Let us look into the the astronomical references that apparently contradict with one another. They contradict not just for the year 1504BCE but for any other year. This section uses the three assumptions listed to explain and resolve these apparent contradictions.
Assumption 1: Observation > Prediction: References that are observations of past events must be chosen when it contradicts references that are a prediction of the future events. It is not unreasonable to assume that ancients did not have the right mathematical tools to make accurate predictions.
1. Bhishma nirvana 56 days after war has ended vs 58 days from day 10 of the war: There are two verses in Mahabharata referring to Bhishma nirvana from Mahabharata which appear contradictory. The first verse (12-50-14) is from Shanti parva. Here Sri Krishna makes a prediction to Bhishma sometime after the war has ended. He says that Bhishma has 56 days left on earth.
पञ्चाशतं षट् च कुरुप्रवीर शेषं दिनानां तव जीवितस्य। ततः शुभैः कर्मफलोदयैस्त्वं समेष्यसे भीष्म विमुच्य देहम्॥ 12-50-14 [1]
The second verse is from Anushasana Parva (13-273-27). Here Bhishma makes an observation that he was lying on the bed of arrows for 58 days.
अष्टपञ्चाशतं रात्र्यः शयानस्याद्य मे गताः। शरेषु निशिताग्नेषु यथा वर्षशतं तथा॥ 13-273-27
The two verses at the face value appear contradictory. As per 13-272-27 verse, 58 days elapsed from day 10 of the war till the day Bhishma passed away. Then it must be day 12 of the war when 56 days are left for Bhishma to die as per verse 12-50-14. But the verse 12-50-14 is from Shanti parva which occurs after war has ended.
If we assume that ancients could not predict future astronomical events such as winter solstice accurately then this contradiction is resolved. Sri Krishna is making an observation of the future event but Bhishma is recording an event that has passed. So we should accept the verse 13-273-27 and explain the verse 12-50-14 as a wrong prediction. This applies not just to 1504BCE but to any year.
2. Karthika month Amavasya seven days from Pushya vs Amavasya at Jyeshta: There are several verses in the Mahabharata which refer to the position of moon at Pushya when both parties decide to go for war. Verse 5-150-3 describes Sri Krishna paraphrasing Duryodhana who observes moon ascending into Pushya while he announces his intention to march to Kurukshetra. The verse 9-35-11 describes Sri Krishna at Upaplavya leaving with Pandavas for war to Kurukshetra. The verse 9-35-16 in addition also mentions Sri Balarama leaving for the pilgrimage on Pushya while Pandavas head to war. The inference would be that Sri Krishna left Hastinapur after a failed peace mission when Pushya was in the ascendant. He then met Pandavas at Upaplavya. He then recounts the events of Hastinapur and leaves for war while the moon is still in Pushya.
आज्ञापयच्च राज्ञस्तान्पार्थिवान्नष्टचेतसः । प्रयात वै कुरुक्षेत्रं पुष्योऽद्येति पुनः पुनः ॥ 5-150-3
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
चत्वारिंशदहान्यद्य द्वे च मे निःसृतस्य वै। पुष्येण सम्प्रयातोऽस्मि श्रवणे पुनरागतः। शिष्ययोर्वै गदायुद्धं द्रुष्टुकामोऽस्मि माधव॥ 9-16-6
There is another verse in Udyoga parva where Karna offers a quick ride back to Upaplavya to Sri Krishna. In this verse (5-142-18) Sri Krishna predicts that in seven days Amavasya is in Jyeshta.
सप्तमाच्चापि दिवसादमावास्या भविष्यति। सङ्ग्रामो युज्यतां तस्यां तामाहुः शक्रदेवताम् ॥ 5-142-18
The set of verses (5-150-3,9-35-11,9-35-16) conflict with verse 5-142-18. In seven days the moon at Pushya can only travel to Vishaka. It is not possible for the moon to be at Jyestha. Since the events are happening in Karthika month, the new moon usually falls at Anuradha/Jyeshta. But occasionally the full moon can be at Bharani instead of Krittika and the new moon at Vishaka. Hence it is possible that 5-142-18 can be a wrong prediction as per assumption 1. The verses 5-150-3, 9-35-11 and 9-35-16 are observations of a past event. Hence we should assume them to be true.
There are some arguments which give a gap of 1 month between Duryodhana declaring war on Pushya in Karthika month and Sri Krishna leaving with Pandavas to war in Mrigashira Pushya[3]. This explanation allows the event of Sri Krishna with Karna anywhere in this period of 1 month and thus reconciles these apparent contradictory evidences. There is a flaw in this proposition. It assumes that Kauravas started preparing for war while Pandavas are still deliberating whether to go to war for a month. This would be a very bad war strategy. Sri Krishna tells Karna to start preparation for the war in 7 days in Amavasya. But this explanation contradicts Sri Krishna’s own words. It shows Sri Krishna and Pandavas did not start the war ritual in Amavasya but were still deciding whether to go to war for another 3 weeks..
Assumption 2: Multiple planetary position refer to past event
1. Saturn at Rohini vs Saturn in UttaraPhalguni: The verse 5-143-8 and 6-2-32 refer to Saturn at Rohini during the year of the Mahabharata war.
प्राजापत्यं हि नक्षत्रं ग्रहस्तीक्ष्णो महाद्युतिः । शनैश्चरः पीडयति पीडयन्प्राणिनोऽधिकम् ॥ 5-143-8
रोहिणीं पीडयन्नेष स्थितो राजञ्शनैश्चरः । व्यावृत्तं लक्ष्म सोमस्य भविष्यति महद्भयम् ॥ 6-2-32
The set of verse 6-3-14 and 6-3-15 refer to Saturn at Uttara Phalguni. Since Saturn moves from one nakshatra to the next in one year both these verses cannot be simultaneously true.
If we assume that only one refers to the year of the Mahabharata the other must refer to an event in Past. In the year 1504BCE Saturn is at Rohini. Then Saturn at Uttara Phalguni refers to the year 1526 BCE.
The set of verses 6-3-14/15 provides not only the position of Saturn but also the position of Mars, Jupitar and Venus. In the following section we will see that it lines up well for the year 1526BCE.
मघास्वङ्गारको वक्रः श्रवणे च बृहस्पतिः । भगं नक्षत्रमाक्रम्य सूर्यपुत्रेण पीड्यते ॥ 6-3-14
शुक्रः प्रोष्ठपदे पूर्वे समारुह्य विरोचते । उत्तरे तु परिक्रम्य सहितः समुदीक्षते ॥ 6-3-15
2. Mars retrograde at Jyeshta vs Mars retrograde at Magha: The verse 5-142-9 refers to Mars retrograding from Jyestha to Anuradha. The set of verses 6-3-14/15 refers to mars retrograding at Magha. For the year 1504BCE Mars is retrograding from Jyeshta to Anuradha while in 1526BCE (Saturn at Uttara Phalguni) Mars is retrograding at Magha. The multiple positions of mars reconciles very well with the multiple positions of Saturn.
कृत्वा चाङ्गारको वक्रं ज्योष्ठायां मधुसूदन। अनुराधां प्रार्थयते मैत्रं संगमयन्निव । 5-143-9
3. Jupitar retrograde in Shravana and Venus retrograde at Purva Bhadrapada: The set of verse 6-3-14/15 not only mentions Saturn at Uttara Phalguni and Mars retrograding at Magha, but also Jupiter retrograding at Shravana and Venus retrograding at Purva Bhadrapada. It can shown to be true in the year 1526BCE.
Assumption 3: Alternate interpretation of one-off references that causes internal contradiction
1. Jupitar and Saturn at Vishaka for 1 year: The verse 6-3-27 refers to Saturn and Jupitar at Vishaka for 1 year. This is not possible since Jupitar moves 2 nakshatras in 1 year. Hence we need to seek alternate meaning for the term Vishaka. The original meaning of Vishaka is fork/divide. We can interpret Vishaka as the horizon since it is the place where heaven and earth fork/divide. It turns out that for the year 1504BCE, Jupitar and Saturn are at the opposite ends of the horizon for 1 year.
संवत्सरस्थायिनौ च ग्रहौ प्रज्वलितावुभौ । विशाखयोः समीपस्थौ बृहस्पतिशनैश्चरौ ॥ 6-3-27
2. Bhishma nirvana 58 days from day 10 of war vs Magha Shukla paksha: The set of verses 13-273-26/27/28 refer to Bhishma describing the day of his nirvana. The set of verses starts with Bhishma’s observation that the sun has started its northwards course. It also refers to Bhishma lying on the bed of arrows for 58 days (from day 10 of the war). The final verse is interpreted as Magha Shukla Ashtami while it simply states that only a third of a month is left and is on the bright side.
The observation that Bhishma has been on the bed of arrows for 58 days contradicts Magha Shukla Ashtami. During Magha Shukla Ashtami moon is near Rohini nakshatra. But in verse 9-16-6 Sri Balarama says that he has returned on the day of Sravana nakshatra to witness Gaddha yudh on Day 19. Assuming moon travels 1 nakshatra per day on average, Moon at Sravana on Day 19 and 58 days from day 10 of war points to moon at Vishaka (Magha Krishna Ashtami) during Bhishma nirvana.
Any attempt at placing Bhishma nirvana at Magha Shukla Ashtami Rohini nakshatra will have to contradict with either Balarama witnessing Gadha yudh on Sravana or Bhishma lying on the bed of arrows for 58 days.
Since the verse itself mentions only a third of the month is left it points to Krishna paksha only. This reconciles the evidence that Bhishma was lying on the bed of arrows for 58 days and Balarama arriving on the day of Sravana to witness the Gadha yudh. The word bright side of the month in the verse can be reinterpreted as the portion of Magha month that falls in Uttarayan.
दिष्ट्या प्राप्तोसि कौन्तेय सहामात्यो युधिष्ठिर। परिवृत्तो हि भगवान्सहस्रांशुर्दिवाकरः॥ 13-273-26 (92305) अष्टपञ्चाशतं रात्र्यः शयानस्याद्य मे गताः। शरेषु निशिताग्नेषु यथा वर्षशतं तथा॥ 13-273-27 (92306) माघोऽयं समनुप्राप्तो मासः पुण्यो युधिष्ठिर। त्रिभागशेषः पक्षोऽयं शुक्लो भवितुमर्हति॥ 13-273-28
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