1

Comets and the First Flood as per

Parshara
CAN THE FLOOD BE DATED?
Prof. R. N.
Prof. R. N.
Iyengar
Iyengar
RAJA RAMANNA FELLOW
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
J.GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA, V.67, MARCH 2006
Ind. J of History of Science 2008, (To appear)
2
Ziusudra was a good king of Sumer and the god
Enki warned him that the remaining gods had
determined to destroy mankind. He told Ziusudra to
build a big boat. The flood came and humanity was
saved.
Noah was warned to build a big boat and take a pair
of all animals on to the boat. The boat was to go to
Mount Ararat and anchor at its top which was
flooded.
THE FLOOD LEGEND APPEARS IN SEVERAL
CULTURES.
THE BIBLICAL FLOOD AND THE NOAHS ARK
ARE KNOWN TO MANY SCHOOL CHILDREN,
SINCE THESE STORIES ARE INCLUDED IN
THE TEXT BOOKS.
HOWEVER, THE FIRST FLOOD IS BASIC
HOWEVER, THE FIRST FLOOD IS BASIC
TO THE HINDU CULTURE.
TO THE HINDU CULTURE.
IT IS BETTER KNOWN AS MATSYA
IT IS BETTER KNOWN AS MATSYA
AVATARA THE FIRST AMONG THE TEN
AVATARA THE FIRST AMONG THE TEN
4
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS
FLOOD ?
FLOOD ?
THERE ARE FLOODS EVERY YEAR IN
SOME PART OF INDIA
THE SPECIALITY IS THAT MANUS
DELUGE OR
SAMPLAVA
SAMPLAVA WAS NOT OF A
BIG RIVER WHICH OVERFLOWED
DURING THE RAINY SEASON.
IT WAS CONNECTED WITH THE
SEA INUNDATING THE LAND.
SEA INUNDATING THE LAND.
5
COULD IT HAVE BEEN A TSUNAMI?
MAY BE.
REFERENCE TO OCEAN
OVERFLOWING AND RECEDING
OCCURS IN THE
VEDAS AND THE
VEDAS AND THE
PURANAS
PURANAS
.
.
MAHABHARATA ALSO TALKS OF
DISTURBANCE FROM THE SEA.
6
HOW MANY TIMES SUCH INUNDATION
BY THE SEA COULD HAVE HAPPENED
IN ANCIENT INDIA?
THE FAMOUS FLOODS ARE TWO, AS
PER THE MAHABHARATA
*DWARAKA SUBMERGENCE
AFTER THE DEATH OF KRISHNA.
**THE FIRST FLOOD THAT OCCURRED
LONG TIME BEFORE THIS.
7
tacca naubandhanam nma rngam
himavatah param|
khytam adypi kaunteya tadviddhi
bharatarsabha || (M.B Vana Par. 185.47)
This statement in MB describes the story as
ancient.
Also the peak in the Himlaya where the
boat was anchored is called
naubandhanam.
8
yatra nvaprabhramanam yatra
himavatah irah
(Atharvana Veda. XIX. 39.8)
This reference to the abandoning of the
ship near a peak of the Himalayas is
linked to the flood episode of atapatha
Brahmana. This belongs to the Shukla
Yajurveda. It is an important reference
to study ancient Hindu culture and
religion.
9
10
THERE ARE MANY IMPORTANT WORDS
AND EVENTS IN THIS TEXT:
MANU, OUGHA, TITHI, UTTARA GIRI
IN THIS TALK WE SHALL BRIEFLY
DISCUSS THE EVENT
OUGHA=SAMPLAVA MEANING
FLOOD=DELUGE
11
In the morning, they brought to Manu water for washing
......As he was thus washing, a fish came into his hands,
(which spoke to him) * preserve* me ; I should save thee.
( Manu enquired ), " From what wilt thou save me ?"
(The fish replied), * A flood shall sweep away all these
creatures ; from it I will rescue thee.
( Manu asked ), * How ( shall ) thy preservation ( be effected )
The fish said, So long as we are small, we are in great peril.
For, fish swallows fish.' Therefore, thou shalt preserve
me first in a jar. When I grow too large for the jar, then thou
shalt dig a trench and preserve me in that.
When I grow too large for the trench, then thou shalt carry me
away to the ocean. I shall then be beyond the reach of
danger*'
12
Straightaway, he became a large fish ; for, he
waxes to the utmost. ( He said ),* Now, in such
and such year, the flood will come. Thou shalt,
therefore construct a ship, and resort to me.
When the flood rises, thou shalt embark in the
ship, and I shall deliver thee from it. Having thus
preserved the fish, Manu, carried him away to the
sea. Then, in the same year, which the fish had
enjoined, he constructed a ship and resorted to
him. When the flood rose, Manu embarked in the
ship* The fish swam towards him. He fastened
the cable of the ship to the horn of the fish. By
this means he hastened (and got) to this Northern
Mountain."
13
WE HAVE SEEN THREE PLACES IN THE
ANCIENT TEXTS WHERE A FLOOD EVENT
WITH A BOAT AND FISH CONNECTED WITH
MANU HAS BEEN MENTIONED.
THE SAME STORY OCCURS IN MANY
PURANAS WITH SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS.
WE NEED NOT CONSIDER THEM HERE, AS
THEY ARE REPETITIONS.
BUT IN THE PURANAS ONE MORE
IMPORTANT LINK APPEARS. THAT IS WITH
KALIYUGA.
14
KALIYUGA IS GENERALLY TAKEN TO
KALIYUGA IS GENERALLY TAKEN TO
HAVE STARTED SOME 5000 YEARS
HAVE STARTED SOME 5000 YEARS
AGO.
AGO.
BASED ON MEDIVEAL ASTRONOMY
BASED ON MEDIVEAL ASTRONOMY
TREATISES OF
TREATISES OF
ARYABHATA AND OTHERS
ARYABHATA AND OTHERS
KALIYUGA STARTED ON
KALIYUGA STARTED ON
18
18
TH
TH
FEBRUARY 3102 B.C.
FEBRUARY 3102 B.C.
15
IS IT NOT WONDERFUL WE KNOW SO
IS IT NOT WONDERFUL WE KNOW SO
EXACTLY A DATE IN OUR HISTORY?
EXACTLY A DATE IN OUR HISTORY?
WHEN WE DO NOT KNOW THE
WHEN WE DO NOT KNOW THE
CORRECT DATES OF RAMA, KRISHNA,
CORRECT DATES OF RAMA, KRISHNA,
KALIDASA, SHANKARACHARYA !
KALIDASA, SHANKARACHARYA !
HOW TO BELIEVE AN OLD DATE LIKE
HOW TO BELIEVE AN OLD DATE LIKE
3102 BC ?
3102 BC ?
FIRST TIME MENTIONED IN
FIRST TIME MENTIONED IN
5
5
TH
TH
CENTURY A.D.
CENTURY A.D.
16
HOW CORRECT IS THIS?
HOW CORRECT IS THIS?
SHOULD THIS BE QUESTIONED?
SHOULD THIS BE QUESTIONED?
WHY DON
WHY DON

T WE JUST ACCEPT IT!

T WE JUST ACCEPT IT!
CAN WE REWRITE OUR HISTORY
CAN WE REWRITE OUR HISTORY
STARTING FROM THAT DATE?
STARTING FROM THAT DATE?
THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE
THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE
CONTROVERSY ON THIS QUESTION
CONTROVERSY ON THIS QUESTION
SCHOOL HISTORY STARTS WITH
SCHOOL HISTORY STARTS WITH
BUDDHA, ALEXANDER, ASHOKA
BUDDHA, ALEXANDER, ASHOKA
17
BUDDHA IS GENERALLY DATED TO 5
TH
CENTURY B.C
ALL HAPPENINGS BEFORE THIS
PERIOD IS CALLED PRE-HISTORY.
IF WE HAVE 2500 YEARS OF HISTORY
THEN WE HAVE EQUAL OR LONGER
PREHISTORY PRIOR TO THIS.
HOW TO UNEARTH THIS PART OF OUR
HISTORY?
18
* ARCHAEOLOGY
INDUS CIVILIZATION SUPPOSEDLY
DECLINED DUE TO ONE OR MORE
EARTHQUAKES/FLOODS
APPROXIMATELY
DATED TO 2500 BC.
**SANSKRIT LITERATURE
VEDA, ITIHASA, PURANA, OTHER
BOOKS ON SCIENTIFIC TOPICS
19
WHAT ARE VEDAS?
RIG-VEDA, YAJUR-VEDA,
SAMA-VEDA & ATHARVANA-VEDA
ALL THE FOUR ARE STRUCTURED
FURTHER INTO
SAMHITA, BRAHMANA, ARANYAKA,
SAMHITA, BRAHMANA, ARANYAKA,
UPANISHAT
UPANISHAT
20
RIGVEDA SAMHITA IS THE OLDEST
AVAILABLE LITERATURE. OTHERS ARE
LATER THAN THE RIGVEDA.
RIGVEDA HAS BEEN DATED TO HAVE
BEEN COMPOSED BEFORE 1500 BC.
INFACT THERE ARE EVIDENCES TO
SHOW THAT SOME PARTS OF THE
RIGVEDA MAY BELONG TO 3000-4000
BC.
21
22
SHATAPATHA BRAHMANA MENTIONS
THE FLOOD OF MANU AND LINKS IT
WITH THE FISH. ALSO THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAIN IS MENTIONED.
THIS TEXT HAS BEEN DATED BASED ON
ASTRONOMICAL STATEMENTS TO
ABOUT 3000 BC.
STAR KRITTIKA DOES NOT MOVE
FROM EAST AS PER Sh. Br.
23
Precession of a spinning
top: the spin axis traces
the surface of a cone.
24
Changing Pole Stars
25
http://www.vedicastronomy.net/stars_appendix.htm
S.Balakrishna
26
A FAIRLY INDEPENDENT
CONFIRMATION OF THE FLOOD DATE
COMES FROM AN ANCIENT TEXT ON
ASTRONOMY CALLED PARASHARA
SAMHITA.
THIS BOOK IS NOT AVAILABLE IN ITS
ORIGINAL FORM NOW.
BUT QUOTATIONS FROM THIS ARE
PROFUSELY AVAILABLE FROM TWO
SOURCES
27
1.COMMENTARY OF UTPALA ON THE
BRIHAT SAMHITA OF VARAHA MIHIRA
VM LIVED IN 5-6
TH
CENTURY AD
UTPALA LIVED IN 10
TH
CENTURY
2. ADBHUTA SAGARA OF BALLALA
SENA
11-12
TH
CENTURY AD
28
VARAAHA MIHIRA: BRIHAT-SAMHITA(5-6th CENT.
AD)
BALLALA SENA: ADBHUTA-SAAGARA(11-12th
CENT. AD)
NEITHER OF THEM PROVIDE ANY ORIGINAL
INFORMATION ABOUT COMETS.BOTH CLAIM
TO PRESENT INFORMATION AND OPINION OF
PREVIOUS AUTHORS AND SAGES.
HENCE WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COMETS
OBSERVED DURING THEIR PERIODS.
BUT BOTH THE BOOKS QUOTE PROFUSELY
FROM ANCIENT AUTHORS: VRIDDHA-GARGA,
GARGA, PARAASHARA, ASITA, DEVALA..
29
Brihat samhita
5-6
th
cent AD.
PROVIDES
OLDER
WORK OF
SCHOLARS
BEFORE ITS
TIME.
VARAHA
MIHIRA
DOES NOT
GIVE ANY
NEW
INFORMAT-
ION.
30
ALL PROVIDE
GRAPHIC
DESCRIPTIONS.
2 OR 3 HEADS,
LONG TAILS,
RETURNING
AFTER 100 OR
MORE YEARS,
TRAVERSING THE
SKY. SOME
CAUSING
EARTHQUAKES,
FAMINE, COST OF
CEREALS
INCREASE.
BUT NOT ALL
COMETS ARE BAD
31
PARASHARAS
WORK IS IN PROSE.
THIS MAY BE THE
OLDEST SUCH
WORK KNOWN IN
THE COUNTRY.
CHALAKETU RISES
AFTER 115 YEARS
IN THE WEST WITH
ITS HEAD BENT
SOUTH TRAVELS
HALF OF THE SKY
DUE NORTH.
TOUCHES
SAPTARSHI AND
TURNS SOUTH
NEAR STAR ABHIJIT
32
THE MOST POPULAR AND WELLKNOWN
ANCIENT SCIENTIFIC WRITING IS THE BRIHAT
SAMHITA OF VARAHA MIHIRA. BUT NOTE
THAT HE WAS NOT ORIGINAL IN MANY
PLACES. HOWEVER HE WROTE SOME
ORIGINAL WORKS ON ASTRONOMY.
THE SIDDHANTA PERIOD OF INDIAN
ASTRONOMY IS USUALLY RECKONED FROM
1
ST
CENTURY OF CE ONWARDS.
WHAT WAS THE TYPE OF ASTRONOMY IN
WHAT WAS THE TYPE OF ASTRONOMY IN
THE PRE
THE PRE
-
-
SIDDHANTA PERIOD? (SEPARATE
SIDDHANTA PERIOD? (SEPARATE
LECTURE IS REQUIRED)
LECTURE IS REQUIRED)
33
VARAHA MIHIRA WROTE A CHAPTER
ON COMETS BASED ON PARASHARA
SAMHITA. BUT HE DID NOT GIVE THE
FULL DATA NOR PRESENTED THE
SEQUENCE AS PER THE ORIGINAL
TRADITION.
UTPALA GIVES THE YEAR INTERVALS
BETWEEN THE COMETS, BUT THIS IS IN
THE WRONG ORDER AS GIVEN BY
VARAHA MIHIRA.
34
FORTUNATELY THE LIST QUOTED BY
BALLALA SENA IS CONSISTENT.
SURPRISINGLY THERE WAS GREAT
INTEREST IN COMETS
BEFORE THE SIDDHANTIC PERIOD OF
ASTRONOMY IN INDIA.
THAT IS BEFORE 1CENTURY AD
35
TWENTYSIX COMETS HAVE BEEN
TWENTYSIX COMETS HAVE BEEN
LISTED BY PARASHARA IN
LISTED BY PARASHARA IN
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. THEIR
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. THEIR
NAME, EFFECTS AND POSITION IN THE
NAME, EFFECTS AND POSITION IN THE
SKY ARE ALSO GIVEN. SOME OF THEM
SKY ARE ALSO GIVEN. SOME OF THEM
ARE QUITE GRAPHICAL LIKE
ARE QUITE GRAPHICAL LIKE
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT.
THE LIST STARTS WITH THE FLOOD !
THE LIST STARTS WITH THE FLOOD !
36
||||| |-|| +||l| |||
|| |||l-|%||-|||!| ||l|-|+|||!
|+||7|l|||-| ||||!|
|||||!|| |7|*||-|||!
||||||||-|||!
-|| ||||l| |||||||!|||
l|+|||-|||!|| | ||||-| -|| -|||-|
-| -|+|||!|||7| (!(-|
|8||| sl|!!
37
|| ||||| || |l-|!( ||
|-|||l-|| |-||||!!|| |-|||
l ll l
l ll l
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-- -- -- --
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|l |l |l |l
|l |l |l |l
% %% %
% %% %
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- -- -
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l l l l
l l l l
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- -- -
- -- -
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0 00 0
0 00 0
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|+| -||l+|+|!+|| l-||
-||l+|+| |||||-|||+|!|||
l--|| (| |-|| |-|||||l||||+|
-||| +| sl| !!
38
Therein arise three related to Death namely,
Vasaketu, Asthiketu and astraketu one after
another. Elapsing 130 years in the Floods,
Vasaketu, big and sharp, with its crown bent
towards north having risen in the west, causes
immediate destruction. Harsh Asthiketu appears in
the same period causing famine. astraketu rising
sharply in the east results in destruction of weapon
handling kings.
In contemporary Sanskrit use, this would be taken to
mean 3000.
This is how Bhat has translated the above word.
However, ancient evidence indicates the meaning to
bedifferent.
39
This is seen in the explanation offered for a similar
compound word. Garga is quoted by Utpala and Ballala-
sena about Vivarupa, which are celestial objects
causing
fire. Garga describes them as,
|l-|||| || 7||| ||l-|+|||l-|!
l| || ||| ||| l|%||l| -||||!!
The count is here given as vimat-graha-
atam. Ballal.a-sena explains this
as:vimatyadhikham atam ityarthah.|
Varaha-mihira in BS (11.23) and Utpala in
40
his commentary on the same verse give the
number of Vivarupa as 120 without
ambiguity.
Thus, in ancient India, twenty-above-
hundred (not twenty-times-hundred) was
the accepted meaning of the above number
word. Hence trimat-vars.a-atam should
be taken to mean 130 years. With this in the
background the further comet sequence is
given following
Adbhuta Sagara
41
Kumudaketu is seen in the west at the end of
the transit of Vasa and other comets.
It is seen for one night like a bright spray of
cows milk, with its head bent eastwards.
Kapalaketu among the offspring of Adityas,
rises in the east. It is seen on a new moon
evening with a smoky flaming crown, moving
in the center of the sky.
42
Seen 125 years and three fortnights after
Kumudaketu,
Dhumaketu or the smoky-comet is the last in
the list of Paraara.
43
As per internal evidence in the text, the
As per internal evidence in the text, the
samhita
samhita
of
of
Para
Para

ara
ara
should have started
should have started
around 1400 BC.
around 1400 BC.
The statement about the twenty
The statement about the twenty
-
-
six
six
comets and the interval between some of
comets and the interval between some of
them could be a chronological artifice to
them could be a chronological artifice to
link the initial time of
link the initial time of
PS
PS
with the
with the
Samplava or the Flood.
44
The total number of years in the list
The total number of years in the list
adds to about 1300 years, which
adds to about 1300 years, which
indicates that the Flood (inundation
indicates that the Flood (inundation
or deluge) should have occurred
or deluge) should have occurred
before 2500
before 2500
-
-
2700 BC.
2700 BC.
These figures can be easily in error by a
These figures can be easily in error by a
few centuries
few centuries.
45
Date of
Date of
Parashara
Parashara

s
s
Tradition
Tradition
In the second chapter of
In the second chapter of
AS
AS
titled,
titled,
Surya
Surya
-
-
adbhuta
adbhuta
-
-
avarta
avarta
or sun
or sun

s wonder, the
s wonder, the
position of solstices as stated by
position of solstices as stated by
Varaha
Varaha
-
-
mihira
mihira
is given. This corresponds to
is given. This corresponds to
summer solstice being at the third quarter of
summer solstice being at the third quarter of
star
star
Punarvasu
Punarvasu
(
(

-
-
geminorum
geminorum
).
).
This is followed by the position during
This is followed by the position during
Ballala
Ballala
-
-
sena
sena

s
s
time, when summer solstice
time, when summer solstice
was observed to be at the beginning of
was observed to be at the beginning of
Punarvasu
Punarvasu
.
.
46
This amounts to a precession of 7
This amounts to a precession of 7
-
-
8 degrees
8 degrees
indicating a time difference of 500
indicating a time difference of 500
-
-
600 years
600 years
(72 years per degree) between
(72 years per degree) between
Varaha
Varaha
-
-
mihira
mihira
and
and
Ballala
Ballala
-
-
sena
sena
.
.
Allowing for errors of naked eye astronomy, the
Allowing for errors of naked eye astronomy, the
above observation appears quite realistic, since
above observation appears quite realistic, since
we know that
we know that
Varaha
Varaha
-
-
mihira
mihira
lived in the 6th
lived in the 6th
century whereas
century whereas
AS
AS
was composed in the 12th
was composed in the 12th
century.
century.
Next the relation between seasons and sun
Next the relation between seasons and sun

s
s
position among stars as per
position among stars as per
Para
Para

ara
ara
is quoted:
is quoted:
47
l


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5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5
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! ! ! !
! ! ! !


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l l l l
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|2| |2| |2| |2|
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0 00 0
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! ! ! !


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- -- -
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- - - -
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l l l l




|| || || ||
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0 00 0
0 00 0
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( (( (
( (( (


- - - -
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! ! ! !






| || |
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- - - -
- - - -
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|2| |2| |2| |2|
|2| |2| |2| |2|


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|| || || ||
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- - - -
- - - -
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| | | |
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sl sl sl sl
sl sl sl sl
| || |
| || |
!! !! !! !!
!! !! !! !!
48
http://www.vedicastronomy.net/stars_appendix.htm
S.Balakrishna
49
This is the
This is the
naks
naks
.
.
atra
atra
system of Astronomy,
system of Astronomy,
using stars along the ecliptic as background
using stars along the ecliptic as background
for sky observations. Since the winter season
for sky observations. Since the winter season
started at the first point of star
started at the first point of star
Dhanis
Dhanis
.t.ha
.t.ha
(
(

-
-
delphini
delphini
) this would be same as the year
) this would be same as the year
beginning of
beginning of
Vedan
Vedan
.
.
ga
ga
-
-
jyotis
jyotis
.a
.a
, which is a well
, which is a well
discussed topic.
discussed topic.
Varahamihira
Varahamihira
whose time may be taken as 530
whose time may be taken as 530
AD provides sun
AD provides sun

s position at winter solstice

s position at winter solstice
as the first quarter of star
as the first quarter of star
Uttara
Uttara
.
.
s.ad
s.ad
.
.
ha
ha
(.
(.
-
-
sagittari
sagittari
). He also says that before his time
). He also says that before his time
once it was observed to be at the beginning of
once it was observed to be at the beginning of
star
star
Dhanis
Dhanis
.
.
t
t
.
.
ha.
ha.
50
Utpala
Utpala
, attributes this ancient
, attributes this ancient
observation to
observation to
Para
Para

ara
ara
quoted above.
quoted above.
This movement amounts to a precession
This movement amounts to a precession
of 23
of 23
0
0
20
20

. From this information the era

. From this information the era
of
of
PS
PS
has to be assigned to 1150
has to be assigned to 1150
-
-
1370
1370
B.C., same as that of
B.C., same as that of
Vedan
Vedan
.
.
ga
ga
-
-
jyotis
jyotis
.a.
.a.
It
It
is noteworthy that
is noteworthy that
PS
PS
does not indicate
does not indicate
the seasons in terms of the twelve
the seasons in terms of the twelve
zodiacal signs or
zodiacal signs or
Ra
Ra

i
i
, as done by
, as done by
Varaha
Varaha
-
-
mihira
mihira
and Brahma
and Brahma
-
-
gupta
gupta
. the
. the
initial point of the tradition should be
initial point of the tradition should be
assigned to
assigned to
circa
circa
1400 B.C.
1400 B.C.
51
There appears to be a popular opinion that
Ketu in the Nava-graha-puja (worship of
nine lanets), which is still in vogue widely, is
the descending lunar node. This is a
misunderstanding based on wrongly
equating later astrological mythology with
Hinduism based on astronomical concepts.
AVP (52.12.1) clearly states the ninth
AVP (52.12.1) clearly states the ninth
graha
graha
as
as
- -- -
- -- -
| || |
| || |


| || |
| || |


| || |
| || |
% %% %
% %% %
| | | |
| | | |


| || |
| || |
l l l l
l l l l
| || |
| || |
7 77 7
7 77 7
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||


| || |
| || |


| || |
| || |






| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |




! !! !
! !! !
The ninth should be understood as
The ninth should be understood as
Dhumaketu
Dhumaketu
the
the
mahagraha
mahagraha
.
.
52
Further, the
Further, the

antikalpa
antikalpa
of
of
Atharva
Atharva
veda
veda
has the following canonical hymn for
has the following canonical hymn for
invoking
invoking
Ketu
Ketu
during religious worship.
during religious worship.


| || |
| || |
- - - -
- - - -
| || |
| || |


| || |
| || |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||
l ll l
l ll l
| || |
| || |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |


| || |
| || |


|l |l |l |l
|l |l |l |l


| || |
| || |






| | | |
| | | |
! ! ! !
! ! ! !


| || |
| || |


| || |
| || |






|8 |8 |8 |8
|8 |8 |8 |8


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |






| | | |
| | | |


| || |
| || |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||






|| || || ||
|| || || ||


|| || || ||
|| || || ||




!! !! !! !!
!! !! !! !!
I invoke here,
I invoke here,
Ketu
Ketu
son of Brahma, who
son of Brahma, who
has a long lock of hair and whose face is
has a long lock of hair and whose face is
circular.
circular.
53
In contemporary worship following Rigvedic
recension, the prayer for Ketu is in plural
number as


|| || || ||
|| || || ||


|| || || ||
|| || || ||
| || |
| || |


| || |
| || |


| | | |
| | | |
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |






| || |
| || |
- - - -
- - - -
| || |
| || |


| | | |
| | | |
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |
! ! ! !
! ! ! !


| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |


| || |
| || |


| | | |
| | | |
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||


| || |
| || |
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||
- -- -
- -- -
| | | |
| | | |






| || |
| || |
- - - -
- - - -
| | | |
| | | |


| | | |
| | | |


| || |
| || |


|| || || ||
|| || || ||


| || |
| || |






| | | |
| | | | ||
I bow to Ketu who are of the color of palaa
smoke, who have starry heads, are
ferocious, awesome and have Rudra for
their soul.
(Rgvdiya Navagraha Puja (Japa) Vidhi, Srimanmadhva
siddhanta granthaalaya, Udupi.)
54
DATE OF THE FLOOD:
DATE OF THE FLOOD:
1400+1300 = 2700 BC.
1400+1300 = 2700 BC.
(APPROXIMATE)
(APPROXIMATE)
SHATAPATHA BRAHMANA is
SHATAPATHA BRAHMANA is
dated to about the same period.
dated to about the same period.
HENCE THE GREAT FLOOD OF
HENCE THE GREAT FLOOD OF
HINDU MYTHOLOGY MAY ALSO
HINDU MYTHOLOGY MAY ALSO
BELONG TO THE ABOVE ERA.
BELONG TO THE ABOVE ERA.
55
SOME PROMINENT COMET NAMES AND DESCRIPTION
DHUMA-KETU: BOW SHAPED.
KABANDHA: LIKE A TRUNCATED HUMAN BODY
BRAHMA-DANDA: COLUMN-LIKE, 3-COLOURS, 3-HEADS
(TRISHIRA, TRISHIKHA,)
AANGIRAS: SEEN ON SOLAR ORB. LIKE A HUMAN BEING
WITH A BOW SEATED IN A CHARIOT.
VISHVARUPA: A GROUP, CAUSING FIRE DISASTER ON
EARTH.
SHVETA-KETU : (100 YEARS), FAMINE CAUSING, MAY BE
SEEN ALONG WITH ANOTHER COMET BY NAME KA
KA: SEEN LIKE A YOKE IN THE WEST. FAMINE FOR 10
YEARS
RASHMIKETU: RISES IN KRITTIKA, (110 YEARS)
DEVASTATION
DHRUVA-KETU: CLIMATE ALTERATION,
CHALA-KETU: EARTHQUAKE, DISASTERS.(115 YEARS).
56
MB (Aadi-parvan)
yatra.te.puruSa.vyaaghraah
shastra.sparza.sahaa.yudhi|
brahma.daNDa.viniSpiSTaah
samiipe.lavaNa.ambhasah||
This verse refers to the last days of Yadavas, who
fought among themselves near the salt sea. But it
also mentions they were squeezed by the brahma
danda. In the puranas this is explained as a
musala or pestle (long wooden contraption to
pound paddy)born miraculously. Still the comet
metaphor of
musala
musala is clear!
As per Brihat samhita and other texts, Brahma
danda was a comet.
57
MB, SHANTI PARVA CH 160 (BIRTH OF ASI/AHI IN
THE SKY)
candrama vimala-vyoma yathabhyudita-tarakam|
vikiryagnim tathabhutam utthitam sruyate tada||
tasmin utpata-mane ca pracacala vasundhara|
mahormi-kalitavartah cuksubhe sa mahodadhih||
cacra vividhn mrgn mahbala parkramah|
vidhunvan asim kse tath yuddha cikirsay||
krttikstasya naksatram aseragnisca daivatam|
rohinm gotramsthpya rudrasca gurusattamah||
When the sky was clear with moon and stars, it is said that
Asi (sword) arose, emitting fire. As it arose, the earth shook
and the oceans got disturbed. Displaying the sword in the sky,
being intent on a battle, (Rudra) moved in various directions.
For Asi, Kr.ttika is the birth star; Agni (fire) is the god;
Rohin.i is the gotra; and Rudra is the teacher.
58
THERE IS CORRESPONDENCE AMONG LEGENDS
OCCURING IN PURANA, MAHABHARATA AND
RAMAYANA.
SOME OF THESE SEEM TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM
VEDIC TIMES.
VEDIC LITERATURE, PARTICULARLY, THE
SAMHITA
SAMHITA
PORTION PERSONIFIES CELESTIAL OBSERVATIONS
IN PROFUSION THAT COULD BE COMETS OR
SIMILAR OBJECTS.
ATHARVA-SAMHITA (19.9.7-10) IS A PRAYER TO
THE SHAKING EARTH HIT BY METEORITES AND
TO SUN, MOON, RAAHU AND
MRITYU DHUMA
MRITYU DHUMA
-
-
KETU
KETU
Sham no bhuumih vepyamaanaa sham ulkaanirhatam ca
yat| Sham no grahaah chandramasaa sham aadityascha
raahuNaa| Sham no mrityur dhuumaketuh sham rudraah
tigma tejasah|
59
Square seal with multiple headed animal depicting three important
totemic animals: the bull, the unicorn, and the antelope. All three animals
are seen individually on other seals along with script, but this seal has no
script.
Gray brown steatite. Dimensions: 2.4 x 2.4 cm, 0.53 cm thickness
(Mohenjo-daro, DK 7734) Islamabad Museum, NMP 50.289
Mackay 1938: pl. XCVI, 494
COULD THIS BE
THE
REPRESENTATION
OF A COMET ?
SEVERAL SEALS
WITH THIS
MOTIVE HAVE
BEEN
RECOVERED.
60
Excavations at
Mahabharata sites
(B.B.Lal)
Hastinapura and
Ahichhatra.
Pottery belonging to
1100-1200 BC.
61
The fortunate find in
the seventies, at a
tomb in Mawangdui,
China, of a Han
dynasty (168 BC) silk
comet atlas sheds
considerable light on
earlier enigmatic
motifs. Most
interesting is the
SWASTIKA, a
sacred symbol in
Indian culture.
Garuda, Trishula,
Vel could also be
metaphors for
comets or shooting
stars.
62
Halle-Bopp Comet
63
"Third Millennium BC Climate Change and Old
World Collapse." (Springer Verlag 1997)
During the last two decades, researchers have
discovered compelling evidence for abrupt climate
change and civilization collapse in addition to sea
level changes, catastrophic inundations and
widespread seismic activity in many areas of the
world at around 2200/2300 BC.
Climatological proxy data together with sudden
changes in lacustrine, fluvial and aeolian deposits
have been detected in the archaeological, geological
and climatological records.
64
BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY, December 1997, No 30, pp. 6-7
COMETS AND DISASTER IN THE BRONZE AGE
Cometary impact is gaining ground as an explanation of the collapse
of civilisations, writes Benny Peiser
At some time around 2300 BC, give or take a century or two, a large
number of the major civilisations of the world collapsed,
simultaneously it seems. The Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia, the
Old Kingdom in Egypt, the Early Bronze Age civilisation in Israel,
Anatolia and Greece, as well as the Indus Valley civilisation in India,
the Hilmand civilisation in Afghanistan and the Hongshan Culture in
China - the first urban civilisations in the world - all fell into ruin at
more or less the same time.
A thousand years later, at around 1200 BC, many of the civilisations
of the same regions again collapsed at about the same time. This
time, disaster overtook the Myceneans of Greece, the Hittites of
Anatolia, the Egyptian New Kingdom, Late Bronze Age Israel, and
the Shang Dynasty of China.
65
CLUBE, S.V.M. and NAPIER, W.M. (1984) The microstructure of
terrestrial catastrophism. Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. v.211,
pp.953-968.
CLUBE, V. and NAPIER, W.M. (1990) The Cosmic Winter.
The Taurid Complex of meteors, meteoroids, asteroids and
Comet Encke has probably been a significant and
regularly visible celestial hazard from the last Ice Age
through to the present day. These data lead to the
expectation that history has been punctuated by:
*Tunguska-like impacts, singly or as part of fireball
swarms
**freezing events of decadal duration, due to cometary
dusting of the stratosphere
***occasional disastrous inundations of coastal areas due
to small-body ocean impacts.
66
METEOR SHOOTS ACROSS SKY OF
EAST COAST OF INDIA (ORISSA)
THE STATESMAN,
27
TH
SEPTEMBER 2003.
*FOR A FEW
*FOR A FEW
SECONDS IT
SECONDS IT
APPEARED TO BE
APPEARED TO BE
DAYLIGHT!
DAYLIGHT!
*SOME HEARD A
*SOME HEARD A
RUMBLING
RUMBLING
SOUND.
SOUND.
*ONE DEAD
*ONE DEAD
*ELEVEN INJURED
*ELEVEN INJURED
*HUNDREDS FLEE
*HUNDREDS FLEE
*THATCHED
*THATCHED
HOUSES BURNT
HOUSES BURNT
*STONY DEBRIS
*STONY DEBRIS
RECOVERED.
RECOVERED.
67
Rig Veda Mandala 1, Sukta 172. Maruts.
1. WONDERFUL let your coming be, wondrous with help,
ye Bounteous Ones| Maruts, who gleam as serpents gleam.
2 Far be from us, O Maruts, ye free givers, your impetuous
shaft| Far from us be the stone ye hurl.
3 O Bounteous Givers, touch ye not, O Maruts,
TriNaskanda's folk| Lift ye us up that we may live.
68
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
THE OCCURRENCE OF A GREAT FLOOD
ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPEARANCE OF
TWO COMETS PRESERVED IN PARASHARA
SAMHITA WAS WIDELY KNOWN IN THE
COUNTRY AS LATE AS 12
TH
CENTURY A.D.
THIS WAS LINKED WITH MANU
(VAIVASVATA) IN THE VEDIC LITERATURE
Sh.PATHA Br.
MOST PROBABLY THIS IS THE STILL
PREVALENT TRADITION OF THE
BEGINNING OF KALIYUGA OF 3102 B.C.
69