Continued

5. Ref 18, Exp. 15. Shri. Oak says Venus was bet. Shravan and Dhanishtha on 16th Oct., first day of the war. Subsequent motion of Venus was thus thereafter, during the war. Total period of the motion described is not stated but may have covered the 18 days of war and beyond. On the other hand, Bhishma, before war began, is describing it in past tense, ending with ‘प्रत्युदीक्षते’ (present tense), as if all that motion has already taken place! It points to the possibility that the War began much later than 16th Oct.

6. About Shweta, Tivra and Tikhshna referring to Urenus, Neptune and Pluto. I find it difficult to accept the tall claim about Pluto unless any independent evidence is available to establish there were telescopes in use at that time. Even today, Pluto cannot be seen with ordinary telescopes. Are there references to Pluto in any other ancient texts?

7. Ref 26 - Exp.17. - This Ref is from GP only, not from BORI. Is it authentic? Assuming it is, the quotation with pre, post ref. needs to be looked into. As given in the book, रोहिणी पीडयत्येवं(पीडयति एवं) उभौ च शशिभास्करौ does not mean ‘Sun/Moon are troubling Rohini.’ (It means Rohini is troubling Sun and Moon!) If Sun and Moon are troubling Rohini, the quotation should be रोहिणीं पीड्यतः एवं उभौ च शशिभास्करौ. Ref. needs checking. If, as observed by Shri. Oak, Sun and Moon, in Jyeshtha, were setting when Rohini was rising, (Jyeshtha and Rohini are in fact opp. each other), they were directly opposing each other. Sun can thus trouble Rohini OK, but it being Amavasya, moon had no rays to trouble Rohini! So who is troubling whom? Maybe, Rohini is ‘rising’ while moon is not seen and sun is ‘setting’ so Rohini is ‘troubling’ sun and moon!

Translation by Ganguli, however, is unambiguous. 'Both the Moon and the Sun are afflicting Rohini'

8. Ref. 12. Exp. 18. – I assume, Shri. Oak verified by his software that Jupiter was actually on or above western horizon when Rohini was rising in the east. How far above? Probably about 30 degrees. The last two words of the quote, ‘ बभूव चन्द्रार्कसमानवर्णः’ simply mean, ‘became of the same colour as sun and moon’, i. e. bright. After Sunset, Jupiter, 30 deg. above horizon, can become bright enough to justify this description. The quote does not mean ‘in same position as sun and moon’. So comparison with relative position of sun/moon wrt Rohini on first day has no relevance. A question. Jupiter is a slow moving planet. Relative position of Jupiter and Rohini, not strictly opp., is not specific to proposed 17th day. It would be so, over several days on either side. Jupiter was in fact, in Uttarashadha (quite away from Jyeshtha,) on 1st day and would be around there only, on 17th day, even 2 or 3 months thereafter. This quote would be true for a war date 2 months after 16th Oct. also!

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