Er, Jitender Kohli
Not only India but nearly entire world minus a few fanatics is celebrating the 5051 years of Geeta teachings delivered by Lord Krishna before the Mahabharata war started. This is not a religious sacred book but true teachings for the betterment of the human and humanity. To chronically pinpoint Mahabharata war the authenticated facts are to be examined.
Initially Mahabharata was known as Jayasmhita containing 8,800 verses, the other was called Bharat with 24,000 verses, now popularly known as Mahabharat.
In the entire ranges of Indian epigraphy it is perhaps the only instance chronologically pinpointing the date of an epic war, known as Mahabharat war. The archeological array and other evidences found in the excavations in Hastinapur and other places from where a curious piece of inexplicable information is collected. It is proved that the Ai hole inscriptions of famous Chalukya king Paulakes II dated in the saka year 556 and ascribable to 634-35 AD says that 3,735 years had passed Mahabharat war. As the inscription is dated in 634-35 AD, Mahabharata war must have taken place in 3102 BC.
It is interesting, the archeological corroboration of the statement in Puranas that when Hastinapur was destroyed by floods, the capital was shifted to Kausaubi. The archeologists have identified the scar left by Ganga on some settlements. The period of 800 BC has roughly been identified as that in which the capital was shift to. As this took, according to Puranas, five generations after the Mahabharat war, the vents in the epic are placed in the ninth century, BC.
To fix the date of Mahabharat war is connected with the eclipse during Mahabharat war. According to the epic, on the 13th day of war, the Pandva hero Arjuna vows to slay Jayadarath before sunset, to avenge the murder of his son Abhimanyu. If he fails to achieve the object, he pledged to immolate himself. The Kaurva Army wind around Jayadarath and did not allow Arjuna to reach Jayadarath. Lord Krishna comes to rescue of Arjuna. With his Sudershan-chakra masks sun, as Jayadarath comes out, the mask of sun was removed and Arjuna slayed Jayadarath.
According to astronomer Theodore-Von-Oppolzer, the path of the total eclipse has passed over Kurukshetra region four times. The most likely eclipse, which occurred towards sunset, was one on 4th Oct. 955 BC and not 8th July 1165 BC or 23rd July 1117 BC, which were annular eclipses.
While the total eclipse of 28th June 1118 BC occurred much before sunset, the one on 4th Oct. 955 BC was close to sunset, the possible date of war.
The authors of the work “Eclipse a celestial shadow play” which also traces the history of such phenomena from ancient records, mythology and folk flore, analysing both fact and fiction, draw this analogy.
There are other facts, which also supplement the occurrence of this Mahabharat war, the cities/ towns/ villages named therein presently exist, in this area.
Among these, Lakshagarh ruins are famous being constructed by Shukni and Duryodhan to kill Pandvas, is situated 35 kms west of Meerut city called Hastinapur during that period. This was named Mye-Rashtra, the birthplace of Madodari wife of Ravana king of Lanka, is now named Janpad, Bagpat Tehsil on Meert-Barot Road at Barnava. The real name of this place was Varna Vat and Lakshagarh, is now called as Lakha Mandap 65 kms from Hastinapur, 30 kms east of today’s Meerut. On both sides of Barnava rivers Hindon and Krishna are flowing, joining each other down stream of this place. Presently the Lakha-Mandap (Lakshagarh) is in shape of earthen heap and a tunnel beneath it, still exists through which Pandvas had escaped. This was secretly got excavated through an engineer by Vidur then Prime Minister of Hastinapur kingdom and uncle of Pandvas.
Pandvas lived exile during the 13th year in Virat Nagar now called as Bairat in Jaipur. Pandvas had asked for five villages in lieu of their kingdom, which was denied by Duryodhan, they were
1) Paniparstha now Panipat, 2)Sonaparstha now Sonipat, 3)Tilaparstha now Tilpat, 4)Vrikshaparstha now Baghpat, 5) Inderaparstha now where Old fort of Delhi was Constructed.
In Mahabharat two capitals of Panchala dynasty are quoted as: –
1) Ahich Chhatra a place of same name is in Bareily District where Darupti was born.
2) Kampilya a place of same name as Kampil is in Farrukhabad District.
The Mahabharata is an historical and cultural depicting document of the ancient Bharat’s bravery, political, statures, economic riches, devotions, sincerity, hatred for self greed generated by the outsiders, like Shukni hailing from now called Afghanistan, greed of power plus inferiority complex as with Dharitrashatr who wished to achieve through his son, and the great character of lord Krishna, Bhisham and others, a moral to learn from.
The teachings of Lord Krishna to Arjun streamlined the human approach to stand for and with the humanity, rights and to oppose the greed, fanatics and antinational elements. This is not connected with a particular religion though Hindu accepts it as guider of the life. Though it was delivered 5051 years back but one admits it being as a guide of these times too without confining to that time.
