ARCHAEOASTRONOMY OF THE VEDIC ARCHAEOASTRONOMY OF THE VEDIC ĀDARS’ADARS’A--PURN.AMPURN.AMĀSASA ALTARALTAR

R.N. IYENGARJAIN UNIVERSITY, BANGALORE

V.H. SATEESHKUMARBAYLOR UNIVERSITY USABAYLOR UNIVERSITY, USA

TIFR ARCHAEOASTRONOMY MEET 16 17 FEBRUARY 2011TIFR ARCHAEOASTRONOMY MEET 16-17, FEBRUARY 2011

2/19/2011 1RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

Darsha‐purnamāsa Ishti also called  DP‐Yaga has direct astronomical connection with the Moon. Darsha=New MoonDarsha=New MoonPurnamāsa=Full MoonThe ritual is ordained to be observed under the Shrauta system which is 

ll d d h d lvery well recorded in the Vedic Kalpa texts. 

WE SEE THAT DP‐ISHTI WAS NOT ONLY A YAJNA/YAGA BUT WAS TAKENWE SEE THAT DP‐ISHTI WAS NOT ONLY A YAJNA/YAGA BUT WAS TAKEN TO BE PRESCRIBED BY THE RIGVEDA AND THE YAJURVEDA. THE 

MANTRAS USED IN DP APPEAR IN THE KYV , TAITTIRIYA BRAHMANA TEXT EXTENSIVELY.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RIGVEDIC CONNECTION?THIS IS THE FOCUS OF THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION

R. SHAMA SASTRY  (REF: VEDIC CYCLE OF ECLIPSES 1938) HAS POINTED OUT THAT DP RITES ARE LINKED WITH THE CALENDAR.  

SHATAPATHA BR. (XI.1.2.10) REFERS TO THE  DP RITES AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLAR AND LUNAR YEARS.“ &“…..PERFORM FM & NM SACRIFICES FOR 15 YEARS. IN THESE THERE ARE 

360 FM & NM. THERE ARE 360 NIGHTS IN A YEAR. HE GAINS THESE NIGHTS (IN 15 YEARS). IF HE PERFORMS DP‐YAGA FOR ANOTHER 15 ( )

YEARS, HE GAINS A YEAR ITSELF. “ 

THE LUNAR YEAR WAS 360 TITHI LONG THE SOLAR YEAR WAS 371/372THE LUNAR YEAR WAS 360 TITHI LONG.  THE SOLAR YEAR WAS 371/372 TITHI LONG. THE DIFFERECE WAS 12 TITHIS WHICH MAKE UP 12 X 30=360 THAT IS ONE FULL LUNAR YEAR IN THIRTY YEARS. AFTER SUCH 30 YEARS THE TWO CYCLES WERE EXPECTED TO COINCIDE THISSUCH 30 YEARS THE TWO CYCLES WERE EXPECTED TO  COINCIDE . THIS IS CALLED THE DĀKSHAYAN.IYA MENTIONED ALSO IN THE KĀTYĀYANAS’RAUTA.  HENCE WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT LONG TIME OBSERVATION OF MOON 

WAS NECESSARY AND INFACT CORRELATED WITH DP‐SACRIFICES.2/19/2011 3RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

DPDP--VEDIVEDI

oror

ANTARVEDIANTARVEDI

COMPILED

BYBY

Pt. V.R. PARANJAPE

PROFESSOR OF

PURVA-MIMĀMSA,

SANSKRIT COLLEGE, MYSORE

2/19/2011 4RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

CONSTRUCTION OF DP‐VEDI AS PER THE S’ULBA SUTRAS

A D48East

A D48EW=96 angula

ABCD=5376 sqFIRST AN ISOSCELES 

ABCD=5376 sq angula

TRAPEZIUM SYMMETRICALLY LAID OUT ABOUT E‐W LINE

Nothing special !

But this is 

OUT ABOUT E W LINE IS CONSTRUCTED.

CB 64West

reduced in a very peculiar deliberatedeliberate fashion.

2/19/2011 5RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

WITH C&D FIXED POINT F IS CHOSEN SUCH THAT DF=CF=CD PERPENDICULAR TO CDPERPENDICULAR TO CD. AN ARC OF A CIRCLE WITH CENTRE AT E IS DRAWN PASSING THROUGH C AND D. THIS IS REPEATED ON THE 

F

NORTHERN SIDE. ALSO ON THE OTHER TWO SIDES TO GET THESIDES TO GET THE PECULIAR DOLL SHAPED FIGURE. WHY THIS SHAPE AND REDUCTION INAND REDUCTION IN AREA? DC‐DF=CF

2/19/2011 6RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

THE DP‐VEDI IS CALLED ANTARVEDI IN THE SHROUTA PRAYOGA OR PRACTICAL BOOKS. THIS IS BETWEEN THE AHAVANIYA AND THE GāRHAPATYA ALTARSTHIS IS BETWEEN THE AHAVANIYA AND THE GāRHAPATYA ALTARS.  AHAVANIYA IS TO THE EAST ABOVE THE DP‐VEDI.  GāRHAPATYA IS TO THE WEST BELOW THE DP‐VEDI.

VEDIC SYMBOLISM

GĀRHAPATYA IS THE EARTH                                    (S’a.Br 7.1.1.13)ĀHAVANIYA IS THE SKY                                            (S’a.Br. 8.2.1.2)DP‐VEDI IS IN BETWEEN THAT IS THE ANTARVEDIDP‐VEDI IS IN BETWEEN. THAT IS THE ANTARVEDI.

THIS SYMBOLISM PROVIDES THE CLUE THAT THE DP‐VEDI IS SOME TYPE OF REPRESENTATION FOR THE MOON HENCE THE FIGURE IS CALLEDOF REPRESENTATION FOR THE MOON. HENCE THE FIGURE IS CALLED DĀRSHIKI OR DARS.A‐PURN.AMĀSA VEDI IN THE SULBA TEXTS.

WHAT PHYSICALLY OBSERVABLE SKY PICTURE COULD HAVE LEAD THE ANCIENTS TO THIS REPRESENTATION OF THE MOON?2/19/2011 7RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

Āhavaniya

DP VEDI

Dakshinagni

Garhapatya

2/19/2011 8RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

AREA OF THE DP‐VEDI

AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE BEHIND VEDIC ALTARS IS THEIR SHAPE ANDAN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE BEHIND VEDIC ALTARS IS THEIR SHAPE AND THE AREA.  

AREA EQUIVALENCE PLAYED A ROLE IN CIRCLING THE SQUARE AND SQUARING THE CIRCLE. THIS LEAD TO APPROXIMATE VALUES OF IRRATIONAL NUMBERS π , √2 AND √3.

THE AREA OF THE CUT OUT ARC REGION = (π/6 - √3/4) CD2

The length of the side CD is 96⅓ units, which is slightly more than the height of the trapezium. The area cut out on the four sides of the 

i b f d b 2261 itrapezium can be found to be 2261 units. 

HENCE THE EXACT AREA OF THE DP-VEDI FIGURE IS = 3115 sq. angula

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The above EXACT value is based on the presently known accurate values of the irrational numbers π and √3. 

However in the Vedic period the priests handled these irrational numbers rather approximately and perhaps computed the area of the pp y p p parc by dividing it into squares and triangles. 

What area the manuals aimed at for the DP‐altar?What area the manuals aimed at for the DP‐altar? 

The best of the ancient approximations wereπ = 3.0885 and √3 = 26/15                           (Ref:  Sen and Bag)

Hence the area they implied to remove from the trapeziumHence the area they implied to remove from the trapezium was equal to 2032 square units making the area of the altar to be 3345 units. 

2/19/2011 10RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

There is one unknown step here in that we do not know whether the priests took the length of CD as 96 or more correctly as 96⅓.  Probably they took the correct value since the  so called Pythagorean relation was already known to themthem.  

However in the former case the area of the DP‐altar wouldHowever in the former case the area of the DP altar would have been 3334 units. The above two numbers are the best estimates of the area of the DP‐altar of the Vedic period. 

This result is remarkable since the average of the two values h t b 3339 b t t d t i i th R d fhappens to be 3339, a number stated twice in the R gveda for invoking a special agni  called SAUCIKA‐AGNI by a group of deities called VIŚVEDEVĀH for a celestial sacrifice linked withdeities called VIŚVEDEVĀH for a celestial sacrifice linked with the MOON.

2/19/2011 11RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

TWO OF THE HYMNS USED IN THE DP‐RITES ARE ALSO FROM THE SAUCIKA HYMNS OF THE RIGVEDA 10TH BOOK 

IN THE RITUAL NO FIRE IS LIT ON THE DP‐VEDI.

(IT IS SPECIALLY CREATED FOR  INVOKING THE  PITRS (ANCESTOR DEITIES), AND VIŚVEDEVĀH . DARBHA GRASS IS SPREAD FOR THE INVOKED DEITIES CALLED BARHISHADA.

THE ABOVE  POINTS PROVIDE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE DP‐VEDI IN THE DP‐RITUALDP‐VEDI IN THE DP‐RITUAL 

AND ITS ASTRONOMICAL BACKGROUND GOING BACK TO THE RIGVEDA .

SAUCIKA HYMNS (RV 10.51, 52, 53) ARE ABOUT AGNI, VIŚVEDEVĀH , & SOMA THAT IS MOON

2/19/2011 12RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

Hymn (10.51) is in the form of a conversation between devāh and agni, where in (v.2), agniwonders ‘how many gods have clearly beheld my form’. There is also an allusion, like in RV (3.9) considered previously, to agni hiding in secret places. The legend outlined in the hymn is briefly as follows.  Agni had three elder brothers who were doing the work of carrying sacrificial offerings to gods. The three died due to the harsh vasat sounds uttered during the sacrifices. Hence the youngest fire known 

S īk f i h ill b f ll hi hidi i illas Saucīka fearing the same treatment will befall him was hiding in waters, till viśvedevāh found him and requested him to come out and help in carrying sacrificial offerings to gods. 

VIŚVEDEVĀH COUNTED AS 3339 IN THIS HYMN2/19/2011 13RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

agni mentions aśvins as the adhvaryus and samidh or moon as the Brahman in the yajn a. Quite cryptically this samidh is offered as oblations to aśvins.  The Vedic tradition does not identify aśvinswith any specific celestial object but is quite clear that samidh should be equated with soma and the moon. The next verse (v.3) alludes to counting of days or nights, where the reference is to one who springs to life month by month and each day (aharahar jāyate māsi māsi). The conclusion that hi h ld b f i id bl A i b i h d b 3339this should be a reference to moon is unavoidable.  Agni being honoured by 3339 gods is the theme of the last verse (v.6) of this hymn.

(10 53) Agni has arrived with the life (TIME) given to him by the gods(10.53): Agni has arrived with the life (TIME) given to him by the gods and has made our offerings to the gods auspicious. We have obtained (UNDERSTOOD) the secret of the sacrifice.

The poet is describing a lunar eclipse, since moon as per the previous verse was the sacrificial offering.  Moon was also the Brahman who in gVedic parlance is the presiding officer during a sacrifice. The word also means one who had grown big indicating a full moon. The life given to AGNI by the gods can be guessed to be connected with the numberAGNI by the gods can be guessed to be connected with the number 3339. This secret of AGNI who was the tongue of gods for drinking somawas known to the composer.2/19/2011 14RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

Agni is asked by VD to follow the sun protecting the luminous path, which is a poetic but unmistakable reference to the ecliptic. The deities eligible to partake soma are asked to arrive in a chariot that iseligible to partake soma are asked to arrive in a chariot that is eight cornered or is bound eight fold.

Hymn (10 55)Hymn (10.55)

He is woken up from his slumber running his course with many around him. He who died yesterday is living today. (V.5)

The next verse (v.6) is even more cryptic mentioning the arrival of the ancientred bird which has no nest to rest (arunah suparnah anīdah).

If th ti l i di t l d th t t i f l ti l t i hi hIf the poetic language is disentangled the context is of a celestial event in whichmoon is seen and an apparition of red colour also appears. Mention of the redcolour of moon makes a strong case for taking this hymn to be describing a totallunar eclipse.p

The summary of the archaeo-astronomical information contained in theabove four hymns is:

the night sky is described when moon’s colour turned red due to the arrival of saucīkāgni brought in by viśvedevāh numbering 3339.2/19/2011 15RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

TRADITIONALLY RV HYMNS ARE MEANT TO BE INTERPRETED IN THREE WAYS

ADHIYAJNA, ADHIDAIVA & ADHYATMA.

ADHIYAJNA:                   SACRIFICIAL, RITUAL MEANINGADHIDAIVA: MEANING AS GODS, CELESTIALSADHIDAIVA:                  MEANING AS GODS, CELESTIALSADHYATMA:            PHILOSOPHICAL, ESOTERIC, MYSTICSOMA IN THE ADHIDAIVAMEANING IS THE MOON

Candramā vai somo devānāmannam tā pournamāsyāmabhis unvanti (Śa. Br. 11.1.5.3)

(YĀSKA’S NIRUKTA 11.4-5)atha adhidaivatam|

somam yam brahmāno viduh candramasam na tasya aśnātisomam yam brahmāno viduh candramasam na tasya aśnāti kaścana deva iti||

somo rūpaviśes aih os adhih candramā vā2/19/2011 16RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

THE VEDIC EVIDENCES ARE INDIRECT.  DEVAS DRINK SOMA. DRINKING MOON IS THE WANING OF THE MOON. THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN THE DARK FORTNIGHTS. PURANAS ARE QUITE CATEGORICAL ON THIS MODEL AND THE NUMBER 3339

Brahmanda puranabhaks ārtham amr tam somah pourn amāsyām upāsate |k t ih ih it bhih ibhih h ||ekām rātrīm suraih sarvaih pitr bhih sars ibhih saha ||

somasya krs na-paks ādau bhāskarābhimukhasya tu |praks īyante pitr -devaih pīyamānāh kalā-kramāttrayaśca trimśataścaiva trayah trimśat tathaiva ca |trayaśca trimśataścaiva trayah -trimśat tathaiva ca |trayaśca tri-sahasrāśca devāh somam pibanti vai ||ityetaih pīyamānasya krs nā vardhanti vai kalāh | ksayanti tasmāt śuklāśca krsnā āpyāyayanti ca || (I- 23 66-69)ks ayanti tasmāt śuklāśca kr s nā āpyāyayanti ca || (I 23.66 69)

Moon is approached by all the deities, manes and rsis for a night  on Full moon, for partaking amrta. From the beginning of the dark fortnight, parts of moon facing sun, p g g g f f g , p f f g ,decrease being drunk by pitr‐devatās digit by digit.

Three hundred and three, then thirty‐three and again three thousand and three gods drink soma. (33+303+3003=3339)Being drunk this way, the dark digits increase with corresponding decrease in the bright digits.2/19/2011 17RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

The count started on a Full Moon to proceed till amāvāsya and stopped till the next Full Moon, to repeat again in the same fashion with gaps in the bright fortnight.  

This number is the count of tithis in the dark fortnightsThis number is the count of tithis in the dark fortnights summed up as 3339 sequentially for a special purpose. 

If both the fortnights were to be included, this count would be 6678 tithis.Now, at the rate of thirty tithis per lunation, this long count is equal to 222.6 lunations, which in round figures is the eclipse 

l f 223 di thcycle of 223 synodic months. Vedic months were lunar but the year was solar. It is known from the Vedāńga Jyotisa one solar year was taken to havefrom the Vedāńga Jyotis aone solar year was taken to have 371 tithis.

2/19/2011 18RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

RV number 3339, which is half of 6678, is a proxy for 18 solar years.

Agni, viśvedevāh , yajna and somapāna described in some places of RV are symbols or metaphors for explaining the celestial phenomenon of similar lunarexplaining the celestial phenomenon of similar lunar eclipses.

The number 3339 was the Vedic long count of nights or tithi linked with lunar eclipses occurring near the same naks atra.

R N IYENGAR: IJHS (2005) NO 3339 IN THE RIGVEDAR.N. IYENGAR: IJHS (2005) NO. 3339 IN THE RIGVEDA

K.D. ABHYANKAR: IJHS (2006) Note: In support of the above

R.N. IYENGAR: IJHS (2009) CONNECTION BETWEEN VEDANGAJYOTISHA & THE LONG COUNT 33392/19/2011 19RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

WE ARE NOW IN A BETTER POSITION TO UNDERSTAND THE DP‐VEDI AND ITS SPECIAL GEOMETRY.

THE MODEL OF SOMA‐PĀNA REPRESENTS UNCANNY SCIENTIFIC NATURALISM. 

MOON BECOMES VISIBLE IN THE MORNING ALSO IN THE BRIGHT FORTNIGHTS WHEN OBSERVATION IS DIFFICULT. 

During (and only during) Kris n a Paks a one can see theDuring (and only during) Kris.n.a Paks.a one can see the moon rise at night.

It h ft th t th F ll M d dIt happens soon after the sunset on the Full Moon day and then delayed everyday by about 50 minutes.

This is the justification for counting only the dark fortnights in the 3339 viśvedevāh model!.2/19/2011 20RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

IT IS MOST LIKELY THE COUNT OF THE DARK NIGHTS WAS KEPT ON THE GROUND WITH PEBBLES OR STONES

APPROXIMATELY MARKING THE POSITION OF THE MOONAPPROXIMATELY MARKING THE POSITION OF THE MOON AS SEEN IN THE SKY.

QUITE SURPRISINGLY IN THE SOLAR ECLIPSE DESCRIPTION IN THE RIGVEDA (RV 5 40) THERE IS ADESCRIPTION IN THE RIGVEDA (RV 5.40) THERE IS A

REFERENCE TO ATRI BRINGING TOGETHER STONES TO RELEASE THE SUN FROM THE SHADOW,,

THE VARIATION IN THE DECLINATION OF THE MOON WHICH SWINGS FROM 18 DEGREES TO 29 DEGREES GIVES THE

PECULIAR SHAPE. THIS CAN BE EASILY VERIFIED2/19/2011 21RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

Position of moon in the sky plotted with the Celestial Equator

as the

Position of  moon for 3339 consecutive nights only in the dark fortnights starting from 7th Sept 2006 a lunar eclipseE-W line covering 18.6 years or

230 lunations ( ).

7th Sept 2006 a lunar eclipse

On 18th Sept 2024 a lunar eclipse is possible

2/19/2011 22RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

DP YĀGA IN PROGRESS

OBSERVE THAT THERE IS NO FIRE IN THE ANTARVEDINO FIRE IN THE ANTARVEDI ONLY DARBHA GRASS IS SPREAD. 2/19/2011 23RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

SUMMARY

ĀDP‐RITES ARE CALLED YAJN~A BY ĀPASTAMBA A CELEBRATED AUTHORITY ON VEDIC RITUALS.  HE ASSIGNS THE 

PRESCRIPTION OF THE DP RITES TO RIGVEDA AND THEPRESCRIPTION OF THE DP‐RITES TO RIGVEDA AND THE YAJURVEDA.  

FORTUNATELY DP‐RITES ARE OBSERVED BY SOME PERSONS TO THIS DAY AND HENCE THE DP‐ALTAR CONSTRUCTION AND 

SHAPE HAS AN UNBROKEN TRADITION.  

THE ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THE ALTAR ANDTHE ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THE ALTAR AND THE RITUAL IS NOT EXPLAINED IN ANY TEXT EXCEPT FOR 

VAGUE REFERENCES ALLUSIONS METAPHORSVAGUE REFERENCES, ALLUSIONS, METAPHORS….

2/19/2011 24RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

THE YAJURVEDIC TEXTS WHICH PROVIDE DETAILS OF THE DP-RITES DO NOT ASCRIBE ANY SPECIAL ASTRONOMICAL

SYMBOL TO THE DP VEDISYMBOL TO THE DP-VEDI.

THE SUTRAS THAT DESCRIBE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DP VEDI ARE ALSO SILENT ON THE SECRET BEHIND ITSDP-VEDI ARE ALSO SILENT ON THE SECRET BEHIND ITS

SHAPE AND AREA.

BUT THE RV SAUCIKA HYMNS & THE 3339 VIŚVEDEVĀHUNAMBIGUOUSLY POINT OUT THE ARCHAIC ASTRONOMY

BEHIND THE DP-VEDIBEHIND THE DP-VEDI.

IT IS SURMISED THE SAUCIKA HUMNS OF RV REFLECT A FORGOTTEN SCIENCE THAT WAS KNOWN DURING ITSFORGOTTEN SCIENCE THAT WAS KNOWN DURING ITS

PERIOD. THE BRIHADDEVATA SUPPORTS THIS CONCLUSION SINCE IT LISTS THE NAME OF SOME FORTY SEERS WHO KNEW

THE SECRET BEHIND THE VIŚVEDEVĀH.2/19/2011 25RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

USING ONLY AVAILABLE TRADITIONAL TEXTUAL EVIDENCES THE ASTRONOMICAL BASIS OF THE

DP-ALTAR IS FOUND TO BE LINKED TO THE NUMBER 3339 OF THE RIGVEDA

THIS NUMBER IN TURN IS A LONG COUNT OF TITHIS IN THE DARK FORTNIGHTSTITHIS IN THE DARK FORTNIGHTS

REPRESENTING THE SO CALLED SAROS OF ~18-YEARS

WRONGLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CHALDEANS BYWRONGLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CHALDEANS BY MAIN STREAM HISTORIANS & SCIENTISTS.

2/19/2011 26RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE

2/19/2011 27RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE