar eclipse follows lunar eclipse in 13 days. Following two verses provides the evidences for it.

Evidence 3: 13 full days between lunar and solar eclipse
चन्द्रादित्यावुभौ ग्रस्तावेकाह्ना हि त्रयोदशीम्। अपर्वमि ग्रहं यातौ प्रजासंक्षयमिच्छतः ॥ 6-3-28
Translation: On the thirteenth day therefore, from the first lunation, according as it is the day of the full moon or the new moon, the moon and the sun are afflicted by Rahu. Such strange eclipses, both lunar and solar, forebode a great slaughter

Evidence 4: 13 full days between lunar and solar eclipse
चतुर्दशीं पञ्चदशीं भूतपूर्वां च षोडशीम्। इमां तु नाभिजानामि अमावास्यां त्रयोदशीम् । चन्द्रसूर्यावुभौ ग्रस्तावेकान्हा हि त्रयोदशीम् ॥ 6-3-32
Translation: A lunar fortnight had hitherto consisted of fourteen days, or fifteen days (as usual), or sixteen days. This, however, I never knew that the day of new-moon would be on the thirteenth day from the first lunation. And yet in course of the same month both the Moon and the Sun have undergone eclipses on the thirteenth days from the day of the first lunation

Moon at Pushya nakshatra 7 days before the solar eclipse:

This is the most tricky charachteristics of the eclipses that seals the date for 1504 BCE. To arrive at this charachteristics few astonomical evidences from Udyoga parva and Shalya parva on the month of Karthika need to be studied.

The following evidences pieces together the story of the Karthika month. First Krishna leaves for Hastinapura in the Month of Karthika. Incidentally it is the month of autumnal equinox as sharad ritu gives way to hemant ritu. This is from the verse evidence 5 from Udyoga parva.

Evidence 5: Autumnal equinox in Karthika month
कौमुदे मासि रेवत्यां शरदन्ते हिमागमे । स्फीतसस्यसुखे काले कल्यः सत्ववतां वरः ॥ 5-82-7
The translation: The month was (Kaumuda Kartika) under the constellation Revati. It was the season of dew, Autumn having departed. The earth was covered with abundant crops all around.


Krishna's peace mission fails and Duryodana announces his decision to leave for war when moon is at Pushya in the month of Karthika. This is from the verse evidence 6. Krishna rushes back to Pandava's camp in Upaplavya. Gathers them and leaves for Kurukshetra the same day. On the same day of Pushya nakshatra Balarama also leave for the pilgrimage to Saraswati river. This evidence is provided in the Shalya parva in the verse evidence 7. The Shalya parva also quotes Balarama in the verse evidence 8 after his return to Kurukshetra at the end of the war. Balarama repeats the fact that he left on the nakshatra Pushya.

Evidence 6: Duryodhana orders troops to march to Kurukshetra
आज्ञापयच्च राज्ञस्तान्पार्थिवान्नष्टचेतसः । प्रयात वै कुरुक्षेत्रं पुष्योऽद्येति पुनः पुनः ॥ 5-150-3
Translation: King Duryodhana then repeatedly ordered those wicked-hearted rulers, saying, 'Today constellation Pushya is ascendant--march ye (this very day) to Kurukshetra.’

Evidence 7:Balarama decides not to fight war and leaves under the star Pushya

न कुर्वन्ति वचो मह्यं कुरवः कालनोदिताः। निर्गच्छध्व पाण्डवेयाः पुष्येण सहिता मया॥ 9-35-11

रौहिणेये गते शूरे पुष्येण मधुसूदनः। पाण्डवेयान्पुरस्कृत्य ययावभिमुखः कूरून्॥ 9-35-16

Translation: 'Urged by Fate, the Kauravas are for disregarding my words! Come, ye sons of Pandu, with me (to the field of battle), setting out under the constellation Pushya!'  (Said Krishna). After the heroic son of Rohini had set out under the constellation Pushya, the slayer of Madhu, placing the Pandavas in his van, proceeded against the Kurus.

Evidence 8: Day 19 of war Balarama returns to witness Bhima-Duryodhana fight Nov 15
चत्वारिंशदहान्यद्य द्वे च मे निःसृतस्य वै। पुष्येण सम्प्रयातोऽस्मि श्रवणे पुनरागतः। शिष्ययोर्वै गदायुद्धं द्रुष्टुकामोऽस्मि माधव॥ 9-34-6

Translation: Two and forty days have passed since I left home. I had set out under the constellation Pushya and have come back under Shravana. I am desirous, O Madhava, of beholding this encounter with the mace between these two disciples of mine


While Krishna is heading from Hastinapura to Upaplavya, Karna rides with him for a distance. Here is where Karna mentions that there are only seven days to amavasya. He also says that moon on amavasya will be on Jyesta.  This is given in the verse evidence 9.


Evidence 9: After peace mission fails, Krishna returns riding with Karna
सप्तमाच्चापि दिवसादमावास्या भविष्यति।सङ्ग्रामो युज्यतां तस्यां तामाहुः शक्रदेवताम्॥5-142-18
Translation: Seven days after, will be the day of the new moon. Let the battle commence then, for that day, it hath been said, is presided over by Indra.


Karna also makes it clear that the amavasya in seven days is indeed solar eclipse. He hints at in the verse evidence 10. He says that rahu or the lunar node is approching the sun.

Evidence 10: Solar eclipse on Oct 13^th 
सोमस्य लक्ष्म व्यावृत्तं राहुरर्कमुपैति च।दिवश्चोल्काः पतन्त्येताः सनिर्घाताः सकंपनाः॥ 5-143-11
Translation: The spot on the lunar disc hath changed its position; and Rahu also approacheth towards the sun.

Without the evidences quoted above from udyoga parva and shalya parva, just from evidence verse 9, it would not be clear what day Karna rode with Krishna. At the same time this makes a very rare event. For an amavasya to occur after karthik pournima, the moon would be at Anuradha or Jyeshta. So in 7 days moon has to travel at least 9 stars from Pushya to Anuradha. The verse evidence 3 and 4 confirm this rare event. Vyasa specifically says that it is extremely rare that a solar eclipse follows lunar eclipse in 13 days. Of these 13 days we now know that moon spanned Pushya to Anuradha in 7 days.


1504BCE satisfies all the features of the eclipse:

When we consider the year 1504 BCE. The karthik pournima lunar eclipse happen on September 29th in the Delhi region. It is an interesting lunar eclipse as the moon rises with an eclipse at 6:30PM. The following solar eclipse happens on October 13th just before the sun set at 4:30pm. There are 13 full days between the two eclipses as mentioned by Vyasa. Finally 7 days before the solar eclipse is Oct 06. We can see that moon is at Pushya on October 6th.

The date of 1504BCE satisfies all the unique charachteristics of the eclipses mentioned in the mahabharata.