A Critical Examination of the Astronomical References in Mahabharata and Their Simulation by Planetarium Software (Narahari Achar, 2003)

A Critical Examination of the Astronomical References in Mah@bh@rata and Their Simulation by Planetarium Software

B. N. Narahari Achar

University of Memphis

 Abstract

            The importance of determining the date of the Mah@bh@rata war for ancient Indian chronology is too well understood to be mentioned. Scores of authors have concentrated on the references to astronomical events such as eclipses found in the epic as a basis for determining the date of the war. However, it has not been possible to arrive at a definite date on the basis of astronomical references. The author has recently applied a new tool in the form of Planetarium Software to determine the date by simulating the astronomical events referred to in the epic. This paper examines critically the astronomical references in the epic and simulates them for the purpose of determining the date of the war. New results obtained since the presentation at the WAVES conference show that it is possible to determine a unique date on the basis of astronomical references and that date is 3067 BCE.

I.                   Introduction

            The importance of determining the date of the Mah@bh@rata war for ancient Indian chronology can hardly be overstated[1]. A plethora of dates[2], derived on the basis of a number of diverse methodologies have been proposed and no consensus has been reached[3]. Scores of authors have concentrated on the references to astronomical events such as eclipses found in the epic as a basis for determining the date of the war.  However, it has not been possible to arrive at a definite date on the basis of astronomical references either[4]^,[5]. A new tool in the form of Planetarium Software[6] has recently become available for examining the astronomical references. Results of the simulations using the Planetarium software were reported at the WAVES conference. Since the presentation at WAVES some new results have become available. They have been incorporated in the paper. It is now possible to arrive at a unique date for the war on the basis of astronomical references.

            The plan of the paper is as follows. After a brief description of the salient features of the software and the products that are commercially available, a summary of the astronomical references in udyoga parva is given. Then a critical examination of the astronomical references in the Bh$&ma parva is presented. Contrary to the widely held belief that this parva contains the most inconsistent planetary references, it is shown that most of the astrological references are to comets and not to planets, and that what true planetary references there are in the Bh$&ma parva, they are identical to the planetary references in the udyoga parva. These references permit the determination of a unique date for the Mah@bh@rata war. The date happens to be 3067 BCE and is identical to the one proposed by Raghavan[7]. Simulations show that this date is consistent with all the other astronomical references in the epic.

II.                Planetarium Software

            The term Planetarium Software refers to a collection of computer programs which can generate and display on the screen of a computer monitor thousands of stars and other heavenly objects as seen in the sky at any given location and at any given date and time (between 4000 BCE and 8000 CE), all at the touch of a mouse. These software programs draw from the most up to date star catalogues and are based on the current theories of planetary and stellar phenomena. They are routinely used for telescopic applications both in manual and computer controlled modes of operation, for they can project at which part of the sky and what time a desired object becomes visible in the sky and direct the telescope accordingly. These software products can also be used as tools of research in exploring ancient astronomy as has been shown by the author in some recent publications[8].

            There are several such products commercially available[9]: The Sky, SkyMap Pro, Red Shift, Cybersky, Starry Night etc., for PC applications and Voyager for McIntosh applications. The author has found SkyMap Pro to be most suited for current applications, but has used Red Shift, Cybersky and occasionally, The Sky as supplementary tools. The author also has found useful another computer program[10], Pancang2, which can calculate tithi and nak&atra for any day on the Gregorian calendar.

III.             Astronomical References

(a) udyoga parva[11]

It is well known that there is a large number of references to events, which appear to be astronomical in nature, scattered throughout the text of the epic and have been catalogued[12]. Admittedly many of these are astrological in nature and the possibility that some may be later interpolations cannot be ruled out. However, there must be a few genuine events that were observed and noted in view of the importance of the war. The ones that are closest to the war occur in udyoga and Bh$&ma parva-s. For example, there is a coherent chronology of astronomical events starting with K=&%a’s departure for his diplomatic mission to Hastin@pura before the war:

(i) K=&%a leaves for Hastin@pura on the diplomatic mission for peace in the maitr$ muh#rta in the month of k@rt$ka on the day of revat$nak&atra:

            tato vyapete tamasi s#rye vimala udgate

            maitre muh#rte sa>pr@pte m=dvaci&I div@kare//

            kaumudem@si revaty@> ^aradante him@game

            sph$tasasyasukhe k@le kalya* satvavat@> vara*//     (V. 81. 6-7)

(ii) On the way he halts at a place called V=kasthala and reaches Hastin@pura on the day of Bhara%$

(iii) He meets with various people to discuss the conditions of averting the war. On the day of pu&ya, Duryodhana rejects all offers of peace.

(iv) K=&%a leaves Hastin@pura on the day of uttaraph@lgu%$.  Kar%a accompanies him in his chariot and has a lengthy conversation with him. At the end of the conversation K=&%a sends a message through Kar%a to Bh$&ma and others that am@v@sya falls on the seventh day hence and that war rituals be started on that day:

            saptam@cc@pi divas@d am@v@sy@ bhavi&yati

            sangr@ma> yojayettatra t@>hy@hu* ^akradevat@>//            (V. 140. 18)

During this conversation Ka=%a describes the positions of the planets at that time in the following verses while talking about the omens foretelling an impending disaster to the kuru family:

(v)        pr@j@patya> hi nak&atra> grahas t$k&%o mah@dyuti*/

^anai^cara* p$}ayati p$}ayan pr@%inodhika>// MB(V.141. 7)

“The noxious and much lustrous graha Saturn, which always harasses people extremely, is harassing the nak&atra presided by praj@pati.”

(vi)       k=tv@ c@<g@rako vakra> jye&{h@y@> madhus#dana/

            an#r@dh@> pr@rthayate maitra> sa>^amayanniva// MB(V.141. 8)

            “Mars has performed a retrograde turn at Antares, oh, madhus#dana, and appears

to be begging an#r@dh@‘s friendship, as if to pacify it.”

(vii)      N#na> mahadbhaya> k=&%a kur#n@> samupasthita>/

            vi^e&e%a v@r&%eya citr@> p$}ayate graha*// MB(V. 141. 9)

“Indeed a great danger awaits the kuru family and is indicated by the graha afflicting Spica.”

(viii)     somasya lak&ma vy@v=tta> r@hurarka mupe&yati/ MB(V. 141. 10)

“The moon lost its luster and r@hu is approaching the Sun.”

A lunar eclipse has already occurred and there is an impending solar eclipse. Since K=&%a says that the am@v@sya is going to be at jye&{h@ nak&atra, the solar eclipse is also going to take place at the same nak&atra.

(b) Bh$&ma parva

            As is well known, Vy@sa meets with Dh=tar@&tra on the eve of the war and describes to him a whole set of ill omens he has seen[13].  These descriptions of ill omens run over two chapters in the Bh$&maparva, and the astronomical references occur in four separate sections: ^lokas (20-23) and ^loka (32) in chapter 2, and ^lokas (11-17) and ^lokas (24-29) in chapter 3. The scholars who have studied these astronomical references have only seen the apparent contradictions, but have not appreciated how systematic Vy@sa is in his description. Just because the descriptions appear in four different sections, some[14] have suggested that they belong to different times. Or, what is worse, some scholars[15] have suggested that some of the ^loka-s belong to sabh@parva! However, the true situation is quite different. The astronomical references can be grouped in four different segments because they pertain to four different aspects of the ill omens as will be shown below. The tradition of recognizing astronomical ill omens can be traced to Atharvaveda[16] and its Pari^i&{as[17]and the ill omens described in the epic are consistent with the tradition.

The First segment

^loka s (20-23) of chapter 2 constitute the first segment. Here Vy@sa describes the omens foretelling the imminent war. Before describing the ill omens, he makes it clear that a great disaster is bound to occur just as indicated by the ill omens:

 iha yuddhe mah@r@ja bhavi&yati mah@<k&aya*

yathem@ni nimitt@ni bhay@yadyopalak&yate// MB (VI. 2. 16)

“Oh King, a great destruction will occur in this war just as it is indicated by these omens, which are harbingers of great calamity.”

The ill omens

(ix)       ubhe p#rv@pare sandhye nitya> pa^y@mi bh@rata/

uday@stamane s#rya> kabandhai* pariv@rita>// MB(VI. 2. 20)

“Oh Bh@rata, I observe the sun every day both morning at sunrise and in the evening at sunset and have seen him as if encircled by long arms (i.e., encircled by a comet).”

(x)        ^vetalohita paryant@* k=&%agr$v@* savidyuta*/

trivar%@* parigh@* sandhau bh@nu m@v@rayantyuta// MB(VI. 2. 21)

“I see the sun surrounded by halos on all sides, halos which are tricolored, dark in the middle and white and red towards the edges and accompanied by lightning.”

(xi)       jvalit@rkendu nak&atra> nirvi^e&a dinak&apa>/

ahor@tra> may@ d=&{a>tatk&ay@ya bhavi&yati// MB(VI. 2. 22)

“I have been watching days and nights the fierce sun, the moon and the stars shining incessantly and have been unable to distinguish between day and night.  This surely forebodes utter destruction.”

(xii)      alak&ya* prabhay@h$na* paur%am@s$~ca k@rtik$>/

candrobh#dagnivar%a^ca samavar%e nabhasthale// MB(VI. 2. 23)

“On the full moon night of k@rtika, the moon with fiery tinge was hardly visible, devoid of glory, and the horizons were also of the same hue.”

It is clear that the intent of Vy@sa is to impress upon Dh=tar@&tra that there is an imminent war, the armies are standing facing each other ready to fight and that war will bring about utter destruction. This has also been indicated by the ill omens.

Vy@sa begins by saying that he observes the Sun every day both in the morning at sunrise and in the evening at sunset. He has noted the appearance of halos and some comets, which appear to enclose the Sun as if with long arms. The moon had become lusterless on the lunar eclipse day of k@rtika p#r%ima. The class of omens thought to indicate an imminent war is quite consistent with the tradition going back to Atharva veda Pari^i&{a

Consistency with tradition

The verses quoted above can be compared with similar verses (given below with a free flowing translation) from atharvaveda pari^i&{a describing yuddhalak&a%a, omens indicative of war.

(a)        arkebhra parigh@d$n@> parive&orka candrayo*

(b)        l@k&@lohita var%atva> sarve&@~ca vic@ra%a>// AP (64. 5. 7)

“ One should always consider the line of clouds and halos around the sun and the moon and observe whether they appear red or not in color.”

(c)        n$lalohita paryanta> k=&%agr$va> savidyuta>/ AP (61. 1. 4)

“which are blue and red towards the edges and dark in the middle and accompanied by lightning”

(d)       trivar%e parighev@pi trivar%airv@ bal@hakai*

uday@stamayamiy@dyad s#rya* kad@canai // AP (61. 1. 15)

(e)        p=thivy@> r@java>^y@n@> mahad bhayam upasthita>// AP (61. 1. 15)

“Whenever the sun is surrounded at sunrise or sunset by tri-colored clouds,

(the balahaka clouds), it indicates great calamity to the earth and royal families.”

            (f)        tamro bhavati ^astr@ya………..

                        dh#mravar%o gnivar%o v@ gr@me&u nagare&u v@// AP (53. 5. 1-2)

“ the color of the moon (at the time of eclipse)indicates a battle if it is red and disaster to cities and villages if it is smoky or fiery.”

            The omens described by Vy@sa are entirely consistent with the description in atharvaveda pari^i&{a. It may be noted that except for the Sun and the Moon, no planets have been mentioned in this segment.

The second segment

In the second segment, consisting of two ^loka s, Vy@sa considers the ill omens foretelling the great harm to the kuru dynasty and refers to the lunar eclipse, which occurred on the Full moon day at k=ttika, followed by a solar eclipse. The earth experiences constant tremors.  He also refers to Saturn afflicting rohi%i (Aldeberan) and ^vetagraha transgressing citr@, which indicates the selective destruction of the kuru clan.

(xiii)     roho%$> p$}ayanne&a stitho r@ja~^anai^cara*/

vy@v=tta> lak&ma somasya bhavi&yati mahadbhaya>// MB(VI. 2. 32)

“Oh King, Saturn is harassing Aldeberan and the spot on the Moon has shifted from its position. Something terrible will happen.”

(xiv)     abh$k&%a> kampate bh#mirarka> r@hustath@grasat/

^veto grahastath@ citr@> samatikramya ti&{ati// MB(VI. 3. 11)

“The Earth is experiencing tremors intermittently and Rahu has seized the Sun. ^vetagraha has transgressed citr@.”

Consistency with the references in udyogaparva

            These are almost identical to the omens described by Kar%a earlier in

 udyogaparva (Ka=%a includes in addition the retrograde motion of Mars) at the time of his riding with K=&%a in MB (V.141. 7)- MB (V. 141. 10) quoted earlier.This clearly shows that the second segment in Vy@sa’s description to Dh=tar@&tra in Bh$&maparva, of ill omens pertaining to the danger to the kuru-s is consistent with the astronomical references in udyogaparva. It may be noted that there is a reference to a graha afflicting citr@ in both cases. Graha here refers to a comet and not to planet Mercury as is generally translated. In fact, it can be compared to the following verse from Var@hamihira[18] when he discusses the effect of comets on asterisms:

citr@su kuruk&etr@dhipasya mara%a> sam@di^ettaj~a* / BS (XI. 57)

“If the afflicted (by a comet) asterism be citr@, a wise astrologer should predict the death of the ruler of kuruk&etra.”

It may further be pointed out that this is the only segment, which includes true planetary positions in describing the omens.

The third segment

Vy@sa describes in the third segment further indicators of the calamity to the entire army (“senayora^iva> ghora>..”). It is this segment that has caused so much difficulty to the scholars in that the planets appear to have been described as being at two or more locations at the same time. It is possible that the apparent ambiguity and confusion in the stated planetary positions arise because of the implicit interpretation that the word graha means a planet. The word graha (from the root grah=to grasp or to seize) refers to any heavenly object, which can move and hence can grasp or seize a star. Thus, the word refers to a planet or comet, although in much later times in Indian Astronomy, during the early years of CE, it came to be associated with only a planet.

But, Vy@sa leaves no doubt to the fact that here the word graha refers to a comet: 

“grahau t@mr@ru%a^ikhau prajvalit@vubhau” MB (VI. 3. 24)

‘the two grah@s blazing with coppery and red hair’.

It may be noted that the word comet itself derives from the Greek word for hair. The word graha with red hair in the context here can only refer to a comet. Furthermore, as noted by Var@hamihira[19], the ancient astronomers Par@^ara and Garga classified comets as sons of Sun, sons of Moon, sons of Mercury, sons of Venus, sons of Mars, Children of Jupiter and Children of Saturn, all of which indicate mainly impending calamities. This practice of considering a comet as “grahaputra” can be found in atharvaveda pari^i&{a[20] also. The astronomical references in the third segment can now be examined in this light and the words “[son of]” have been added to the translation to make it clear.

(xv)           dh#maketur mah@ghora* pu&ya m@kramya ti&{ati// MB(VI. 3. 12)

“Deadly dh#maketu has overcome pu&ya.”

(xvi)           senayo ra^iva> ghora> kari&yati mah@graha*/

magh@sva<g@rako vakra* ^rava%eca b=haspati*// MB(VI. 3. 13)

“The mah@graha appears to bring about an awful destruction in both armies. [Son of] Mars is retrograde in magh@, and [son of] Jupiter in ^rava%a.”

(xvii)       bh@gya> nak&atra m@kramya s#ryaputre%a p$}yate

^ukra* pro&{apade p#rve sam@ruhya vi^@> pate

uttaretu parikramya sahita* pratyud$k&ate// MB(VI. 3. 14)

“The son of Surya has crossed the asterism purva-phalgu%$, and is vexing. Oh King, [son of] ^ukra has entered purva-pro&{apada, going around uttara-pro&{apada and is rising in both.”

(xviii)     ^y@mo graha* prajvalita* sadh#ma* sahap@vaka*

aindra> tejasvi nak^atra> jye&{@m@kramya ti&{ati// MB(VI. 3. 15)

“^y@magraha is luminous and together with dh#ma and p@vaka has crossed over to jye&{@, the bright asterism ruled by Indra.”

(xix)         dhruva* prajvalito ghora> apasavya> pravartate/

citr@sv@tyantare caiva dhi&{ita* paru&o graha*// MB(VI. 3. 16)

            “The luminous dhruva has moved to the right of ghora. The paru&a graha

                        has established itself between citr@ and sv@ti.”

(xx)           vakr@nuvakra> k=tv@ca ^rava%e p@vaka prabha*/

brahmar@^I> sam@v=tya lohit@<go vyavasthita*// MB(VI. 3. 17)

“p@vakaprabha has gone circumventing ^rava%a, and lohit@<ga has become steady after enclosing brhmar@^i.”

(xxi)         sa>vatsara sth@yinau ca grahau prajvalit@vubhau/

vi^@kh@yo* sam$pasthau b=haspati ^anai^carau// MB(VI. 3. 25)

“[sons of] Jupiter and Saturn, which stay around for a year, are both luminous and are near the two vi^@kha stars.”

(xxii)       k=ttik@su grahast$vro nak&atre prathame jvalan/

vap#>&yapaharan bh@s@ dh#maketuriva sthita*// MB(VI. 3. 26)

“The graha t$vra blazing in the first constellation k=ttika, and concealing forms with luster resembles dh#maketu.”

(xxiii)     tri&u p#rve&u sarve&u nak&atre&u vi^@>pate/

budha* sampatate bh$k&%a> janayan sumahadbhaya>//  MB(VI. 3.27)

                 “[son of] Mercury is falling under all the three earlier constellations and

                        causing a great terror.”

Vy@sa names specifically twelve comets, ^veta, dh#maketu, mah@graha, paru&a, p@vaka, dh#ma, lohit@<ga, t$vra, p@vakaprabha, ^y@ma, ghora, and dhruvaketu. All these names can be found in the list given by Var@hamihira[21].  Earlier scholars had translated some of these names as planets, for example, ^vetagraha as white planet (to refer to Venus), ^y@magraha as dark planet (to refer to Mercury), and paru&agraha as cruel planet (to refer to Rahu).  Furthermore, Vy@sa refers to son of Sun, s#ryaputra, explicitly, but he also refers to some of the comets by the name of the parent planets. While this is quite according to the Sanskrit grammar, it is this notation that has caused so much confusion. The scholars have interpreted these references literally as referring to planets themselves. The net result is the confusion of conflicting planetary positions. When it is realized that comets are to be considered, there is no ambiguity or confusion of any kind. Moreover, comets have been considered to be harbingers of calamity since atharvaveda[22].

The fourth segment

            In the final segment, Vy@sa describes the omens which indicate destruction of the entire population; these include a pair of eclipses, a lunar and a solar eclipse occurring in the same month and within an interval of thirteen days, and at an ‘aparva%i’ moment (i.e., not at the moment of exact conjunction or opposition of the sun and the moon).

(xxiv)     caturda^$> pa~cada^$> bh#tapurv@> ca &o}a^$>/

im@>tu n@bhij@n@mi am@v@sy@> trayoda^$>// MB(VI. 3. 28)

(xxv)          candras#ry@vubhau grast@vekam@se trayoda^$>/

aparva%i  grah@vetau praj@* sa>k&apayi&yata*// MB(VI. 3. 29)

“I know New Moon coinciding with fourteenth, fifteenth and also on the sixteenth day, but I have never known it coinciding with the thirteenth day. In one and the same month, both the Sun and the Moon are eclipsed  on the thirteenth. These ill-timed eclipses indicate destruction of the people.” 

            This can be compared with a description from atharvaveda pari^i&{a:

                        yadi tu r@hurubhau ^a^ibh@skarau

grasati pak&amanantaramantata*/

puru&a^o%ita kardama v@hin$

bhavati bh#rna ca var&ati m@dhava*// AP(53. 3.5)

            It is clear that the omens described by Vy@sa in four different segments refer to different aspects: (i) an imminent war, (ii) calamity to the kuru dynasty, (iii) destruction of the entire army, and finally, (iv) danger to the entire population. As such they involve different astronomical happenings. The truly planetary positions are indicated in the omens pertaining to the calamity to the kuru family and in this case the descriptions given by Kar%a in udyogaparva are identical to the descriptions given by Vy@sa in Bh$&maparva. The alleged great confusion and ambiguity in ‘planetary’ positions seen by scholars pertain to the third segment, which describes omens of a great danger to the entire army. This segment does not refer to planets, but to comets and has been made explicitly clear by Vy@sa, but scholars have not taken note of it. Explicit references by specific names to comets have been mistranslated as planets, leading to confusion. Compounding the confusion is Vy@sa’s reference to comets as off springs of planets, but denoting them by the names of the parent planets. But, once it is recognized that comets are implied here there is no confusion or ambiguity and every thing falls into place. There is no necessity for introducing adhoc hypotheses such as those advanced by Daftari[23],  Sharma[24] or Iyengar[25] to account for the ambiguity, because, it is non-existent.

            The description of omens turns out to be a coherent account. It is evident that criticism directed against the descriptions is unwarranted. It may be remarked in passing that other non-astronomical omens in these two chapters can also be found in atharvaveda pari^i&{a.

Methodology of Determining the Date of the War

            It is abundantly clear that the true planetary positions described are common to both udyoga parva and Bh$&ma parva   represent a great calamity to the kuru family.

It is regarded that planetary positions are most reliable and eclipses and comets are not so reliable. Thus ^ani at rohi%$ ( Saturn at Aldeberan) is the most reliable configuration and has been stressed in both parva-s  The next is a<g@raka  performing a retrograde motion just before reaching jye&{h@ ( retrograde motion of Mars just before reaching Antares). A solar eclipse at jye&{h@, (Antares) preceded by a lunar eclipse with the moon at k=ttik@ (Pleiades) are considered to be the next important events. For, am@v@sy@ at jye&{h@ ( New moon at Antares ) has been mentioned by K=&%a as the day for formal war rituals, and the solar eclipse has been mentioned by both Kar%a and Vy@sa. The rest of the astronomical references in Bh$&ma parva pertain to comets as has been shown.

            A search was made using the planetarium software SkyMap Pro6, from 3500 BCE  to 1000 BCE, for the years in which Saturn was in conjunction with Aldeberan. There are 85 such conjunctions in this interval. Then a search was made from among these 85 conjunction years to find the years in which Mars executed a retrograde motion near Antares. This reduced the set to just eight: 3067 BCE, 2625 BCE, 2420 BCE, 2183 BCE, 1946 BCE, 1741 BCE, 1299 BCE and 1094 BCE, when Saturn was near Aldeberan and Mars executed a retrograde motion before reaching Antares.

There was also a solar eclipse at Antares. The planetarium software RedShift 3 was used for searching for those years with a solar eclipse at Antares from among these eight dates. This resulted in just two years 3067 BCE and 2183 BCE. as the candidates for the events in the epic. It should be noted that there are large uncertainties associated with determining the date based on eclipses occurring at a given location. The occurrence of the eclipse itself is certain, what is uncertain is the location. In the search therefore, no attention was paid to the exact location of visibility of the eclipse, but only its occurrence.

If in addition, one uses the fact that Bh$&ma died soon after the arrival of Winter solstice on ^ukla a&{ham$ with rohi%$ nak&atra (first quarter moon after the arrival of winter solstice was near Aldeberan) only 3067 BCE satisfies this and not 2183 BCE

The year 3067 BCE had been proposed earlier by Raghavan,[26] as a possible year for the war,  by long hand calculation. He had actually given a chronology of events in the epic, some important dates are given in the table below and the astronomical events, are illustrated by the simulations using the planetarium software.

Table 1.           Some important events and their chronology before the war.

It has been shown by the author[27] that practically all of the astronomical references in the epic can be simulated by the planetarium software for the date of 3067 BCE and shown to be in agreement with the chronology given by Raghavan. A few examples of the simulations using the planetarium software are shown in Figures 1-4. Figure 1 shows the view of the sky on September 26, 3067 BCE, K=&%a’s departure for Hastin@pura on the day of  revati.  Figure 1 also shows that on this date Saturn was near Aldeberan as required.  Figure 2 shows the view of the sky on October 8, 3067 BCE, the day Kar%a rides with K=&%a. Figure 3 shows that on October 14, 3067 BCE, there was a solar eclipse at jye&{h@ and that Mars had executed a retrograde motion some time earlier before reaching jye&{h@. Additional details of the simulations and extensive figures of star maps corresponding to most of the astronomical references from the epic can be seen in the work of the author[28]. These simulations show an amazing degree of coherence, consistency, and agreement with the astronomical references in the epic for this date.  Now, 3067 BCE has been shown to be the unique possible date on the basis of an archaeo-astronomical exercise. It would appear therefore, that 3067 BCE emerges as a very strong candidate as it is also in accordance with popular tradition.  It would be tempting to declare it as the year of the war. However, the final word must wait other corroborative evidence such as archaeology.  

Conclusions

This paper examines critically the astronomical references in the Bh$&ma parva of the epic Mah@bh@rata and shows the astronomical references are mostly to comets and are in accordance with the tradition of omens going back to Atharvaveda and its Pari^I&{ha-s. The truly references to planetary positions in this parva agree with those in udyoga parva. The application of methods of the archaeoastronomy leads to a unique date for the war, 3067 BCE. This agrees with the date previously proposed by Raghavan and the simulations using planetarium software demonstrate this.

Acknowledgement

            This work was supported in part by a Faculty Research Grant and a Faculty Development Assignment Award from the University of Memphis.

Abbreviations

            AV      Atharvaveda

            AP       Atharvaveda Pari^i&{a

            BS       B=hat Samhit@

            MB      Mah@bh@rata

Figure 1.          K=&%a’s Departure for Hastin@pura on a diplomatic mission

Figure 2.          “seventh day hence new moon will occur……”

Figure 3.          Solar eclipse at Antares

Figure 4.          Bh$&ma passes away

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