The Mahabharata Calendar

The Mahabharata Calendar

An image of Original Mahabharata text

 Astronomical Dating of Mahabharata (The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi)

Originally taken from Dr. Raghwan’s blogVerified with Greek Calenders

Krishna’s departure from Upalavya—Revati—26 Sep, 3067 BC

Krishna’s arrival in Hastinapur (Shanti doot)—Bharani—28 Sep, 3067 BCE

Solar eclipse—Jyeshtha Amavasya—14 Oct 3067 BCE

Full moon lunar eclipse—Krittika—29 Sep, 3067 BCE

Mahabharata starts—Saturn in Rohini, Jupiter in Revati—22 Nov 3067 BCE

Winter solstice—13 Jan 3066 BCE

Bhishma’s death—Magha shukla ashtami—17 Jan 3066 BCE

Bhishma's death in Rohini Nakshatra on Uttarayana

Balarama pilgrimage on Sarasvati begins—Pushya day—1 Nov 3067 BCE

Balarama returns from pilgrimage—Sravana day—12 Dec 3067 BCE

Ghatotkacha is killed—Moon Rise at 2 am—8 Dec 3067 BCE

According to these dates, Krishna must have departed from earth around 3032 BCE and Dwarka must have submerged in 3032 BCE.

However, most of the research proves that Kaliyuga (The Dark Age) began when Krishna departed from earth. And mostly the date falls around 17/18/19/20^th February, 3102 BCE. And Dwarka submerged around those dates.

It also says that the same position of stars and Nakshatras on the day the Mahabharata war was started, has been spotted exactly 14 years ago, when America's World  Trade Center was attacked on 9/11.

However, Bhagwat Purana by N.Krishnaswamy has stated dates as actual perspective which matches with most of the dates, like the Mahabharata war was started in 3138 BCE.

Puranic Chronological Dates of Important Events - List 1(Note: all dates are in BCE)

Text showing Astrological conditions in the Mahabharata

1. Birth of Bhishma	3396 BCE
2. Birth of Vedavyasa	3374 BCE
3. Age of Vysampayana	3300 BCE
4. Age of Yaajnavalkya	3280 BCE
5. Kanwa Rishi	3250 BCE
6. Bodhayana (Sutrakara)	3200 BCE
7. The Saptarshis (or the Great Bear) aligns with Makha	3176 BCE
8. Coronation of Yudhishthira at Sakraprastha for his half portion of Hastinapur empire	3176 BCE
9. Yudhishthira lost his Empire in the game of Dice	3151 BCE
10. Killing of Keechaka by Bhimasena	3139 BCE
11. Date of Mahabharata War	3138 BCE
12. Coronation of Yudhishthira	3138 BCE
13. Yudhishthira Era begins	3138 BCE
14. Birth of Parikshit	3138 BCE
15. Coronation of Brihatkshana king of Ayodhya, Ikshwaku Dynasty	3138 BCE
16. Coronation of Maarjaari or Somadhi (king of Magadha after the War.)	3138 BCE
17. Coronation of Gali (king of Nepal) after the War)	3138 BCE
18. Coronation of Gonanda-II, King of Kashmir, 1½ years before the War	3139 BCE
19. Sri Krishna Niryana  (Death of Krishna)	3102 BCE (18th/19th February at 2:27 PM)
20. Kali Era begins (Cycle year Pramaadhi)	3102 BCE (18th/19th February at 12:00 AM)
21. Submersion of Dwaraka-Nagara	3102 BCE
22. Annihilation of Yadava Dynasty	3102 BCE
23. Coronation of Parikshit	3101 BCE
24. Jayabhyudaya Yudhishthira Saka begins	3101 BCE
25. Yudhishthira Kaala (or Saptarshi Era or Laukikabda or Kashmirabda) begins. (or Death of Yudhishthira)	3076 BCE

Puranic chronological Dates of Important events - List 2

1 Death of Parikshit	3041 BCE
2 Coronation of Janamejaya	3041 BCE
3 Janamejaya's Gift Deed (Cycle year Plavanga)	3012 BCE
4 Age of Aryabhatta	2742 BCE

However, after the age of Aryabhatta, these Puranic dates doesn’t match with actual dates of Mouryan Empire. Puranic dates tells that Emperor Ashoka’s coronation occurred in 1472 BCE. However, Emperor Ashoka was born in August, 304 BCE and died in 232 BCE. His reign existed between that periods. However, Puranic dates are right in case of the Mahabharata, but they don’t match further.

Thus, we can be assured that if the Dark Age began, it must have begun in 3102 BCE, when Krishna departed from earth and Dwarka was submerged. If that’s true, then that wasn’t a normal flood that swallowed the entire city of Dwarka. It must be the Tsunami. And after that, when Ice Age began, and ice melted in water, the water level must have risen and whatever we are trying to find out about submerged Dwarka, should be beneath the extreme water level.

However, texts describe that Dwarka was made and remade for 7 times. And this we see modern Dwarka is 7^th incarnation. Few years ago, archaeologists found that there was a temple near the original temple in modern Dwarka. When they started digging it, they found storeys of temples, temple beneath the temple, and it was going down. This proves that city has been made and remade many times on submerged parts. So, whichever the Krishna’s Dwarka is, it’s difficult to prove. Because we don’t know exactly how many times it has been remade after Krishna’s Dwarka was submerged in the ocean.

Following are the dates of few events from the Ramayana:

(According to Dr. P.V Vartak)These dates of Ramayana has been determined on the basis of the Mahabharata dates and the beginning of the Dark Age.

   

Rama's Birth Date	4th  December 7323 BCE
Rama-Seeta Married	7th  April    7307 BCE
Rama Exiled	29th November 7306 BCE
Hanuman enters Lanka	1st September 7292 BCE
Hanuman meets Seeta	2nd September 7292 BCE
Seetu (Bridge) built on the ocean	26-30th Oct.  7292 BCE
The War begins	3rd  November 7292 BCE
Kumbhakarna is killed	7th November 7292 BCE
Ravana is killed by Rama	15th November 7292 BCE
Rama returns to Ayodhya	6th December 7292 BCE

If Treta Yuga ended with Rama’s departure from the earth, it means Dwapar Yuga must have lasted for around 5000 years. According to Dark Age theory, it has started from 3102 BCE. And it has already completed 5000 years. But Puranas ensure us that following Yuga in Chaturyuga lasts more than the previous one. So, Dark Age must last more. And if we put current climatic conditions into account, it seems that end of Dark Age is also near. But it should take at least two centuries from now. Dark Age must not end till the beginning of 24^th Century.

Statistics Data References:

http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_patnaik.html

http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/ramayan/rama_vartak.html

The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

Bhagwat Purana by N.Krishnaswamy