KNOWLEDGE FROM COSMOS

 Astronomy During the Vedic and Vedang Periods Everyone would have looked up in the sky with awe and wonder at the glory of the heavenly bodies, the Sun, the Moon and the stars. An inquisitive observer would have noticed their movement across the sky and that such a movement was periodic.  The observer utilised their rhythmic movement to reckon time. Thus began the study of astronomy by mankind. This observation happened at several places on the Earth, independently of each other and at different times. Authentic records of such observations are difficult to obtain as of now.  India, one of the oldest civilisations, has evidence of such observations in the verses of Rig Vedas, the antiquity of which is assumed to be around 4000-4500 BCE. Mr Shankar Balkrishna Dikshit, a Professor in Sanskrit and keen astronomer wrote a treatise on the " भारतीय ज्योतिषशास्त्राचा प्राचीन आणि अर्वाचीन इतिहास – भाग -१– २ , History of  Astronomy during the Vedic and Vedang periods", in 18...

 After a lot of thought and a detailed SMD ,with self, and decision matrix in my mind. I arrived at a date and time for my surgery. All went off well as per plan. Surgery done ,sitting with closed eyes ,with mandatory shades, and feeling pleased with myself.  Two weeks later received a small bit of news, this triggered a series of ripples in the calm state of mind. This set my mind thinking and wandering. “Did I take the correct decision to get operated now? Was my timing correct?”Why this ambiguity, now? This bit of news was the least expected , of all the possibilities considered . Nature has a mind of its own. No wonder they say “ Strange are the ways of Nature”. My wandering mind looked back in my life . “Did the outcome of all the decisions I took, were correct?” A KBC question , with infinite options. I could not answer myself, because how do I define “ A correct decision ?” My mind was Getting philosophical and complex ! I just closed that window .  It dawned on me...

    The ORION Or research onto The Antiquity of the Vedas Conclusion   Tilak summarises the logical conclusions, regarding the antiquity of the Vedic literature and hence the Aryans, arrived at by analysing the history / beginning of traditions and legends. He considers these legends across all of Aryans, Greeks and Iranians. The legends and traditions, of all these were similar and conveyed the same phenomena. He claims that the best measurement of time for determining periods of antiquity is through reliable records of position of heavenly bodies in those days. Such records, when Hellenic, Iranians and Aryans lived together, were preserved in Rigveda. He states, as per passages in Taittiriya Samhita Brahmana’s there were two traditional year beginnings, which point to the remotest period of antiquity. Such a record is available, in very vague traditions, in Vedas. However the Greeks and Parsis have not preserved these. Tilak explains that, as per sacri...

  The ORION Or research onto The Antiquity of the Vedas Chapter VII Ribhus and Vrishakapi Tilak explores various hymns of Rgved and interprets them to show the amount of astronomical knowledge Vedic people possessed. Names of nakshatras, planets, references to seasons, the intercalary months and other zodiac phenomena have been mentioned in Rgvedas, though not in the form we know them today. Tilak uses a hymn from Rigveda to show that an eclipse of the sun was observed. He shows with the help of the hymn that Vedic priests were tolerably well acquainted with elementary astronomical facts. He thus claims that the Vedic rishis were not as ignorant of the broad astronomical facts as they are sometimes represented to be. Even, Prof Ludwig goes further and holds that the Rigveda mentions the inclination of ecliptic with the equator. He explains in detail the verses which led to the legend of the dog that awakened the Ribhus, after 12 days of rest, (intercalary days) at the...

  The Orion Or research onto The Antiquity of Vedas Chapter V The Antelope’s Head In the chapter the Antelope’s head , Tilak mentions that observing  zodiac, containing the nakshatras , planets and the milky way ,is the most attractive and interesting phenomena,(which still it is) which must have stirred the imagination of ancient poets/priests. The numerous legends, which exist in the entire Aryan race, is a proof stating that the ancient race did observe the heavens.  He tries to decipher some of these legends which relate to this part of zodiac as a correct way to interpret the passages from the Brahmanas. He starts with the Mrigashiras /Agrahayani nakshatra, which means “an antelope’s head”, suggests the figure of the asterism. He reasons out and establishes identification of Mrigashiras with the constellation of Orion. He confirms the theory of Plutach on the non-Egyptian origin of Orion (Greeks had given their own name to this constellation), Canis and...

    The ORION Or research onto The Antiquity of the Vedas Chapter VI Orion and his Belt   In this chapter, Tilak analyses other legends, which show that the constellation of Orion was known and figured before the Greeks, the Parsis. The legends and the traditions , so preserved, including the name of the constellation point to the fact that Vernal equinox was then near Margashiras (Orion). He carries out the etymological analysis of the word ‘Agrayana” and gives out various meanings and possible forms it could have been used for. He claims that it has been used to denote division of time. He infers form this reasoning that ‘Agrahayani’ was used to denote Orion (Margashirsh). He discusses the Agrayana-ishtis (two half yearly sacrifices) sacrifices, which were performed every half year in Vasant and Sharad seasons. He says that every Ayana must have begun with some nakshatra, though there is no specific mention of this in Vedas, but other texts do corrobor...

  Chapter III and IV Kritikas Agrahayana Tilak in the Kritikas chapter tries to show, if the Vedic priests made any correction to calendars due to precession of equinoxes and corresponding shift in the cycle of seasons. He finds out the astronomical references in other puranic texts like Taittiriya Samhita, brahaman, surya siddhant etc. He reasons out the interpretations drawn by Bentley, Colebrooke,, Weber , Biot, Max Muller and others in placing the position of Vernal equinox in Revati ( Nakshatra). He considers the most logical method, as considered by Vedic priests, is the method of observation. The position of Sun, Moon is observed wrt landmarks, ie, nakshatra/asterisms and not the zodiac signs. He states that the change in the position of vernal equinox necessitates the corresponding change in the position of winter solstice. To this he gives out the references to later vedic works wherein two possible explanations emerge that kritika nakshatra, either coincided with ...

    The ORION Or research onto The Antiquity of the Vedas Chapters I and II Introduction Sacrifices alias the year The author introduces the subject and highlights the need to ascertain the age of the Vedas. European oriental scholars, in their treatises on the subject, have used their methods and their interpretation of texts to determine the age/ antiquity of the Vedas. Tilak highlights the defects in adopting the Literary/ Linguist methods used by Max Muller, Dr Haug and Professor Wilson. These scholars have divided the Vedic literature into 4 periods, namely Chhandas, Mantra, Brahmana and Sutras. These scholars assign a duration of 100/200/500/1000 years to each period, thus arriving at an estimated antiquity ranging from 1200 to 2400 BCE. Other European orientalists have placed the age around 2000 BCE based on their interpretation of Aitreya Brahman, Vedang Jyotish, Vedic and other Puranic texts.  Mr Dhruva, who also submitted a similar essay to the...

 Tradition of Pitru Paksha/Shradh  As per the Hindu calendar, Pitru paksha or Shradh fortnight is observed during Krishna paksha of the lunar month of Bhadrapad (immediately after Ganesh Utsav) for those following the Amanta system. For those following the Purnimanta system (For North, East India and Nepal) it will be the lunar month of Ashwini, Shukla paksha. It begins on the Pratipada (first day of the fortnight) and ends with the no-moon day known as सर्वापित्री अमावस्या, Pitri Amavasya, Peddala Amavasya, Mahalaya Amavasya. Rituals associated with Pitru paksha/Shradh, are mentioned in Rgved and are observed to this day, with changes and modifications.  But why was this month and date selected and not any other? As I had said most of our Hindu festivals/ rituals are based on celestial events, indicating a change of season/Ritu/elapsed time and actions to be taken by all given the cosmic event and what to expect further.  This was a method of timekeeping, by perform...

  Brief Summary of the Book The Orion Or research onto The Antiquity of Vedas Tilak states that the high antiquity of the Egyptian civilization is an accepted fact. However, the scholars hesitated to accept the antiquity of Vedic Civilization earlier than 2400 BCE. He has tried, to show and explain in this book, that the traditions recorded in the Rgved point to a period around 4000 BCE, when the vernal equinox was in Orion (The Dog Star), or when the Dog-star commenced the equinoctial year. He reasons how legends corroborated in later Sanskrit works are corroborated by the legends of Iran and Greece. He has placed all this evidence, in the form of explanations and interpretations of various texts, quoted by him. He has used the astronomical method for his interpretation of the Sanskrit texts. He has not touched upon the antiquity of the epic texts the Ramayan and Mahabharat, as he found that some accounts in the Puranas are conflicting. He discusses how time was docume...

  The ORION Or research onto The Antiquity of the Vedas Preface to Summary and Book Review This book was written by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and published in 1893, is a work of extensive research carried out by him, in giving out his explanation of the antiquity of the Vedas. He was inspired by Lord Krishna’s statement, while reading Bhagwat Gita, which led him to inquire into the ancient Vedic calendar. He clarifies that this research paper was originally written for the Ninth Oriental Congress held in London in 1892. However the document was too lengthy to be presented and, hence only a summary was inserted in the proceedings. This research paper he later published as a book in 1893. In the course of his four year research, prior to the publication of this book, he studied and referred the works of numerous scholars, Vedic scriptures, texts, their essays. Tilak in his quest to recognize the Indian Antiquity puts forth his research work way back in 1893 and analysing the ve...