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ASTRONOMICAL DATING OF THE RAMAYAN (fwd)
In article <Pine.SUN.3.91.941121231502.18293E-100000@jupiter>,
f0g1@unb.ca (Prasad Gokhale) wrote:
> [In my opinion, taking the Mahabharat to have occured in 3150 B.C,
> the probable date of the Ramayan is around 5500 BCE. However, Dr. Vartak
> has calculated it to be 7300 BCE. He also says that the Mahabharat
> occured in 5500 BCE. Please judge the contents of the article for
> yourself.]
> ----------------------------------
> Astronomical Dating of the Ramayan
> by Dr. P.V.Vartak
> ----------------------------------
> 1. Introduction
>
> It has been believed that there is no evidence to determine the dates
> of events in the Ramayanic era. Some historians of the past even
> refuse to acknowledge that Raam and other characters from the Ramayana
> even existed. However, Sage Valmiki has recorded the dates if events
> in detail, albeit by describing the positions of stars and planets. To
> decipher the astronomical encodings has not been a trivial task, and
> not many have attempted to do so. It should be noted that the ancient
> Indians had a prefect method of time measurement. They recorded the
> 'tithis', days according to the nakshatra on which the moon prevailed,
> the months, the seasons and even the different Solstices. By therefore
> noting a particular arrangement of the astronomical bodies, which
> occur once in many thousand years, the dates of the events can be cal-
> culated. Dr. P.V. Vartak has thus attempted to calculate the dates of
> important incidents that occured during the Ramayanic Era. The correct
> astronomical records goes to show that Valmiki's has chronicled an
> account of a true story and also, that the an advanced time measure-
> ment system was known to the Hindus (Indians) atleast 9000 years ago.
> Please refer to Dr. Vartak's celebrated book "Vastav Ramayan" for
> further reading.
>
> Before coming to the astronomical method, it should be noted that the
> Mahabharat has recorded a number of facts about Ramayan (and not oth-
> erwise). The precedence of the Ramayanic era to that of the Mahabharat
> can therefore be inferred. An attempt to fix the dates of the events
> in the Mahabharat era, mainly based on internal astronomical records.
> The Mahabharat Era has already been dated by Dr. Vartak to 5561 BCE
> [Reference: Dr. Vartak's book "Swayambhu"].
>
> Genealogical links available from the Mahabharat and Puranas, Yuga
> calculations and some archaelogical findings also provide clues to the
> dating of the Ramayanic era. Also, literary references to the charac-
> ters from the Ramayanic Era provide limits after which the Ramayan
> could not have occured. For example, Guru Valmiki (the author of
> Ramayana) is refered to in the Taittiriya Brahmana (dated to 4600 B.C)
> and therefore Ramayana must have before the Brahmana was composed.
> However, archaeological and literary methods can only provide approxi-
> mate datelines and for determining the precise time of the Ramayanic
> events, astronomical calculations may alone be useful.
>
> 2. Astronomical Dating
>
> Mahabharat states that Sage Vishwamitra started counting nakshatras
> from Shravana (Aadiparva A.71 and Ashwamedha A.44) and a new reference
> to time measurement thus initiated. According to the old tradition,
> the first place was assigned to the nakshatra prevelant on the Vernal
> Equinox. Vishwamitra modified this and started measuring from the nak-
> shatra at the Autumnal Equinox. Sharvan was at this juncture at about
> 7500 B.C, which is therefore the probable period when Vishwamitra
> existed and also that of the Ramayanic Era.
>
> Formerly, the year initiated with the Varsha-Rutu (season) and
> therefore was termed "Varsha". Ramayan shows that the flag was being
> hoisted to celebrate the new year on Ashwin Paurnima (Kishkindha
> 16/37, Ayodhya 74/36). Ayodhya 77 mentions that the flags were defaced
> and damaged due to heat and showers. These descriptions point to the
> fact that their new year started on the Summer Solstice when heat and
> rain simultaneously exist. The Summer Solstice fell on Ashwin Full
> Moon, so the Sun was diagonally opposite at Swati nakshatra. This
> astral configuration can be calculated to have occured around 7400
> BCE.
>
> Kishkindha 26-13 describes the commencement of the rainy season. In
> shloka 14, refers to Shravan as "Varshika Poorva Masa". Kishkindha
> 28/2 clearly shows that the rainy season began in Bhadrapada Masa.
> Further description "Heated by the Sun and showered by new waters, the
> earth is expelling vapours" (Kish.26/7) points to Bhadrapada as pre-
> monsoon. Kish.28/17 tells that there was alternate sun-shine and sha-
> dowing by the clouds. Kish.28/14 describes the on-coming rainy season.
> Thus Bhadrapada was the month of pre-monsoon, that is before 21st June
> or Summer Solstice. Naturally, months of Ashwin and Kartika formed the
> rainy season. It is therefore concluded that Ashwin Full Moon coin-
> cided with Summer Solstice, that year being 7400 BCE.
>
> Raam started forest-exile in Chaitra and ended it in Chaitra. He was
> coronated in the same month and one month later, proceeded to Ashoka-
> van with Seeta (Uttar 41/18) when the Shishira Rutu terminated. So it
> seems that Vaishakha Masa coincided with Shishira. So the Winter Sol-
> stice was at Vaishakha with the Sun at Ashwini. At present, the Winter
> Solstice takes place at Moola. Thus a shift of 10 nakshatras has
> occured since the Ramayanic Era. Precession has a rate of 960 years
> per nakshatra. Therefore, Ramayan must have occured 9600 years ago,
> which is 7600 B.C approximately.
>
> 3. Shri Rama's Date of Birth
>
> Now we shall proceed with the astral route. Valmiki records the birth
> of Raam as Chaitra Shuddha Navami (9th), on Punarvasu Nakshatra and
> five plants were exalted then; Sun in Mesha upto 10 deg., Mars in
> Capricorn at 28 deg., Jupiter in Cancer at 5 deg., Venus in Pisces at
> 27 deg. and Saturn in Libra at 20 deg. (Bala Kanda.18/Shloka 8,9).
>
> Ayodhya 4/18 states that Sun, Mars and Rahu were at Dasharatha's nak-
> shatra. It was the month of Chaitra, so the Sun was in Revati, Ashwini
> or Bharani. Naturally, either Rahu and Ketu was in any one of these
> nakshatra (Rahu and Ketu are diagonally opposite).
>
> The planetary positions on 16th October 5561 BCE, the date of com-
> mencement of the Mahabharat War, have been calculated and known [Dat-
> ing of the Mahabharat, by Dr. P.V. Vartak]. Therefore, calculating
> further backwards for the astral combination noted above, the date
> concludes to be 4th December 7323 BCE. On this date, Saturn was at 205
> deg., Jupiter at 94 deg., Mars between 283 and 298 deg., Rahu at 179
> deg. and Sun at 2 degrees. 4th Dec. 7323 therefore is the date of
> birth of Rama, when the aforementioned 4 planets exalted. Venus is
> always within 47 degrees from the Sun, and might be in Pisces in an
> exalted state. Thus Rama's date is confirmed.
>
> 4. The Date of Exile
>
> Raam completed 17 years of age (Ayodhya 20/45) and his coronation was
> fixed on Chaitra Shuddha 9th on Pushya day. However, he had to proceed
> to the forest on the same day, at the behest of Kaikeyi. At this time,
> Dasharatha states that Rahu, Mars and Sun were disturbing his naksha-
> tra (Ayodhya 4/18). Calculating 17 years from Rama's birth date, the
> location of Mars can be determined at 303 degrees in Dhanishta naksha-
> tra. From here, Mars casts its fourth-sight on Krittika. Rahu, after
> 17 years had been at 211 degrees in Vishakha, and so was in opposition
> to Krittika. Being Chaitra masa, the Sun was at Mesha and so it could
> be at Krittika. This the planetary positions agree with Valmiki's
> statement. Dasharatha's nakshatra appears to be Krittika.
>
> Valmiki has beautifully described the sky (Ayodhya 41/10), when Raam
> left for forest exile. He states, "Crux (Trishankhu), Mars, Jupiter
> and Mercury have cornered the Moon. Vaishakha and Milky Way are shin-
> ing in the sky". Crux is on line with Hasta (Corvus) on the southern
> side. On the eastern side of Hasta, there are Chitra, Swati and
> Vishakha. As seen earlier, Mars was at 303 deg. in Dhanishta. Calcula-
> tions show that Jupiter was in Poorvashadha at 251 deg. Pushya was at
> the western horizon with the setting Moon. On the southern side, from
> the west to the east, all the other planets were situated. So poeti-
> cally Valmiki describes the sketch as if the Moon was cornered by the
> planets. The description of the sky, 17 years after the birth-date of
> Rama, is perfect astronomically.
>
> After 14 years of Rama's stay in the forest, Valmiki tells that Rohini
> was imprisoned (6-24-7, 6-93-60, 6-92-60), Mars marched on Rohini (6-
> 93-46 or 6-92-45) and mars was torturing Rohini (5-17-24 or 5-15-22,
> 5-19-9, 6-113 or 116-2). The bracketed seven statements show the
> vicinity of Mars with Rohini. Calculations reveal that 14 years later,
> Mars was at Ardra and was retrograde. Mars therefore moved in the
> reverse direction (from Ardra) to Rohini, resided at the "gate" of
> Rohini, thus in a way imprisoning the latter. It is to be noted that
> the constellation of Rohini is V-shaped. The apex of the angle points
> to the west and the two limbs towards east, and therefore appears like
> a "gate". Mars was situated in between the two limbs (or two doors) of
> the gate and appeared like a guard. Thus can the simile be explained.
>
> Amavasya (No Moon Day)comes 10.883 days earlier each successive year.
> 25th November 7323 BCE, 9 days before Raam's birth, was a Amavasya.
> In 17 years, the Amavasya shifted by 185.011 days backwards. It means
> that 6 Amavasyas (each 29.53 days) were completed and a shift of 7.8
> deg. was noticed. The original Amavasya before Rama's birth took place
> at 353 deg. Deducting 7.8 deg. from it, we obtain 345 deg. as the
> position of this Amavasya which falls in the Uttara Bhadrapada naksha-
> tra. Naturally, the next month was Chaitra, when the coronation was
> arranged on Pushya day at 104 degrees. One 'tithi' contains 12
> degrees. So the moon was in Pushya on 29th November 7306 BCE, when
> Raam proceeded to the forest. Calculations show that this day was a
> Thursday, so said by Seeta as well(Ayodhya 26/9).
>
> Raam left for the forest on a Thursday, the 29th Nov. 7306 BCE. He
> completed the required 14 year period in the forest and returned on
> 5th Shuddha 9th was over, and the 5th tithi refered to must have been
> Chaitra Krishna 5th. Amavasya recedes by 10.883 days each successive
> year. So in 14 years it must have receded by 152.3 days. Deducting 5
> Amavasya periods (29.53 days each), 4.7 days remain which implies that
> Amavasya came 4 days days earlier on 15th November 7292 BCE. Calculat-
> ing backwards for 14 years from 29th November 7306 B.C, when the Ama-
> vasya was at 345 deg., the Amavasya falls at 340 deg. (receded by 4.7
> days in 14 years). This is Uttara Bhadrapada, the month being Phal-
> guna. Since the next month was Chaitra, Krishna 5th tithi happens to
> be 5th December 7292 BCE. when Raam entered Bharadwaja Ashram.
>
> 5. Hanuman's visit to Lanka
>
> Hanuman set out to Lanka in the hopes and mission to search for the
> kidnapped Seeta. He reached this destination at night, roamed around a
> little until he located Seeta the next morning. While describing
> Hanuman's return in Sunder Kanda (S.56 or 57 /1/2), Valmiki states
> using a simile of sea to the sky:
>
> " The Moon was attractive like a lotus, Sun like a good crane and a
> span from Pushya to Shravana was seen. Punarvasu appeared like a big
> fish, Mars like a crocodile, Airavata like an island and Swati like a
> swan."
>
> Even though a poetic simile, Valmiki provides a plot of the nakshatras
> from the west to the east. When Hanuman started from Lanka it was
> early morning, because Seeta tells him to rest for a day in some hid-
> ing place (Sunder 56/3,11; 57/18). Since it was morning, the Sun was
> rising and appeared like a crane and the moon like a lotus. As both
> the moon and the sun were present simultaneously in the sky, it prob-
> ably was a Paurnima (Full Moon Day) with the moon on the western hor-
> izon and sun on the eastern. The span of nakshatras streched from
> Pushya to Shravan, that is from 104 deg. to 281 deg. Punarvasu was
> also seen. Aairavat connotes an elephant, and it is possible that
> Scorpio was seen like an elephant showing its trunk. The span of
> nakshatra's from Punarvasu to Sharavan is seen early in the morning of
> Krishna paksha of Pushya Lunar month. Sun-rise could also be seen.
> Hence, most probably, Hanuman returned from Lanka of Pushya Paurnima
> or Pushya Vadya paksha.
>
> Hanuman had set out for Seeta's search after Ashwin masa as he himself
> says in Kishkindha 53/21,22. So he must have started the campaign in
> Kartika masa. One month, that of Margashirsha was spent in the cave of
> Swayamprabha. Some more time was spent in the search upto the South
> sea, after which Hanuman entered Lanka, possibly on Pushya Shuddha
> 14th. Thus it highly probably that he returned on Pushya Paurnima or
> Pushya Krishna 1st.
>
> Ravana had abducted Seeta in the season of Hemant (Aranya 16/1) and
> had given a period of 1 year, that is upto the next Hemant to consider
> marrying Ravana (Aranya 56/24, Yudh 12/19). Had Seeta not accepted
> this offer, Ravana would have killed her in Hemant. Hemant is composed
> of 2 months. Sunder 58/106 or 108 state that Seeta told Hanuman that
> only 2 months of her life remain, after which she will die. Seeta
> therefore must have conveyed this to Hanuman before Hemant began, that
> is, in the season of Sharad. Thus Pushya lunar month coincided with
> the season of Sharad.
>
> According to the above description, Mars was near Punarvasu and
> Pushya. It was noted that during the (Lanka) war, Mars was at 102 deg.
> in Pushya. Naturally, since Mars many a time becomes stagnant, Mars
> would have been near Punarvasu and Pushya two months earlier.
>
> The distance from Kishkindha (Vijayanagar to Hospet) to the centre of
> Lanka is about 600 miles. An army can travel about 20 miles a day,
> therefore accordingly, Rama's army would have taken a month to reach
> Lanka. Even assuming a pessimistic speed of 30 miles per day, Hanuman
> may have covered the distance in 20 days. Also, it is known that the
> army of Vaanar tribe were searching for Seeta in many directions, and
> therefore, may have taken 2 months to reach Lanka. This army had
> started searching for Seeta in mid-Kartika, and would have reached
> Lanka in mid-Pausha. The assumption that Hanuman returned from Lanka
> in the month of Pausha therefore appears to be reasonable. The Vanar
> army hurriedly returned to Kishkindha and could have spent 20 days in
> the interim and the date falls at Maagha Shuddha 5th. Raam marched to
> Lanka in one month and reached there on Phalguna Shuddha 5th (22nd
> Oct. 7292 B.C). Raam observes, "Today is Uttara Phalguni. Tommorrow
> when the moon will rise on Hasta, we will proceed to Lanka" (Yudh
> s.4). Probably on Magha Krishna 1st (2nd Oct. 7292 B.C), Raam com-
> menced his journey and reached the shores of Lanka on Phalguna Shuddha
> 5th. Subsequent three days were spent before Raam could cross the sea.
> Phalguna Shuddha 8th ended. Thereafter, starting on the 9th, Nala
> built a temporary bridge (Seetu) within 5 days. On Phalgun Shuddha
> 14th (31st Oct. 7292 B.C), Rama's army crossed over to Lanka. On Phal-
> gun Shuddha 15th, a full moon day, Raam positioned his army at stra-
> tegic points and surveilled the territory from Mount Suvela (Yudh
> 38/18). Ravan also observed the approaching army from a tower, held a
> meeting with his ministers and deployed his army for defence. On Phal-
> gun Krishna 1st (2nd November 7292 BCE.), Ravana arranged his troops
> at strategic points.
>
> 6. The Great War started
>
> On Phalgun Krishna 2nd, Rama's army seiged the gates of Lanka. Angada
> proceeded as Raam emmisary on a peace mission to Ravana's court. How-
> ever, any peace proposal was rejected by Ravana and the next day
> (Phal.Kr. 3rd), Rama-Ravana war commenced. The great war spanned 13
> days and concluded on Phalgun Krishna Amavasya, with the death of
> Ravana. The very next day, Chaitra Shuddha 1st was celebrated as a
> Victory Day. This tradition still continues to be a New-Years's Day
> and is marked by hoisting flags.
>
> 7. End of Raam-Ravana War. Ravana killed.
>
> 15th November 7292 B.C was then Phalguna Amavasya. Valmiki states that
> Ravan came out for the last battle on the Amavasya day (Yudh. 93/66)
> and was killed. In the description of the battle, Sage Valmiki writes,
> "Kosala's nakshatra Vishakha is aspected by Mars" (Yudh. 103/37). The
> annual motion of Mars is 191.405 degrees. In 14 years, it will pro-
> gress by 159.58 degrees. At the time of Rama's exile, Mars was at 303
> deg. 159 deg. added to this provides Mars at 102 deg. in Pushya. From
> Pushya Mars could cast its fourth-sight on Vishakha. So, the calcula-
> tions presented so far seem to be correct. It also shows Valimiki's
> minute observations and time recording capabilities. Thus the date of
> the last battle of the War is 15th November 7292 BCE.
>
> Following are the dates of few events from the Ramayana:
>
> Raam's Birth Date 4th December 7323 BCE
> Raam-Seeta Married 7th April 7307 BCE
> Raam Exiled 29th November 7306 BCE
> Hanuman enters Lanka 1st September 7292 BCE
> Hanuman meets Seeta 2nd September 7292 BCE
> Seetu (Bridge) built 26-30th Oct. 7292 BCE
> on the ocean
> The War begins 3rd November 7292 BCE
> Kumbhakarna is killed 7th November 7292 BCE
> Ravana is killed by Raam 15th November 7292 BCE
> Raam returns to Ayodhya 6th December 7272 BCE
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
End of forwarded article.
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