Drona Nirvana and the 18 days of Mahabharata war

Today Mrigashira Krishna Chaturdashi would mark the day for Drona nirvana. This blog attempts to present the evidence supporting it.

Balarama's pilgrimage and 19th day of the war
In the previous blogs I had mentioned that the 18 days of the Mahabharata do not provide any absolute position of the moon or the sun. The only absolute evidence come from the Balarama's pilgrimage. As shown in the verse evidence 0, Balarama arrives on the day of Shravana to witness the duel between his two disciples on the day 19 of the war. He also states that he left for the pilgrimage 42 days before on the day of Pushya. We will use this to date the 18 days of the war

Evidence 0 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


18 days of the Mahabharata war from Balarama's pilgrimage evidence
From Udyoga parva, we know that Balarama's pilgrimage started in the Karthika month at Pushya Nakshatra. Hence the 42nd day of Shravana will fall in the Pushya month, assuming roughly 1 Nakshatra per day. Since Shravana falls on the 19th day of war, the position of the moon for the 18 preceding days will be:

Day 1: Rohini
Day 2: Mrigashira (Mrigashira Pournima)
Day 3: Ardra
Day 4: Punarvasu
Day 5: Pushya
Day 6: Aslesha
Day 7: Magha
Day 8:  Purva Phalguni
Day 9: Uttara Phalguni
Day 10: Hasta
Day 11: Chitra
Day 12: Swathi
Day 13: Vishaka
Day 14: Anuradha
Day 15: Jyeshta
Day 16: Mula  (Mrigashira Amavasya)
Day 17: Purva Ashada

Day 18: Uttara Ashada 

Day 19: Shravana 

Now let us map the above days to 1504BCE and the verses marking the end of each day of the war. The war parva (Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Shalya) describe every day's end of the war with a sunset except day 14 and 15. These verses marking the end of the day are listed below in verse evidence 1 to 18.

Evidence 1: First day of war ends on Oct 28^th 1504B.C
ततः सैन्येषु भग्नेषु मथितेषु च सर्वशः । प्राप्ते चास्तं दिनकरे न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ॥ 6-49-52
Translation: And then when the troops of the Pandavas were routed and crushed all over the field, the sun set and nothing could be seen.

Evidence 2: Second day of war ends on October 29^th 1504B.C
ततोऽवहारः सैन्यानां तव तेषां च भारत। अस्तं गच्छति सूर्येऽभूत्सन्ध्याकाले च वर्तति ॥ 6-55-45
Translation: Yon Sun, robbing in every way the vision of the whole world, is about to reach that best of mountains called Asta

Evidence 3: Third day of war ends on October 30^th 1504B.C
विनेदतुस्तावतिहर्षयुक्तौ गाण्डीवधन्वा च जनार्दनश्च। ततो रविं संवृतरश्मिजालं दृष्ट्वा भृशं शस्त्रपरिक्षताङ्गाः ॥ 6-59-132
Translation: And that foremost of men, Dhananjaya also, having achieved a great feat and won great renown by crushing his foes, and beholding the sun assume a red hue and the evening twilight to set in, and having completed his work, retired with his uterine brothers to the camp for nightly rest

Evidence 4: Fourth day of the war ends on October 31^st 1504B.C
इदानीं युधि निर्जेतुं न शक्योऽसौ स राक्षसः । अस्तमभ्येति सविता रात्रौ योद्धुं कन शक्यते। अवहारमतः कुर्मः श्वो योत्स्यामः परै सह ॥ 6-64-78
Translation: I do not like fresh encounter with the victorious Pandavas. Let the withdrawal of our army, therefore, be proclaimed today. Tomorrow we will fight with the foe

Evidence 5: Fifth day of the war ends on November 1^st 1504B.C
अवहारं ततश्चक्रे पिता देवव्रतस्तव । संध्याकाले महाराज सैन्यानां श्रान्तवाहनः ॥ 6-74-38
Translation: Then at twilight, O king, thy sire Devavrata, his animals having been tired, caused the troops to be withdrawn.

Evidence 6: Sixth day of the war ends on November 2^nd 1504B.C
अन्योन्यागस्कृतां राजन्यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनम् । मुहूर्तास्तमिते सूर्ये चक्रुर्युद्धं सुदारुणम् ॥ 6-79-61
Translation: Cherishing feelings of hostility towards one another, the terrible battle in which they took part lasted for a short space of time about sunset, increasing the population of Yama's kingdom

Evidence 7: Seventh day of war ends on November 3^rd 1504B.C
एवमेते महाराज तावकाः पाण्डवैः सह। पर्यवर्तन्त सहिता निशाकाले परंतप ॥ 6-86-52
Translation: And the lord Yudhishthira also of Kuru's race, accompanied by his brothers, and followed by his troops, proceeded, O king, when night set in, towards his tent.

Evidence 8: 8^th day of the war ends on November 4^th 1504B.C
अवहारं ततः कृत्वा सहिताः कुरुपाणड्वाः । न्यविशन्त निशाकाले गत्वा स्वशिबिरं तदा ॥6-96-80
Translation: Thereupon both the Kurus and the Pandavas withdrew their armies, when that awful night of pitchy darkness came.

Evidence 9: 9^th day of war ends on November 5^th 1504B.C
युध्यतामेव तेषां तु भास्करेऽस्तमुपागते। सन्ध्या समभवद्धोरा नापश्याम ततो रणम् ॥ 6-107-1
Translation: While they were battling, the Sun set, O Bharata, aid there came the dreadful hour of twilight and the battle could no longer be seen.

Evidence 10: 10^th day of war ends on November 6^th 1504B.C
सायाह्ने न्यपतद्भूमौ धार्तराष्ट्रान्विषादयन् ॥ 6-120-7x
Translation: Slain in the evening the Kuru grandsire Bhishma saddened the Dhartarashtras and delighted the Panchalas

Evidence 11: 11^th day of war ends on November 7^th . Dronabishekam
दिवाकरेऽस्तंगिरिमास्थिते शनै रुभे प्रयाते शिबिराय भारत॥ ॥ 7-32-80
Translation: Meanwhile, the Sun went to his chambers in the western hills, and both the armies, O Bharata, slowly retired to their respective tents.

Evidence 12: 12^th day of war ends on November 8^th . Abhimanyu’s death.
श्वोभूते किमकार्षुस्ते दुःखशोकसमन्विताः। अभिमन्यौ हते तत्र कैर्वाऽयुध्यन्त पाण्डवाः॥ 7-85-1
Translation: 'After Abhimanyu's slaughter when the next day came, what did the Pandavas, afflicted with grief and sorrow do?

Evidence 13: 13^th day of war ends on November 9^th . Jayadratha’s death.
अस्तमेति महाबाहो त्वरमाणो दिवाकरः॥ 7-145-4
Translation:  The sun is about to set at the mountain of Asta.

Evidence 14: 14^th day of war happens all night. A brief halt just before moon rise before sun rise
यथा चन्द्रोदयोद्धूतः क्षुभितः सागरोऽभवत्। तथा चन्द्रोदयोद्धूतः क्षुभितश्च बलार्णवः॥ 7-185-56  ततः प्रववृते युद्धं पुनरेव विशाम्पते। लोके लोकविनाशाय परं लोकमभीप्सताम्॥ ॥ 7-185-57
Translation: Indeed, that sea of troops was awakened by the rays of the moon bloomed (into life) like an assemblage of lotuses expanded by the rays of the sun. Indeed, that sea of troops was awakened by the risen moon like the ocean swelling up in agitated surges at the rise of that luminary. Then, O king, the battle once more commenced on earth, for the destruction of the earth's population, between men that desired to attain to heaven

Evidence 15: The sun rise on Day 15 of war while moon is present. November 11^th
अथ चन्द्रप्रभां मुष्णन्नादित्यस्य पुरःसरः। अरुणोऽभ्युदयाञ्चक्रे ताम्रीकृर्वन्निवाम्बरम्॥ 7-187-2
Translation: Soon after, Aruna, the charioteer of Surya, weakening the splendour of the moon, appeared, causing the welkin to assume a coppery hue.

Evidence 16: 16^th day of war sun sets. November 12^th
ततः कृतेऽवहारे च प्रहृष्टास्तत्र पाण्डवाः। निशायां शिबिरं गत्वा न्यवसन्त नरेश्वराः॥ 8-21-43
Translation: The withdrawal having been made, those sinless men, the Pandavas, became very glad, and proceeding to their tents rested there for the night.

Evidence 17: 17^th day of war sun sets. Mercury is visible at sun set. November 13^th
हते च कर्णे सरितो न सस्रु-- र्जगाम चास्तं कलुषो दिवाकरः। श्वेतो ग्रहश्च ज्वलितार्कवर्णो यमस्य पुत्रोऽभ्युदितः स तिर्यक्॥ 8-100-15
Translation: When Karna fell, the rivers stood still. The Sun set with a pale hue. The planet Mercury, the son of Soma, assuming the hue of fire or the Sun, appeared to course through the firmament in a slanting direction.

Evidence 23: Day 18 of war November 14 1504B.C Yuyutsu at sun set returns to Hastinapura
तैश्चैव सहितः क्षिप्रमस्तं गच्छति भास्करे। प्रविष्टो हास्तिनपुरं बाष्पकण्ठोऽश्रुलोचनः॥ 9-29-76
Translation: The sun was setting. With those ladies, Yuyutsu entered the city of Hastinapura, with tearful eyes and with voice choked in grief.

Drona Nirvana:
On the day 14 and 15 of the war, unlike other days did not end with the sunset. The war extends all through the night ending with Drona nirvana on day 15. Interestingly, as described in the verse evidence 14 and 15, the moon rise happens just before the sunrise. This indicates that the day 14 and day 15 happens just before Amavasya. This perfectly aligns with our predicted map of the war days with respect to Balarama's pilgrimage evidence which predicts Amavasya on Day 16.

For the year 1504B.C.E, day 15, Drona nirvana day, falls on November 11th Magha Krishna Chaturdashi.