Let us continue our series on Mahabharata. In this blog I will take up few interesting topics. First I will present an independent verification of the Mahabharata war date from the Puranas. Next we will discuss the year of Kali yuga from Puranas and Mahabharata.
Year of Mahabharata war from Puranas:
Bhagavat Purana is composed as a conversation between King Parikshit (Son of Abhimanyu and Grand son of Arjuna) and sage Suka. It not only mentions when Kali Yuga started, but goes on to relate various kings and dynasty in the Kali Yuga. The most interesting observation on the year of Mahabharata war is the reference Suka gives on the birth of Parikshit.
Evidence 1: 1150 years between Parikshit and Maha Padma Nanda
(Suka says) Beginning from the birth of your good self (Parikshit) up to the coronation of king Nanda eleven hundred and fifty years will pass (Bhagavatam 12.2.26)
Archaeologist and historians assign a rough date of 350 BCE for the king Maha Padmananda's coronation. The year of Mahabharata war is also the year of birth of Parikshit. Adding 1150 years brings us to 1500 BCE. Our astronomical dating of Mahabharata war falls at 1504 BCE.
Hence the independent evidence from Puranas confirms our date of 1504BCE.
Kali Yuga from Puranas :
Puranas mention that the Kali Yuga started when Krishna left his human body for his divine abode. Following is a text from Bhagavat Purana
Evidence 2: Kali Yuga and Krishna's departure
When Vishnu the Supreme Lord, the sun known as Krishna, returned to heaven, this world entered the age of Kali in which people delight in sin (12.2.29)
Evidence 3: Kali Yuga and Krishna's departure
The historians say that the age of Kali began the very day that Srî Krishna departed for the spiritual world (12.2.33)
Hence, if we can date the year of Krishna's departure in Mahabharata, we can arrive at the year of Kali Yuga.
Year of Kali Yuga from Mausala Parva in Mahabharata:
We have to turn to Mausala Parva to learn about Krishna's departure. Following are some verses from the chapter 1 in Mausala parva.
Evidence 3: Event of Mausala Parva happen 36 years after the battle
Vaishampayana said: "When the thirty-sixth year (after the battle) was reached, the delighter of the Kurus, Yudhishthira, beheld many unusual portents. (Mausala Parva Chapter 1)
Evidence 4: Event of Mausala Parva happen 36 years after the battle
Vaishampayana continued: "When the thirty-sixth year was reached (after the great battle) a great calamity overtook the Vrishnis. Impelled by Time, they all met with destruction in consequence of the iron bolt." (Mausala Parva Chapter 1)
Evidence 5: Event of Mausala Parva happen 36 years after the battle
The slayer of Keshi, Janardana, thinking upon the omens that Time showed, understood that the thirty-sixth year had come, and that what Gandhari, burning with grief on account of the death of her sons, and deprived of all her kinsmen, had said was about to transpire. (Mausala Parva Chapter 1)
Hence the chapter 1 of Mausala Parva make it very clear that the events happened 36 years after the battle. With Mahabharata war dated to 1504BCE, the events of Mausala Parva would have happened at 1468 BCE.
Eclipse in the year 1468 BCE:
The tragic events of Mausala Parva include the deluge of the Dwaraka City, destruction of Yadavas and Krishna's departure. There is a very specific eclipse that Krishna observes the day before the catastrophe happens. It is given below
Evidence 6: Eclipse before Krishna's departure
Beholding these signs that indicated the perverse course of Time, and seeing that the day of the new moon coincided with the thirteenth (and the fourteenth) lunation, Hrishikesa, summoning the Yadavas, said unto them these words: ‘The fourteenth lunation has been made the fifteenth by Rahu once more. Such a day had happened at the time of the great battle of the Bharatas. It has once more appeared, it seems, for our destruction. (Mausala Parva Chapter 2)
Indeed in the year 1468, the eclipse like the one we saw in 1504 BCE does happen. There is a Karthika Pournima lunar eclipse on October 21 1468 BCE (Figure 1) just before the sunrise. This is followed by a solar eclipse on November 4th 1468 BCE at Jyesta just after sunrise.
This confirms that 1468 BCE is indeed the year of Kali Yuga.
Figure 2: Solar Eclipse on November 4th 1468BCE
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