3/16/2023 0 Comments Ancient space symbolsHence, it is reasonable to assume that the idea of Raashis and Planets was a late Greek import in Indian astronomy-a point to remember when someone promotes the pseudoscience of astrology and horoscopes, based on Raashis and Grihas. We also note that the shapes and stars of all 12 Raashis and also divine properties of planets are identical in every civilisation which was conquered by Alexander the Great. The zodiac makes an appearance only in those texts which were not sealed until the rise of Mauryas. It is interesting to note what these Vedic astronomical texts do not discuss-planets, zodiac signs, comets etc. They had also observed that the length of the solar year was about 365 days. Thus, the Moon had around 28 (in Rig Veda, later 27 in Yajur Veda) mansions in the sky and these are our Nakshatras. Nevertheless, whoever wrote it, had observed that the Moon took about 27-28 days to go around the sky. Some say this part of Rig Veda was written by a person named Lagadha, while others feel he merely compiled existing verses in a single text. Keeping the date and space questions aside, Vedanga Jyotisha reveals several interesting aspects. still evolving) as late as 3400 years ago. The most probable explanation would be that even Vedas include collective memories of people spanning multiple centuries, as they moved through different lands, and Vedas were not yet sealed (i.e. The estimated dates vary from as old as 6200 years (Orion being the first Nakshatra) to 4700 years (Kritika at the vernal equinox point) to 3400 years (Ashlesha at Summer Solstice).Īll these references do exist in Vedanga Jyotisha or in treatises like Satapatha Brahmanas. Similarly, with date, different authors attribute different timelines to Vedas-mainly based on the reference to stars and constellations in these verses. People have cited geographical features like rivers, flora and fauna and also lengths of the day from Vedic verses to reach conclusions, which remain self-consistent within their study but are unfortunately incompatible with each other. The location estimates differ from Arctic region (Tilak) to Afghanistan (Kochhar) to Indus Valley to Gangetic plains. The answer differs based on which scholar you consult. How old are the Vedas and where were they composed? For brevity, let us call this whole body as post-Vedic literature. It is believed that these texts have evolved over centuries, with some of the last additions being done as late as just 2,300 years ago (around the time of Chandragupta Maurya). Upanishads, Brahmanas, Smritis, and Puranas-which sometimes claim to be as old as Vedas-also include stories and references from the post-Vedic era. Add to this the astronomy-related verses from Yajur Veda, and we have the first written evidence of the ancient astronomical knowledge of Indians. Rig Veda, the oldest of them, is mostly about rituals and philosophy, but has a separate addendum on astronomy called ‘Vedang Jyotisha’-literally translated as ‘part of Vedas about the science of (celestial) lights’. The Vedic texts are clearly the oldest texts of the Indian antiquity. (Also Read: How Study of Ancient World Can Shed Light on Beginning of Astronomy in India ) However, the history of astronomical observations and science is much older than you would imagine-even as old as the Vedic times. Huddled with satellites, space telescopes and supercomputer models, astronomy may seem like a very modern scientific discipline now.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |