Historians have after a long, tedious and intricate research arrived on a decision that Mahabharat actually took place and the exact date that it took place according to Gregorian Calendar is October 16. Mahabharat was fought for a period of 18 days between cousins- Kauravas and Pandavas and it was stated to be the biggest war that was set in motion by Lord Shri Krishna as it is touted to be war of Dharma and Adharma.
Incidentally, the dating of the War has been a matter of challenge and controversy for about two centuries. European scholars have maintained that the events described in the ancient Sanskrit texts are imaginary and Mahabharat to be a fictitious tale of a war fought between two rivalries. Starting from the so- called Aryan invasion into Bharat, the current Bharatiya chronology starts from the compilation of the Rigved in 1200 B.C.
The fifth century mathematician, Aryabhatta, calculated the date of the Mahabharat War to be approximately 3100 B.C. from the planetary positions recorded in the Mahabharat.
Prof. C.V. Vaidya and Prof.Apte had derived the date to be 3101 B.C. and Shri. Kota Venkatachalam reckoned it to be 3139 B.C.
However, the astronomical data used by the above, and many other, scholars contained some errors as examined by a scholar from Pune, Dr. P.V. Vartak.
Using astronomical references and variety of other sources, Dr.Vartak has derived the date of the initiation of the Mahabharat War to be 16th October 5561 B.C. This proposed date has been examined by a few scholars and has been verfied. This may prove to be a break-through in deciding the chronology of the events in the history of India.
The Mahabharata epic is full of the time references right up to the war that Dwapar Yuga (the 3rd part of the 4 Yuga system) is ongoing and the Kaliyuga (the 4th part) would be coming soon. The Surya Sidhanta, a very ancient treatise on the Indian astronomy, mentions that when a new Yuga starts, all 7 planets will line up along the ecliptic (the Earth’s annual path) in the constellation Pisces, just before Aries on a PhalguniAmavasya day (the last day of the year).
There could be a solar eclipse on that day. The PrajapatiSmriti and the MatsyaPuran provides the same prediction. Western translators of these scriptures doubted this; because it does not make sense that so many planets moving in their own orbits millions of miles apart at high speeds, can line up in one sign on the ecliptic line on a specific day and time.
The Kaliyuga start date of 2-18-3102 BCE did also have a solar eclipse and a back to back lunar eclipse in two weeks similar to the Mahabharata War. There were earthquakes with meteor showers on both dates, and on the lunar eclipse day, a giant tsunami drowned the Dwarka city, which Krishna had already advised to vacate.
The location of the battle is described as having occurred in Kurukshetra in the modern state of Haryana.
Day 1 of Mahabharat
On the morning of that significant day, before the battle began, Before the battle began, Yudhisthir suddenly dropped his weapons, taking off his armour, started walking towards the Kaurava army with folded hands while the Pandavaand Kauravas looked on in disbelief, thinking Yudhisthira was surrendering; but his purpose became clear when he fell on Bhishma’s feet to seek blessing for success in battle; Bhishma, grandfather to both the Pandavas and Kauravas, blessed Yudhisthira happily.
Yudhisthira returned to his chariot and the battle was ready to commenced.Day 1 led the death of many noble warriors. Duryodhana and his brothers surrounded Bhima, shooting arrows at him. Then Draupadi’s five sons with the twins Nakula and Sahadeva and Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son, rushed against the Kaurava army, tearing them with their arrows.
On that first day Uttar, Virata’s son was struck by Shalya, King of Madra (Nakul and Sahdev’s maternal uncle) and was killed.Dushasan fought Nakula, attempting to strike him with arrows whileNakula cut down these arrows, the standard and the bow of his enemy.Yudishtira fought Shalya and Drishtadyumna sought Drona in battle.
The King of Panchala fought the King of Sind and the battle between them was fierce and terrible.
By: Archa Dave
