English
Mars, Jupiter, and the other planets inauspicious, approaching," sec. 33. v. 9, 10* Digitized by Google 16 THE ANCIENT ASTRONOMY The facts pointed out here, show that there was an eclipse of the sun at or near the beginning of Cancer, at the moon's ascending node {Rahu being present) ; and that the planets were not for distant from each other. These circumstances, therefore, point out the time to have been the second of July, in the year 940 B.C.; so that Rama was then one-and- twenty years old. The foUowhig were the positions of the sun, moon, and planets at that time : — Sun 2s 290 6' 34' Moon 2 29 5 S4 — — Node ascending 3 9 Mercury's geocentric L. ............ ~^ 16 Venus's do. 3 * ' 8 Mars's do. • 2*4 Japiter's do. 2 15 Saturn's do. 3 0 It appears from what is above said, that the begin- ning of FushycLy and that of Cancer y were supposed to coincide ; because it says that both the sun and mooxi entered Pushya : now the fact is, that in the time of Rama, no part of Pushya coincided with Cancer. We are therefore led to this important con- clusion, that the beginnifig of Cancer and that of PuLsh'^a coincided when the author of the Ramdyana wrote that work, and that he therefore concluded, though eiToiieously, that they were so in the time of Rama. Now this gives us a clue to ascertain the date of the Rdmayana. In the time of Rama, the beginning oi Cancer y or, which is the same thing, the beginning of the month Sravana, coincided with 3° 20' of the Luniar Asteiism Askshd ; and from thence to the beginning of Pushyd, is exactly 16° 40'. Now the beginning oi Cancer must fall back 16° 40' in respect of the fixed stars, before it could coincide with that of Pushya: — the precession was found equal to 3° 20' in 247 years and one month — therefore Digitized by Google OF THE HINDUS. 17 16^40'=12353^- 5"- from which subtract 940, and we get A. D. 295, the tune when the beginning oi Cancer and that of Pushya coincided, and consequently the period when the Ramayana was written. In thus giving the age of the Ramayana of Valmika, as it is called, I do not mean to say that the facts on which that romance was founded, in part, did not exist long before : on the contrary, my opinion is, that they did, and probably were to be then found in histories or oral traditions brought down to the time. The author of the Ramayana was more a poet than an astronomer, and being unacquainted with the pre- cession, he fell into the mistaJce alluded to ; for I do not suppose it was intentional, as that could answer no purpose. He made the like mistake, and from the same cause, in saying, that the moon at the birth of Rama, on the 9th of the moon of Chaitra, was in the Lunar Asterism Aditi, or PunarvOsu, which could not be the case. I have now, I think, shown pretty clearly the epoch of Rama from the positions of liie planets at his birth, as well as at the time he was invited by his father to share the government with him. There is, however, another important circumstance that oc- curred in the time of Rama, which we ought not to pass over, and which, while it also shows the time of that prince, points out a most material error in the chronology of the western world, in respect to certain points in history. The circumstance I allude to is what is generally called, or known by the name of, the War between the Gods and the Giants. I am not aware that any person has ever attempted to determine the time of this extraordinary fiction, which is somewhat singular, as there are sufficient data for that purpose to be met with. Digitized by Google 18 THE ANCIENT ASTRONOMY By what is stated in the Ramayana, it appears that Dasaratha, the father of Rama, had two wives, and that he made a promise to one of them, at the time of churning the ocean, that her issue should succeed to the throne, in preference to the children of the other. That in consequence of this promise, when he wished that Rama should be installed, he was opposed, and the compact he had unwarily entered into, brought forward as an argument against it; and as the pro- mise of the king could not lawfully be broken, Rama, his eldest son, and the real heir to the thione, was obliged to relinquish his right, and, in sorrow of heart, to betake himself to the wilderness, where he is said to have suffered great and many hardships. The fact here stated, is sufficient to show the time of the churning of the ocean, otherwise called the War between the Gods and the Giants^ that it must have taken place after the marriage of Dasaratha, hay, after the children were bom ; for it would be absui*d to suppose that any such promise could well be made or exacted, before there was actual issue inbeing to benefit by it. However, be this as it may, we have other data to show, not only the year, but the very day and hour to which it refers. Before we proceed, however, to the data, it will be proper, in this place, to give the Hindu descrip- tion of the churning of the ocean, and the subsequent battle, as a principal part of the evidence will be found to emerge therefrom. On this occasion, I shall employ Mr. Wilkins's translation, as given by him from Book i. chap. 15. of the Mahabharata, as being more full than what is to be found in the gene- rality of the Puranas. It runs thus : — '* There is a fair and stately mountain, and its name is Meruy a most exalted mass of glory, reflect- Digitized by Google OF THE HINDUS. 19 ing the sunny rays from the splendid surface of its gilded horns. It is clothed in gold^ and is the re- spected haunt of Devas (gods), and Gandharvas (ce- lestial singers). It is inconceivable, and not to be encompassed by sinful man; and it is guarded by dreadful serpents. Many celestial medicinal plants adorn its sides; and it stands piercing the heavens with its aspiring summit — a mighty hill, inacces- sible even by the human mind. It is adorned with trees and pleasant streams, and resoundeth with delightful songs of various birds. The Suras, and all the glorious hosts of heaven, having ascended to the summit of this lofty mountain, sparkling with pre- cious gems, and for eternal ages raised, were sitting in solemn synod, meditating the discovery of the AmHta, or water of immortality. The i>et;tf Nara- yana* being also there, spoke unto Brahma f whilst the Suras "][, were thus consulting together, and said, ' Let the ocean, as a pot of milk, be churned by the united labour of the Suras and Asuras^; and when the mighty waters have been stirred up, the Amrita shall be found. Let them collect together every medicinal herb, and every previous thing, and let tiiem stir the ocean, and they shall discover the Amrita.'' || ** There is also another mighty mountain, whose name is Mandar, and its rocky summits ^e like towering clouds. It is clothed in a net of the en- tangled tendrils of the twining creeper, and resound- eth with the harmony of various birds. Innumerable * Vishmi — time ; 2nd person of the Hinda triad. t Brahma — time \ 1st person of the Hindu triad. X Suras ; feigned deities, implying light § Aduras; feigned demons, imploring the opposite to light, or darkness. II Amrita ; the fabled liquor of immortalitj. Digitized by Google 20 THE ANCIENT ASTRONOMY savage beasts infest its borders; and it is the re- spected haunt of Kinnaras (celestial musicians), JDevaSy and Aiuras (celestial courtezans). It stand- eth eleven thousand yojans above the esurth, and eleven thousand more below its surface. As the united bands of Devas were unable to remove this mountain, they went before Vishnu, who was sitting with Brahma, and addressed them in these words : * Exert, O masters, your superior wisdom to remove the mountain MandaVy and employ your utmost power for our good.* Vishnu and Brahma having said, * It shall be according to your wish,' he with the lotus eye directed the king of serpents to ap- pear; and Ananta* rose, and was instructed in that work by Brahma, and commanded by Narayana, tp perform it. Then Ananta, by his power, took up that king of the mountains, together with all its forests, and every inhabitant thereof; and the Suras accompanied him into the presence of the Ocean, whom they addressed, saying, * We will stir up thy waters to obtain the Amrita' And the lord of the waters replied, * Let me also have a share, seeing I am to bear the violent agitations that will.be caused by the whirling of the mountains.