This blog is the result of 21 years of primary research by Mrs. Saroj Bala on a hugely misrepresented topic 'Ancient Indian History', for which she devised a unique methodology of reading ancient Indian literature and verifying the results with modern sciences. Top research organizations (like ISRO and ASI), scientists and Sanskrit scholars have contributed towards her work and the findings are expected to add new dimensions to the study of ancient history.
1.Gist of Presentation by Saroj Bala in Mysore on 22-25 February,2017
Venue – Auditorium of Department of Archaeology
People all over the world, particularly in the Indian Subcontinent,
remember, admire and worship Shri Ram. Most of the festivals in India revolve
around the events related to the life of Shri Ram. MaryadaPurushottamRam
remains unparalleled as an ideal son, an ideal brother, an ideal warrior, an
ideal king and an ideal social reformer!
Shri
Ram moved from place to place to spread the message of unity by showing very
high level of respect for the people from backward tribes and those considered
untouchable. He was a nationalist par
excellence who left his kingdom to protect the tribals,
hermits and sages living in the forests,
from the atrocities of wicked Brahman King
Ravana of Sri Lanka and his relatives like Khar and Dushan, who after having
turned into Rakshasas, were committing barbarities on innocent and noble people of India.
There
is only one ‘Ramayan’, which was composed by Maharishi Valmiki
Ji as a contemporary admirer of Shri
Ram; admirers of great men get
replaced with followers after a few
hundred years. Then after a long long time, followers yield place to the devotees. This Paper is based on the story of the life of Shri Ram narrated
by Valmiki Ji in ‘Ramayan’ along with the astronomical dates of important
events determined on purely scientific basis, along with other scientific
evidences supporting such date sequence.
Maharishi
Valmiki was a great astronomer and he made sequential astronomical references
on important dates
related to the life of Shri Ram indicating the location of
planets vis-a-vis zodiac constellations and the other
visible stars (nakshatras).
Needless to add that similar position of planets and nakshatras,vis-a-vis
zodiac constellations, is notrepeated in 25920 years. By entering the precise details of the planetary
configurations of the important events in the life of Shri Ram,
as given in the Valmiki
Ramyan, using the
software named ‘Planetarium Gold’
corresponding exact dates of these events according to English calendar could
be known. When converted in to Luni-solar
calendar followed in ancient India; these perfectly match the sequential lunar
dates given by Valmiki Ji. The paper presents some of these sky views, observed
from the given locations.
These
astronomical dates of planetary references in Ramayan,are corroborated
byseveral scientific evidences; including those from archaeological,
geological, oceanographic, geographic and genetic research reports. An attempt
has been made to highlight such scientific evidences, which will persuade the
viewer to believe that Ramayan was not a mythological story / fictional novel,
but represents true ancient historical heritage of India.
The most distinguished scientist of 20th century, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, had said,“the important aspect about the Ramayana is that when Maharshi Valmiki wrote the epic, he made it with many proofs. He packed so much information about the various planetary positions of those days, the geography of the areas mentioned in the epic, the seasonal events, about the genealogy of various kings, that it is virtually a no-brainer to establish the dates on which those events occurred. Genealogical links and archaeological findings also provide clues to the dating of the Ramayana era………...” Through this paper an attempt has been made to explain the evidences which prove that these assertions made by this great son of India were all correct.
sarojbala044@gmail.com
2. Subsequently on 27th March 2017, a "Seminar on Ram Kathas" was organised by Amity University in Delhi. Presentation was made by Mrs Saroj Bala on the subject ‘Ramayan Retold with Scientific Evidence. The exhibits displayed above were presented during that Seminar also.
Click on the above PDF for having a look at all the exhibitions
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| Coverage by PR Haryana |
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Haryana Governor Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki conferring Ph.D. degree on Director, I-SERVE Smt. Saroj Bala
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| Coverage by 'The Pioneer' |
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| Coverage by 'The Tribune' |
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| Coverage by 'Business Standard' |
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| Smt. Saroj Bala: Director, I-SERVE; Sh. Suresh Prabhu, Railway Minister; and Haryana Governor Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki after the faculty precession |
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| Photograph of I-SERVE Conference - 16th July |
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| Group photograph of attendees |
Concept of Yugas Re-examined: Interpretations and
Clarifications
Description
of Chaturyuga in Human years as well as in Divine years as per
Manusmriti (1/65-71)1 is summarized as under-
|
Yuga |
Main period |
Sandhya+ Sandhyansh |
Total Length |
Multiply by 360 as 1 divine yr = 360 human yrs |
|
Krit-yuga |
4000 |
400 + 400 |
4800 yrs |
17,28,000 |
|
Treta-yuga |
3000 |
300 + 300 |
3600 yrs |
12,96,000 |
|
Dvapara-yuga |
2000 |
200 + 200 |
2400 yrs |
8,64,000 |
|
Kali-yuga |
1000 |
100 + 100 |
1200 yrs |
4,32,000 |
|
|
………. |
……………….. |
…………… |
…………… |
|
Total |
10,000 |
2000 |
12,000
yrs |
43,20,000
yrs. |
Many ancient as well modern
scientists and scholars believe that
originally Chaturyuga (Satyuga + Treta + Dwapar + Kaliyuga) was of 12000 human
years only and that also in descending and ascending order with some more years
in between. However sometime in the remote past, it was misinterpreted as
Chaturyuga of divine years. By taking one year of humans as equal to one day of
gods (devas), these 12000 years were multiplied by 360 (180 days of northward
movement + 180 days of southward movement of the Sun). As a result the
Chaturyuga of human years was taken at 43,20,000 years (12000*360 = 43,20,000
years). What could be the justification for applying ‘divine year’ to the humans and that also by multiplying Human
Chaturyuga of 12000 years with the number of days of northward and southward
movement of the Sun?
I looked into Manusmriti to find the
answer. In verses 65, 67, 69-71 of Chapter 1 of Manusmriti, the description of
Chaturyuga is given as under –
“65. The sun
divided the day and night of the devas (gods) and of Men. The night is
for sleep of creatures, and the day is for performance of works / duties.
67. One full year of men makes one day and one night of the gods. Northward movement of the Sun (Uttarayan) is their day and Southward movement (Dakshinayan) is their night.
69. The Krita yuga (Satyuga) consists of four thousand years; four hundred such years form the Sandhya and four hundred such years form the Sandhyansha.
70. Of the remaining three yugas, the duration of each succeeding yuga and its Sandhya and Sandhyansha, are respectively less than those of its predecessor by one thousand and one hundred years.
71.
Twelve thousand years of such four yugas, as computed before in their order of
enumeration, count as one yuga of the devas i.e. gods.
The use of expression, ‘day and night of gods’ in 1/67, considering 180 days of Northward movement of the Sun as their day and 180 days of Southward movement of the Sun as their night, in some remote past was probably interpreted in the manner that these 360 days make one day and night of gods. Therefore, 360 human years were considered as equal to one divine year of gods. Consequently, by multiplying these 12000 divine years of Chaturyuga with 360, the duration of Chaturyuga was taken as 43,20,000 human years.
However, since the most ancient times many scholars and scientists have disagreed with this interpretation, which has been followed over the years without review/application of mind. More than 2500 years back eminent Sanskrit sage and scholar, Medhatithi had considered this an error and had put the duration of Chaturyuga at 12000 human years only. During last sixty years several scholars, sages and scientists have also held this view. Jaggi Vasdev Ji, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, Pandit Bhagwaddutt Satyashrava, Shri K M Ganguli, Shri Richard Thompson and many others, have written books/articles and delivered lectures explaining with justification this view of Yuga cycles.
Therefore, actually a Chaturyuga may actually comprise only of 12000 years. In addition, there have to be descending and ascending cycles of Chaturyuga, with some more years in between. This takes us to the completion of precession cycle by Earth in 25920 years, which is accepted by modern Astronomy! Even Glaciology supports this view and holds that this might be the seventh such Yuga cycle (seventh Manvantra?) going on.
Hon’ble Jaggi Vasdev Ji has explained the cycle of four Yugas saying, “The precession (caused by gradual rotation of the Earth’s axis) of the equinoxes is the period of time that it takes the Earth’s axis to pass through one complete cycle of the zodiac. It takes the planet 72 years to pass through one degree of the zodiac and 25,920 years to complete one full circle of 360 degrees. One half of the journey takes 12,960 years and covers the four Yugas. Satya Yuga lasts 5184 years. Treta Yuga lasts 3888 years. Dwapara Yuga lasts 2592 years. Kali Yuga lasts 1296 years. These four yugas taken together come to a total of 12,960 years.” Descending and Ascending cycles of Chaturyugas complete a cycle of 25920 years2-3. Sadguru Ji also relates these descending and ascending cycles of Chaturyugas to downward and upward movement of human consciousness. The good news is that he believes that currently it is Dvapara Yuga, and not Kali yuga, and that also in its ascending phase. Hon’ble Jaggi Vasdev Ji has explained this Yuga cycle connecting it with one complete cycle of precession of Equinoxes by way of following image -
The solar system, with the Sun and the
planets around it is, moving in the galaxy. It takes 25,920 years for our solar
system to complete one cycle around a larger star. From the effects upon the
planet, we believe this big star or big system that our system is going around
is not located in the center of the orbit but somewhere to the side. Whenever
our solar system comes closer to this big system, all the creatures living in
our system rise to greater possibilities. Whenever our system moves away from
it, the creatures living in our system come to the lowest level of possibility.
Whenever our solar system is closer to the “Super Sun,” Satya Yuga will begin.
The human mind will be at its highest capability. People’s ability to know
life, people’s ability to communicate, people’s ability to live joyfully will
be at its highest.
Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri has explained
the 12000 years of descending and 12000 years of ascending Chaturyuga cycles by
correlating the precession of Equinox with the mental virtues of the internal
world4. He has explained that the Sun also revolves around a grand
centre called Vishnunabhi, which is the seat of creative power known as Brahma,
the universal magnetism. When the Sun comes nearest to the Vishnunabhi, which
event takes place when Autumnal Equinox comes to the first point in Aries, the
mental virtues are the most developed; therefore, that would be Sat Yuga. When
Sun goes to the farthest point, it is Kaliyuga. As per Sri Yukteswar Giri,
Autumnal Equinox was in the first point of Aries around 11501 BCE, thus human
intellect was at its best at that time and thereafter it began to diminish.
Therefore, by the end of descending Kali yuga in 499 CE (11501 – 12000),
it was at its lowest. Thereafter there were 1200 years of ascending Kali yuga
and currently it is Dwapara yuga going on.
Pic 57: The
precession cycle of Vernal Equinox and Winter Solstice through the ages
prepared by the modern day astronomers.
Eminent Historian Pandit Bhagwaddutt
Satyashrava has recorded in his book titled ‘Bharatvarsh ka Brihad Itihas’ that
the Era of Lord Ram was in the Sandhi period of Treta and Dwapara and this
could be around 5200 years before the beginning of Vikram Samvat. He has also
added that Shri Krishna was born towards the end of Dwapara and Kali Era
started after his mahanirvan. This was around 3200 years before Vikram Samvat,
thus giving a gap of just about 2000 years between Ramayan and Mahabharat Eras.
Shri Satyashrava had emphatically added that “Treta and Dwapara Eras certainly
did not consist of lakhs of years” 5. He has also given a very
different explanation for elucidation of the gap between descending and ascending
cycle of Chaturyugas, which aims at explaining the meaning of Devyuga
alias Divyayuga and also aims at reconciling cycle of 24000 years with
25920 years. He has referred to the extracts from the text of Ramayan and
Mahabharat, wherein reference has been made to Devyuga prevailing prior to Krityuga.
He has also said that there could be some extra years between Descending and
Ascending cycles5. It needs to be taken note that the dating of
astronomical references in Ramayan and Mahabharat, done by making use of
planetarium softwares, has proved his assertions correct. Ramayan astronomical
dates relate the Epic to 5100 BCE whereas astronomical dates of Mahabharat
relate the events narrated therein to 3100 BCE; a time gap of 2000 years6.
It needs to be taken note of that in
all these ancient time-reckoning calculations length of a year was taken as 360
days whereas actually it is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. This
difference in the length of the year would also require adjustment in the
length of Yugas. Further, if we accept the Chaturyuga cycle of 43,20,000 years,
then are we prepared to declare that Kaliyuga consists of 4,32,000
years, of which 4,27,000 are still left? Are we able to explain what happened
during 9,27,000 years, which would be the time gap between the eras of Shri
Ram, who is said to have lived in Treta Yug, and of Shri Krishan, who lived in
the end of Dwapara yuga?
We therefore make a very humble
request to the sages and scholars to review the traditional interpretation of Chaturyuga
and bring back Ramayan and Mahabharat from the realm of mythology to the realm
of history, to which they actually belong. Only thereafter, we shall be able to
make a rightful claim that India’s civilization is the oldest in the world during
the current Holocene period and that Aryans were the originals of India who
have been developing indigenous Vedic civilization for thousands of years.
References
1. Manusmrti
(Text with Kullukbhatta Commenatary, English Translation, Sloka Index and Word
Index), by Maitreyee Deshpande, New Bhartiya Book Corporation, Delhi
2. ‘Mystic’s
Musings’ by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev; first published in 2003 by Wisdom Tree
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaHVNQwO68E
4. ‘The Holy Science’ by
Sri Sri Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri; Yogoda Satsang Society of India. Pg. 9-24
5. Bharatvarsh ka Brihad Ithihas (Comprehensive
History of India) by Pandit Bhagavaddutt Satyashrava. 2000; New Delhi, Pranav
Prakashan, Part 1- Pg 80, 163
6. Seminar and Exhibition
on Cultural Continuity from Rigveda to Robotics, 3-4 Feb, 2016 G.J University
of Science and Technology, Hisar - http://sarojbala.blogspot.in/2017/05/blog-post.html
, http://bit.ly/2FDUCNd
