The Date of Lord Krishna’s Birth Tt ig an admitted fact that Lord Kygna wae born at Mathura on the midnight of drawanawadr 8 (Bhadrapadawads 8 according to northern calculation), The day of the week was @ Wednesday and the moon was near the Asterism (Rohint ). From the traditional horoscope of Sr: “Kygpa we can say that He was born when the moon was on the eastern horizon, ocoupying @ high ( gq) station. Gurs (Jupiter ) $00 was Za, and 0 also swore Sani (Saturn ) Mangala ( Mare ) and Buiha (Merowry ), ‘The sun was in ayE Cin its own position). I cannot say whether this horoscope may help us in determining the date of birth of dit Krsna, But it has its own traditional value, Prom several recorded traditions in the Mahdbhdvata, the Harivamea, and the Purinas we oan say without hesitation that $11 Krene was 83 years of age when the memorable Mahabharata war was fought, Now all India except astronomers of ancient ‘Varéhamihira have By V. H. Vaper, M. A, Lt. B. unanimously accepted S101 years before Christ a8 the date of the Mahabhdrata war, Varahamibira misunderstood the word qa in Garga's statement, viz.— eficrvattg: —and computed 2526 before Saka or 2449-8 B. 0. as the date of the war, Astronomer Garga, however, must have aurived at the above figure 2526 before Saka on the basis of calculations made from geneological tables. The date 3101 B, ©. ie strikingly supported by the geneological tables of the rulers of Magadha ( from Jaraeandha down to Ohandragupte Maurya ) a8 noted down by the Greek ambassador ‘Megasthenes, SaRER Tey However, some antiquarians, being jealous of giving such great antiquity to the Mshébhirata war, have propounded a third date for this great war. They say that the war was fought at about 1400 B. 0. Nay, some western scholars drag this date two centuries towards our times, ic, to the 13th century B, ©, This view ie mostlysupported by some statements of the ‘Vigna Purina. We are, however, not Justified in accepting only a few Statements of tho Vignu Puréna and disregarding other statements which @ireotly contradict the former. Tt will be out of proportion here to discuss how the statements of the Vignu Purdya are quite unworthy of relianos. ‘The testimony of the Purdgas is certainly less reliable than that of Mogacthones, The work of Mogasthenes has unfortunately been lost and we possess only a few mutilated fragments thereof, Had the whole work beon in our hands, all our doubts would have completely vanished. Let us fret take for consideration an extract from his ( Megasthenes's ) work, taken by the renowned historian Pliny. The substanoe of this extract ie “164 kings are mentioned from the time of Bachus to the times of Alexander the Great, and the total @uration of their reigns is said to » 451 years and 3 months.” Let us compare with this an extract from the historical works of the Greek historian Arrian:— “From the times of Dionysos to Sandrokottas, the Indians counted 153 Kings and a porlod of 6042 years. But among these a republic was thrice established. ‘The Indians also tell us ‘that Dionysos was earlier than Heraclese by 15 generations."” “hie Heraclese was held in special honour by the Saurasent Indian tribe ‘who possessed two large cities, Mathura and Cleicobora."" erlale's Ancind India, yo. 94 211) From the evidence of the Vedic Literature we can affirm that the ‘Mahabharata War was fought within 150 years or four or five generations after the last hymn of Rgveds, vis, that composed by Arstigena Dewapi, brother of Séntanu, and uncle of the great Bhigma, Bhigma was above 160 years of age when he took part in the great war as the Generalissimo of the Beurava armies, Similarly, because the mentions the Kurus and the Pi a8 united, and the Kithaka Brshinana mentions King Dhytaréstra, con of Vichitravirya, it may be definitely said thet the Mahabharata War was fought before the compilation of the Yajurveta and the Kifhaka Bréhmane, Another support to this conclusion is derived from the mention of Janamejaya, son of Partkgit, in the Satapathe Brdhmaya of the White Yejurceda, Thus the Mahabharata War wae fought before tne Satapatha Bréhmana came into existence; but how many years prior to it ‘we cannot determine from that statement. ‘The seer Yajfavalkya has definitely stated in chapter 317 of Sant-Parva of the Mahabharata that the White Vajurseda and the Sitapatha Brtimays were compiled, after the Mahabharata War. The date of Satapatha Brdkmaya is timidly given as800 B.C, to 500 BG. by Dr, Mo Donnell; but the late Indian astronomer Prof, $.B. Dikehit of Poona has now proved beyond doubt “that from the positions of the Krisies Nakjatra as mention- ed in the Satapatha Brihmaya, the date of the Bréhmapa or at the least that portion which contains those statements are at least as old ae 3000 B. ©." (Indian Antiquary, Vol. 24 pp. 246 ). This proposi- tion of Prof, Dikshit isae yet unopposed and holds its ground. A hundred years Detore the Satapatha Brihmana, i. 0., about 3100 B,C. the Mahabharata War was fought, ‘Wester scholars unanimously hold that the Mahabharata War was fought after the compilation of tho Rgveda and before the advent of the Setapatha Briimaya. They disagree only on the point of the dates of the three events Tbhas already been stated that the dateof the Setapatta Briimaya, as given by Western scholars 8500 B. 0.; but this is quite wrong as can be easily proved from certain statements made in the Vedings Jyotiea regarding the position of the soletices and equinoxes. Nobody is in doubt as to the priority of the Setapatha Brihmaya to the latter work. Even the most modest calculations made by Archdeacon Pratt irom these positions have given a date between 1269 B, ©, to1181 B. 0. to the Velinge Ivette. Of course the date of the Satapathe Brsimaya is much anterior to this. The Rereda 8 undoubtedly much older thon the whole of the Sotepatha Brihmaya, Ta short, the date of | the Mahabhirata War is half-way between ‘tho close of the Hereda and the beginning of the Setapatha Britmaya Another very important pisos of intomal evidence is the resolve of king Jardsondha of Magadha regarding the performance of a Purasemedha (bomen sacrifice )-wherein he desired to offer some Keatriya princess viotime—betore the Mahdbhirata War. For this purpose Tardsandha had imprisoned some Keatri- yas in bis capital, his story of the Munabnirata ie not at all a fiction; it is a very reliable historical nucleus of truth, The Pursgrmedha is mot a myth but it was in vogue in ancient times. The Sata patha Brinmara has given a detailed des- cription of it and etated ite superior effl- cacy) in giving the performer unlimited political power (smal Taecr ) even more than oan be obtained by ‘Agwamedha (horse sacrifice ). Tt seems that it ccased to be performed soon after the times of the Seraparha Brilmays, I was on account of his liberal views that St Krgua destrea to get rid of a monster like Jardsanda. From this information about Jarisandha’s intention to perform fa Purmamedha sacrifice, it is clear that the Mahabharata War is ab ovent of great antiquity and must have taken place before the Satapaths Brahmaya. We do not fnd a direct description or mention of thie sacrifice in any modern work or myth. ‘Another very important point which proves tho great antigaity. of The Mahabhirata, War in the fact. that there wore in vogue in times of the Mahibharata War two kinds of what Conloniation of a calender year) At fie time of the Gambling ( #24) Detween Duryodhana and Yudbig(hine both the aolar ( se) and Iunar (x ) tmethods of caloulation wore in vogue Both the parties forgot at the’ time St the scoond game ( sages) to arivo St a doinite understanding as to how fiise “should be computed while Suloulating. the period of 12 years! faite and one your'e sermrg (remeining fmoogaite). Bhigma. gave his decision thet the Pingavas were the followers Of the Tunar method of oaloulation and that they had completely eorved the 13 year’ perlod of oxi, ‘Tho Tuna year whieh the Pisdavas followed im. their Worldly traneactions was just Ike. the Tunar year now followed by. the Mobemmedane. [At pretent our British Government observe the Roman Oivil year, the ‘Hindus observe the Luni-Solar yoar, and the Mohammedans the Lunar year. Prof. Dikshit (author of the “iistory of Indian Astrology") has proved without a shadow of doubt that after 2000 B, ©, the lunar year (amet) wae given up in India. Te was of course in vogue at the time of the Mahabharata War. Hence there can be no objection in holding that the Mahabadrata War was fought before 2000 B. ©, ( Dikhit: “History of Indian Astrology", P. 102 ) ‘Lastly, let us consider how far the several astronomical statements made here and there in the Mahabharata help ue in arziving at an approximatedate of the Great War, ‘The position of the planets (afi) at the time of the war is especially mentioned at the end of Uasoga-Parva ond the beginning of Bingma-Porea, At various other places im the Mohiphirata also there are state- monte regarding the date of the war Zt will be inopportune to note down here all such statements as they are so many. We can, however, hold it as am uniowted fact that:— On Kirtika Vadi30, just previous to the war, a total folar eclipse occurred; the other event of a total Tonar eolipse on Kartika Sukla 15 can- not be held to be a fact beyond doubt, ‘The solar eclipse of the month of ‘Margadirga (on the day of the death of Jayadraths) cannot be but a mere poetical fancy, because its description ig more imaginary than real. We have three chief dates of the (3) That accepted unanimously by astronomers, 3101 B, ©. (it) That accepted by Ganga, Varahamihira and the author of the Réjatarangini. 2449 B, 0, Git) That teken by Ayyar, SAst October, 1194 B, 0. By making calculations we oan say without the least hesitation that there was a colar colipso on Kartika Vadi 80, but wot 2 lunar one on the full-moon day just provious to it. With reference to the dates in (i) and (iii) it was quite impossible to have either a colar ora lunar colipse in those two years, We think this evidence derived from the solar eclipse is very well- founded and highly reliable, ‘This evidence belongs to the original Bharata ond was not inserted in the Mahabharata during the time of Santi Besides, it is handed down from ages past by tradition, Tn short, we can say that the date given in (i) is mathe- matically correct, and not those in ( ii ) and (iii), Tho fourth date, vis, 1425 B, 0. which is inferred from statements in the Purinas has been arrived at roughly, and we cannot give it any value, For instance, in one place it is stated that 1015 years elapsed betwoen Partkeit and the time of the Nandas, while at another place it is stated an 1115 years, Again, 100 years as the period of ‘the nine Nandas is undoubtedly a rough calculation; besides 312 B. G. as the date of Chandragupta Maurya cannot be said to possess any mathematical accuracy. Many statements in the MekiSharate sehion foretell future impending salami. though in the garb of astronomical facts, ate in our opinion imaginary and ot eal. ‘The gfe mentioned in such statements fe not found to be at all probable in 3101 B, ©, or im any other yeare In short; #¢ must be admitted trom tho above discussion that 8101 B. O. fe the most probable date of the great Bhimta War, Similarly, as it le certain that Sri Krsna was 83 years of age at the time of the wat, the date of hie biria in, S184 or S180 years Uetore Caries