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Text PAMHO:12681292 (113 lines)

From: Internet: "Vishnukanta (das) GKG (Govardhan - IN)"
<madhuananth@gmail.com>
Date: 06-Dec-06 08:56 (14:26 +0530)
To: GSBV (Govardhana Srimad-Bhagavatam Vidyapitham) Forum [19]
Subject: Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 198, Eclipses
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Digest 198, December 12th 2006. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami
Maharaja You are welcome to send in your questions to His Holiness Romapada
Swami at iskcondc@gmail.com with the word "Question" included in the subject
line

Eclipses
********

Q: How do we justify explanation of eclipses given in the Vedas as Rahu

swallowing Chandra etc, while science gives explanations of shadows of one
falling over other?

Answer: First, I would like to make a general comment that it is not quite
necessary to justify evidence from shastras or try to reconcile them in
light of modern discoveries. Vedic truths stand on their own authority and
also have their own deeper reason and logic even though it may not seem
evident to us. According to Vedic methods, the modern scientific methods are
lesser methods of arriving at truth and knowledge, and as we know all too
well, they are ever subject to revision. (Please see Digest #149 for more
detailed discussion on this topic). Thus whenever there seems to be a
discrepancy between Vedic statements versus the evidence of our sense
perception or empirical scientific experiments, we can assume that it is the
empiric conclusion that might be in need of justification and revision!

Let us now turn to have a clearer picture of what the Vedic sciences really
have to say about eclipses. Perhaps it may come as a surprise to some that
the explanation based on the shadow theory was not unknown to Vedic
astronomers. There has been, since time immemorial, a strong tradition in
Vedic culture where people's daily life was tightly interwoven with and
constantly regulated by astronomical and astrological considerations.
Intricate ritualistic ceremonies and religious duties were connected to
astronomical events, and complex astrological and calendrical calculations
were regularly performed by highly learned brahmanas. Vedic calendars since
ancient times have had accurate predictions of the eclipses. For example, we
hear in the pastimes of Krishna that once there was a rare type of solar
eclipse which was predicted by astronomical calculation, and people from all
over India traveled to arrive at Kurukshetra in anticipation of this
occasion. (Krishna Book Ch 82)

The body of Indian astronomical literature called jyotisha shastra gives

computational rules to predict the occurrence of both lunar and solar
eclipses and even compute the degree to which the disc of the sun or moon
will be obscured! These calculations are based on the model that eclipses
are caused by the passage of the moon in front of the sun or into the
earth's shadow. At the same time, rules are also given for calculating the
position of Rahu and another similar planet named Ketu, which are invisible
planets whose positions, notably, correspond to the ascending and descending
nodes of the moon (the points where the orbit of the moon intersects the
ecliptic, or the orbit of the sun), respectively. It turns out that either
Rahu or Ketu will always be lined up in the direction of any solar or lunar
eclipse. (Reference: Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy by Sadaputa Dasa)

Modern scholars tend to hypothesize that these calculations are probably

later introductions borrowed from the Greek, but there is no real evidence
to this and there is nothing that suggests that the transfer of knowledge
might not have happened the other way round, (viz. India to Greece) given
the fact that astrology and the influence of planets such as Rahu and Ketu
have played such a vital role in Vedic society for centuries. We can
conclude that these methods of calculation were in common use in India at
least since Krishna's time, i.e. 5000 years ago.

This may then raise the question that if such astronomical sophistication
was indeed known to Vedic sciences, then what about the stories involving
Rahu being the head of a demon decapitated by the Mohini incarnation. One
might tend to think that perhaps these are just superfluous or mythological
stories with no substance to them and were simply added on as poetic
interpretations to entertain the common man. However, Vedic accounts have
multiple levels of meanings embedded in them and thus descriptions of the
personalities such as Surya, Candra (the presiding deities of sun and moon),
or Rahu and Ketu need not preclude their simultaneously being astronomical
entities.

One may raise the objection that if these celestial bodies are in fact
controlled by divine personalities, how is it that they obey such precise
patterns and predictable natural laws. But even within our day-to-day
experience it is not impossible to find highly regulated protocols and
routine procedures being executed by human beings.

In summary, physical and astronomical explanation and calculation of

eclipses were an integral part of Vedic sciences, and in addition the
narration of Rahu chasing the sun and moon are not merely poetic myths but
factual accounts which may contain multiple levels of meaning, both
astronomical as well as involving personal deities.

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Past Questions and Answers: All previous digests with responses to more than
500 questions from 200 digests can be accessed at
http://www.romapadaswami.com/Inquiries/

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Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/bio.html
**************************
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--
Your insignificant servant,
Vishnukanta Das
(Text PAMHO:12681292) --------------------------------------

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