Chronology of Indian History --Newer discussions

DrRajpalSingh said:
The Vedanga Jyotisa (Astronomy)
The Vedanga Jyotisa [Astronomy], propounding the doctrine as taught by Lagadha, has 36 verses in the Rigvedic recension and 43 in the Yajur-Vedic one, 30 being common to both. The Atharvana Jyotisa of 162 verses dealing with muhurta [a particular division of time], karana [an astrological division of day], yoga [leading star of a lunar asterism; a variable division of time], tithi [lunar day]., and vara [week-day] falls outside the Vedic period. It is important as it treats also of jataka [astrology], a branch of jyotisa. It is, however, pre-Siddhanta, as it makes no mention of the twelve rasis [zodic] borrowed from the Greeks.

The Vedanga Jyotisa helps to determine, for purposes of the sacrifices, the positions of the sun and moon at the solstices and of the new and full moon in the circle of the 27 naksatras or star groups of the zodic. It gives simple rules and concise formulae for the calculation of tithis, parvas [new and full moon days, visuvats [equinoxial days], etc.

To be contd......
Click to expand...

The basis of calculation is the very convenient one of a five-year cycle calledyuga, because the solar year is taken to be of 366 days and five of these [1830 days] accommodate 62 full moons and 62 new moons, i.e. 124 complete parvans, which, with the addition of two intercalary months [one in the third and the other during the fifth year], turned the cycle from a lunar into a solar one.

The cycle commenced with the coming together of the sun, moon, and the naksatra Dhanisstha on the first tithi of the bright fortnight of Magha, at the autumnal solstice [the beginning of uttrayana].
 
The Vedanga Jyotisa, with the zodiac divided into 27 nakshatras,

became obsolete,

when the Siddhanta calendar, with the zodiac divided into 12 rasis,

became popular later.
 
The Cultural Heritage of India, Vol I in the chapter Vedangas Jyotisa says about the date of this work as: ''A statement in this Vedanga that 'in the beginning of Sravistha, the sun and the moon turn towards the north'--a conjunction observed as occurring in days of Lagadha--yields by astronomical calculation the very early date of 1200 B.C. for the work, a result somehow explained away by scholars who are sceptical, as the work betrays lateness. But C.V. Vaidya [in History of Sanskrit Literature, I, p.92], who points out an earlier position of the uttarayana, in the middle of the Dhanistha division, argues that the statement cannot be brushed aside as it is accurate and fixes the time of Lagadha, although the present work may be a late one."

On this, V M Apte opines that it is not, however, as late as it is supposed to be for [1] it is not composed in Sutras, [2] it uses older names of naksatras and words like gharma and rasi in their older meanings, and [3] even some of the older Upanisads are composed in verse.This work refers to the custom of naming persons from the naksatras of their birth, as the Grihya-Suttras do.

Thanks



[Note: About the earlier Jyotisa literature one has once again turn to Rigaveda where accurate knowledge of months, seasons, and the year is said to be available.]
 
A very interesting article on ancient Calendar has appeared in the Dainik Bhaskar Hindi Paper published from Ambala, p. 12 of 17th July 2013.


Same is being produced below with due acknowledgement of the copyright of the newspaper. If someone uses it, he/she must acknowledge the original source i.e. Dainik Bhaskar,[FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test]Published on 17 Jul-2013.log in :[/FONT]http://epaper.bhaskar.com/ambala-bhaskar/ambala/301/17072013/cph/1/[FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test]<iframe id="f1a0ee49c4" name="f581cbb38" scrolling="no" title="Like this content on Facebook." class="fb_ltr" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?api_key=&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter.php%3Fversion%3D25%23cb%3Df15f65d9e8%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fepaper.bhaskar.com%252Ff2351e610c%26domain%3Depaper.bhaskar.com%26relation%3Dparent.parent&href=%2Fdetail.php%3Fid%3D301784%26boxid%3D718111015%26view%3Dtext%26editioncode%3D301%26pagedate%3D07%2F17%2F2013%26pageno%3D12%26map%3D%26ch%3Dcph&node_type=link&width=90&layout=button_count&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&send=false&extended_social_context=false" style="position: absolute; border-style: none; overflow: hidden; height: 21px; width: 90px;"></iframe>
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[FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test][FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test]स्कॉटलैंड में मिला दुनिया का सबसे पुराना कैलेंडर[/FONT]
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[TD][FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test]ञ्चपूर्व में मिले पहले औपचारिक कैलेंडर के पांच हजार साल पहले अस्तित्व में आया था
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[TD][FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test]चांद की गति पर है आधारित, पुरातत्वविदों ने एडर्बीनशायर इलाके में की खोज
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[TD][FONT=Bhaskar_WEB_Intro_Test]एजेंसीत्नबर्मिंघम[/FONT]
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पुरातत्वविदों का मानना है कि उन्होंने एडर्बीनशायर इलाके में चंद्रमा की गति पर आधारित दुनिया का सबसे पुराना कैलेंडर खोजा है।

कार्थेस किले में एक खेत की खुदाई में 12 गड्ढ़ों की एक श्रृंखला मिली है, जो चंद्रमा की अवस्थाओं और चंद के महीने की तरफ संकेत करती है। बर्मिंघम विश्वविद्यालय के नेतृत्व वाली एक टीम के मुताबिक इस प्राचीन स्मारक को कऱीब 10 हजार साल पहले शिकारियों ने बनवाया था। वॉरेन फील्ड के इन गड्ढ़ों की खुदाई पहली बार 2004 में हुई थी। इन गड्ढों का विश्लेषण करने वाले विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि हो सकता है कि उनमें कभी लकड़ी के खंभे रहे हों। यह विश्लेषण 'इंटरनेट आर्कियोलॉजी' नाम की पत्रिका में प्रकाशित किया गया है।

बर्मिंघम विश्वविद्यालय में लैंडस्केप आर्कियोलॉजी के प्रोफेसर विन्स गैफेनी ने इस विश्लेषण परियोजना का नेतृत्व किया। वह कहते हैं,'इन प्रमाणों से पता चलता है कि स्कॉटलैंड के शिकारियों के समाज में साल भर के टाइम पीरियड पर नजर रखने और किसी भी बदलाव में सुधार की जरूरत और कार्यक्षमता दोनों थीं।

यह पूर्व में मिले पहले औपचारिक कैलेंडर के पांच हजार साल पहले अस्तित्व में आ गया था। इस अध्ययन में सेंड एंड्रयूज, लीस्टर और ब्रैडफोर्ड विश्वविद्यालय भी शामिल थे।

मिड स्टोन एज का है यह कैलेंडर

मिड स्टोन एज का यह कैलेंडर अब तक के ज्ञात सबसे पुराने कैलेंडर मेसोपोटामिया के कैलेंडर से भी हजारों साल पुराना है। बर्मिंघम विश्वविद्यालय के लैंडस्केप आर्कियोलॉजी के प्रोफेसर विन्स गैफेनी कहते हैं कि स्कॉटलैंड के शिकारियों के समाज में साल भर के समय चक्रपर नजर रखने, किसी भी बदलाव में सुधार की जरूरत व कार्यक्षमता दोनों थी। यह पूर्व के कैलेंडर के पांच हजार साल पहले अस्तित्व में आ गया था।

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The Yugas or Ages as developed by Indian Risis say that one year of mortals is equal to one day of the gods. 12,000 divine years are equal to a period of four Yugas, which is thus made up:

Krita Yuga, with its mornings and evenings, 4,800 divine years.

Treta Yuga, with its mornings and evenings, 3,600 divine years.

Dwapara Yuga, with its mornings and evenings, 2,400 divine years.

Kali Yuga, with its mornings and evenings, 1,200 divine years.

All making these divine 12,000 years equal 4,320,000 years of mortals, each human year being composed of 360 days.

A thousand of these periods of 4,320,000 years equals one day i.e. Kalpa of Brahma.

During "the day of Brahma'' fourteen Manus reign: each Manu period is a Manavantara.

A year of Brahma is composed of 360 Kalpas, and he endures for 100 years of these years.

One half of Brahma's existence has now expired.

At the end of each ''day'' [Kalpa] Brahma sleeps for a night of equal length, and before falling asleep the Universe becomes water as at the beginning. He creates anew when he wakes on the morning of the next Kalpa.

[Source:Muir's Original Sanskrit Texts; Wilson's Manu,cited by Donald A. Mackenzie, Indian Myth and Legend, pp.105-106]
 
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We have on Jatland [wiki]Myths and Legends of the Hindus & Buddhists/CHAPTER VIII[/wiki] By Sister Nivedita and Anand K. Coomaraswamy

Kindly go to title - The Universe

I reproduce from here some relevant content on Yugas.

"In speaking here of the Hindu cosmology, it is chiefly our solar system that is to be understood ; but it will be clear that similar principles are applicable to any other system, or to a whole universe composed of many systems. No original creation of the universe can be imagined; but there are alternations, partial and complete, of manifestation and withdrawal. At the commencement of a cycle (kalpa) the world is created by the Brahma aspect of Ishvara ; during the cycle it is sustained by Vishnu ; and at the end, as Shiva, he destroys it. This cosmic process takes place according to the following time scheme :

A cycle, or Day of Brahma, a kalpa, the period of the endurance of the solar system, is 12,000 years of the devas, or 4,320,000,000 earth-years. At the beginning of each Day when Brahma wakes, the " Three Worlds " so often spoken of in the myths, together with the devas, rishis, asuras, men, and creatures, are manifested afresh according to their individual deserts (karma, deeds) ; only those who in the previous kalpa obtained direct release (nirvana, moksha), or who passed beyond the Three Worlds to higher planes, no longer reappear. At the close of each Day the Three Worlds, with all their creatures, are again resolved into chaos (pralaya), retaining only a latent germ of necessity of remanifestation. The Night of Brahma is of equal length with the Day. The life of our Brahma or Ishvara is one hundred Brahma- years, at the end of which time not only the Three Worlds, but all planes and all beings Ishvara himself, devas,
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Myths and Legends of the Hindus & Buddhists:End of page 392
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rishis, asuras, men, creatures, and matter are resolved into chaos (riiaha-pralaya, " great-chaos "), enduring for another hundred Brahma-years, when there appear a new Brahma and a new creation. It will be seen that both major and minor alternations of evolution and involution are represented as necessitated by natural law the latent force of past action (karma). Causality governs all conditioned existence. The whole scheme is highly scientific.

The Day of Brahma is divided into fourteen manvantaras, over each of which presides a Manu, or teacher. Each manvantara is followed by a Deluge, which destroys the existing continents and swallows up all living beings, except the few who are preserved for the repeopling of the earth. The name of our Manu is Vaivasvata, who is the source of the Laws of Manu, formulating the basic structure of Hindu society. The Day of Brahma is also divided into 1000 yuga-cycles (maha-yuga); each consisting of four ages, the Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali vugas, of which the last three are periods of progressive degeneration from the first. The four yugas together last 4,320,000 years; the first 1,728,000, the second 1,296,000, the third 864,000, and the last 432,000. The present year (A.D. 1913) is the 5013th of the Kali yuga 1 of the present maha-yuga ; this maha-yuga is the twenty-eighth of the seventh manvantara of our kalpa, called the Varahakalpa, because in it Vishnu incarnated as a boar (varaha) ; and this kalpa is the first day of the fifty-first year of the life of our Brahma.

The events related in the Mahabharata took place in the Treta yuga of our maha-yuga ; those of the Ramayana in the Dvapara yuga.
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1. The commencement ot which Kali yuga was coincident with the Day of the death of Krishna."
 
Good presentation.

Could anybody throw light on the starting of the Kali Yuga. Did it commence with

the passing away of Krishna as mentioned in the above post or not.

If yes, then when did the incident occur !

Thanks
 
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Throughout the Ancient World's Ages the Brahmanism term is 'YUGAS', which starts to appear from our ancient scriptures. Some information regarding Yuga has come to notice regarding their reference in the Vedas which is being produced below:

It is noted: "Of this elaborate system...no traces are found in the hymns of the Rigveda. Their authours were, indeed, familiar with the word 'Yuga', which frequently occurs in the sense of age, generation, or tribe...The first passage of the Rigveda in which there is any indication of a considerable mundane period being noted is where 'a first' or an earlier age [yuga] of the gods is mentioned when 'the existent sprang from the non-existent.'..In one verse of the Athravaveda, however, the word 'yuga' is so employed as to lead to the supposition that a period of very long duration is intended.It is there said :'we allot to thee a hundred,ten thousand years, two three, four ages [yugas].' " [Professor Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, Vol. I, p. 46.]

Thanks.
 
The End of Krishna

I reproduce from Jatland - [wiki]Myths and Legends of the Hindus & Buddhists[/wiki] by sister Nivedita:

After this Krishna again went to join the Pandavas, and remained with them during the Great War as Arjuna's charioteer. On the field of Kurukshetra he uttered the Bhagavad Gita. He was present at the death of Bhishma,
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[wiki]Myths and Legends of the Hindus & Buddhists[/wiki]:End of page 242
----

and after Duryodhana's death he received the curse of his mother. She bewailed the death of her son and of friend and foe; then, recognizing Hari as the Prime Mover, the One behind All, she cursed him for letting such things befall. This was her curse : that after thirty-six years Krishna should perish alone and miserably, and his people, the Vrishnis, should be destroyed. These things in due time came to pass. A madness seized the people of Dwaraka so that they fell upon one another and were slain, together with all the sons and grandsons of Krishna. Only the women and Krishna and Balarama remained alive. Then Balarama went to the forest, and Krishna first sent a messenger to the Kuru city, to place the city and women of Dwaraka under the Pandavas protection, and then took leave of his father ; afterward he himself sought the forest, where Balaram awaited him. Krishna discovered his brother seated under a mighty tree on the edge of the forest ; he sat like a yogi, and behold, there came forth from his mouth a mighty snake, the thousand-headed naga Ananta, and glided away to the ocean. Ocean himself and the sacred rivers and many divine nagas came to meet him. Thus Krishna beheld his brother depart from the human world, and he wandered alone in the forest. He that was full of energy sat down on the bare earth and thought of Gandhari's curse and all that had befallen, and he knew that the time had come for his own departure. He restrained his senses in yoga and laid himself down. Then there came a hunter that way and thought him a deer, and loosed a shaft and pierced his foot; but when he came close the hunter beheld a man wrapped in yellow robes practising yoga. Thinking himself an offender, he touched his feet. Then Krishna rose and gave him comfort, and himself ascended
----
[wiki]Myths and Legends of the Hindus & Buddhists[/wiki]:End of page 243
----

to Heaven, filling the whole sky with glory; passing through Indra's paradise, he went to his own place. Arjuna went to Dwaraka and brought away the women and children of the Vrishnis, and set out for Kurukshetra. On the way a band of warriors attacked the cavalcade and carried away a great part of the women. Arjuna established the others with the remnant of Krishna's descendants in new cities ; but Rukmini and many others of Krishna's wives became Sati, burning themselves on a pyre, and others became ascetics and nuns. The waters of the ocean advanced and overwhelmed Dwaraka so that no trace remained.
 
Otherwise good narrative, but does not give exact hint of the time-line of the occurrence of

the incident. It just hints vague indications like this event followed that and all this occurred

during the course of the Mahabharata Battle or thereafter ! Isn't it so ?

The moot question, however, remains unanswered as to when did it really occur !

Contribution of other readers welcome !!!!

Thanks.
 
DrRajpalSingh said:
Otherwise good narrative, but does not give exact hint of the time-line of the occurrence of

the incident. It just hints vague indications like this event followed that and all this occurred

during the course of the Mahabharata Battle or thereafter ! Isn't it so ?

The moot question, however, remains unanswered as to when did it really occur !

Contribution of other readers welcome !!!!

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Now, it is generally believed that Mahabharata War happened in c. 1400 B.C.

This means within passage of a few years thereafter, Krisana passed away

and that led to onset of Kaliyuga.
 
One of the most interesting accounts of the Yuga is given in the Mahabharata. It is embedded in a narrative which reflects a phase of the character of that great epic.

We quote below an extract for the information of the readers from the book Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie :

"Bhima of the Pandavas, the human son of the wind god Vayu, once went forth to obtain for his beloved queen the flowers of Paradise -- those Celestial lotuses of a thousand petals with sun-like splendour and unearthly fragrance, with prolong life and renew beauty: they grow in the demon guarded woodland lake in the region of Kuvera, god of treasure. Bhima hastened towards the north-east, facing the wind, armed with a golden bow and snake-like arrows; like an angry lion he went, nor ever felt weary. Having climbed a great mountain he entered a forest which is the haunt of demons, and he saw stately and beautiful trees, blossoming creepers, flowers of various hues, and birds with gorgeous plumage. A soft wind blew in his face; it was anointed with the perfume of Celestial lotus; it was as refreshing as the touch of a father's hand. Beautiful was that sacred retreat. The great clouds spread out like wings and the mountain seemed to dance; shining streams adorned it like to a necklace of pearls.

Bhima went speedily through the forest; stags, with grass in their mouths, looked up at him unafraid; invisible Yakshas and Gandhavas watched him as he went on swifter than the wind, and ever wondering how he could obtain the flowers of Paradise without delay......"


[To be contd.....]
 
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Contd...from above post....../

At length he hastened like to a hurricane, making the earth tremble under his feet, and lions and tigers and elephants and bears arose and took flight from before him. Terrible was then the roaring of Bhima. Birds fluttered terror-stricken and flew away; in confusion arose the geese and the ducks and the herons and kokilas......Bhima tore down branches; je struck trees and overthrew them;he smote and slew elephants and lions and tigers that crossed his path.He blew on his war shell and the heavens trembled; the forest was stricken with fear mountain caves echoed the clamour;elephants trumpeted in terror and lions howled dismally.

Hanuman was awakened; drowsily he yawned and he lashed his long tail with tempest fury until it stretched forth like a mighty pole and obstructed the path of Bhima. Thus Hanuman, who was also a son of Vayu, the wind, made Bhima to pausa. Opening his red sleepy eyes, he said,

"Sick am I, but I was slumbering sweetly; why hast thou awakened me so rudely? Whither art thou going? Yonder mountains are closed against thee: thou are treading the path of the gods. Therefore pause and repose here; do not hasten to destruction".

Said Bhima : " Who art thou? I am a kshatriya, the son of Vayu...Arise and let me pass, or else thou wilt perish."

Hanuman said: "I am sickly and cannot move; leap over me."

Said Bhima: " I cannot leap over thee. It is forbidden by the Supreme Soul, else would I bound as Hanuman bounded over the ocean, for I am his brother."

Hanuman said: " Then move my tail and go past."

Then Bhima endeavoured to lift the tail of Hanuman but failed, and he said: "Who art thou that hath assumed the form of an ape; art thou a god, or a spirit, or a demon.?"

Hanuman said: "I am the son of Vayu, Hanuman. Thou art my younger brother."

Said Bhima: ''I would fain behold the incomparable form thou didst assume to leap over the ocean."

[Here the narrative starts in the words of Hanuman on the Four Yugas........]

To be contd.
 
Hanuman Said: " At that Age the universe was not as it now.

Thou canst not behold the form I erstwhile had...In Krita Yuga there

was one state of things and in the Treta Yuga another; greater change

came with Dwapara Yuga, and in the present Yuga, there is lessening, and

I am not what I have been. The gods, the saints, and all things that are have

changed. I have conformed with the tendency of the present age and the influence of Time."


Said Bhima: "I would fain learn of thee regarding the various Yugas.
Speak and tell what thou doest know, O Hanuman."

To be Contd...
 
In reply to the quesstion of Bhima, Hanuman said, "The Krita Yuga [Perfect Age] was so named

because there was but one religion, and all men were saintly: therefore

they were not required to perform religious ceremonies. Holiness never

grew less, and the people did not decrease. there were no gods in the Krita Yuga,

and there were no demons or Yakshas, and no Rakshasas or Nagas. Men neither

bought nor sold; there were no poor and no rich; there was no need to labour,

because all that men required was obtained by the power of will; the chief virtue

was the abandonment of all worldly desires....."

To be cond/-----
 
Hanuman went on to add that : "The Krita Yuga was without disease;

there was no lessening with the years; there was no hatred, or vanity,

or evil thought whatsoever; no sorrow, no fear. All mankind could attain

to supreme blessedness. The universal soul was Narayana: he was White;

he was the refuge of all and was sought for by all; the identification of self

with the universal soul was the whole religion of the Perfect Age."

To be contd/-
 
Continuing his narrative of the Yugas, Hanuman Said:

"In the Treta Yuga sacrifices began, and the World Soul

became Red; virtue lessened a quarter. Mankind sought

truth and performed religious ceremonies; they obtained

what they desired by giving and by doing."

To be contd../.........
 
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