Criticism of the date 1504BCE and their explanation

 1. Saturn at Rohini vs Ardra: One of the criticisms of the date 1504BCE is that Saturn was at Ardra when the war began and not at Rohini as claimed in the paper.

It is true that Saturn had transitioned to Ardra during the war for 1504BCE. It still was at Rohini and had not transitioned to Ardra when Mars began its retrograde motion earlier in the year. Mahabharata verses 5-143-8/9 mention Saturn at Rohini and Mars retrograding from Jyeshta to Anuradha as a pair. It does not indicate that this happened just before the war. In Fact it is not possible for Mars to retrograde at Jyeshta before war since a solar eclipse happens near Jyeshta before the war. The verse 6-3-18 in fact refers to Mars at Brahmarashi (after retrograding) just before the war.

प्राजापत्यं हि नक्षत्रं ग्रहस्तीक्ष्णो महाद्युतिः । शनैश्चरः पीडयति पीडयन्प्राणिनोऽधिकम् ॥ 5-143-8

कृत्वा चाङ्गारको वक्रं ज्योष्ठायां मधुसूदन। अनुराधां प्रार्थयते मैत्रं संगमयन्निव । 5-143-9

वक्रानुवक्रं कृत्वा च श्रवणं पावकप्रभः । ब्रह्मराशिं समावृत्य लोहिताङ्गो व्यवस्थितः ॥ 6-3-18

2. Magha Shukla Ashtami: Another criticism of 1504BCE is the Bhishma nirvana at Krishna Paksha of Magha. The verse provided is the following (Figure 1) from the Gorakhpur Gita press edition of Mahabharata. The verse is from chapter 47 of Shanti parva when Bhishma is lecturing Pandavas from his bed of arrows. The verse simply describes the state of mind of Bhishma (placing atman in paramatma) before his lecture and not his nirvana. At the end of chapter Pandavas simply return to Hastinapur. In fact Bhishma ends up giving several other lectures in Shanti Parva and passes away at the end of Anushasan Parva. This verse only shows that Bhishma lived several days after Magha Shukla Ashtami Rohini nakshatra.

Figure 1: Vaishampanaya describing the day when Bhishma is lecturing Pandavas[2]

3. Day 13 war: Another criticism of 1504BCE is that day 13 of the war as per 1504BCE is not Krishna paksha and is in fact Amavasya.

This criticism is incorrect. The day 16 of war in 1504BCE is the Mrigashirsha Amavasya day. Day 13 is still Krishna Paksha with moon rise few hours before sun rise as described the verse 7-187-1/2

त्रिभागमात्रेषायां रात्र्यां युद्धमवर्तत।कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च संहृष्टानां विशाम्पते॥ 7-187-1

अथ चन्द्रप्रभां मुष्णन्नादित्यस्य पुरःसरः। अरुणोऽभ्युदयाञ्चक्रे ताम्रीकृर्वन्निवाम्बरम्॥ 7-187-2

Translation: When three-fourths of that night had worn away, the battle, O king, once more commenced between the Kurus and the Pandavas. Both sides were elated with joy. Soon after, Aruna, the charioteer of Surya, weakening the splendour of the moon, appeared, causing the welkin to assume a coppery hue.