Vedic Astronomy

(Map) (Wiki)

Disclaimer: I am NOT a Vedic scholar nor an Indian historian and some of the content is very controversial (e.g. The Aryan Invasion).  However, what I have compiled, below, is only a personal aid to help me better understand Vedic Astronomy.  Although some cultural content is included by inference this page is meant to be about Vedic astronomy in a scientific context, only.  Expect many corrections. - tom

Time Notes

  

---------- Neolithic (10800 BCE -3300 BCE)

  • 8000 BCE–7000 BCE
    • Bhirrana
       
  • 7000 BCE to c. 2500 BCE (Neolithic)
    • Mehrgarth Culture (west of the Indus River, Bolan Pass
       
    • Edakkal Culture

       ---------- Bronze Age (3300 BCE - 1300 BCE)
      Indus Valley Civillization
       
  • 3300 BCE until 2800 BCE.
    • Early Harappan Culture (3300 BCE - 2600 BCE):  Ravi Phase, nearby Ravi River
       
  • 2800 BCE - Stonehedge
  • 2800 – 2600 BCE
    • Kot Diji - Sindh, Pakistan  near Mohenjo-daro, Early script
      Rehman Dheri and Pakistan
      Kalibangan on the Hakra River
       
  • 2600 BCE - 1900 BCE
    • Mature Harappan Culture (2600 BCE - 1900 BCE)
       
    • Vedic Civilization (2000 BCE - 500 BCE)
       
    • Late Harappan Culture 1900 BCE - 1300 BCE)
       
    • Babylonians (2000 BCE): charting the sky, motion of the Moon, Sun and 5 planets
      • Kidinnu (700 BCE) knows about "precession" causing the pole star to move


         ---------- Iron Age (1500 BCE - 200 BCE)
         
    • Vedic Civilization (1500 - 500)
       
      • 1400 BCE: Beginning of the Aryan Invasion (Sidharth)
         
      • 350 BCE: Herakleides suggest Mercury and  Venus revolves about the Sun
      • 150 BCE: Hipparchus (re)discovers precession

     

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    Indian Culture:

  • Hindupedia: Veda Rgveda

     

    Videos:

  • The Aryan Migration / Invasion & Influence on India

  • Aryans and Dravidians (Great Histories Part 2)
     

  • Dr. Satyajit Rath on "Aryan Dravidian Divide"

  • The Aryan Debate : 200 Years Old Question

  • Episode 2 | The Aryans

     

     
     

 
  • Authors:
    • Asko Parpola
    • B.G. Sidharth
      • "The Key to the Celestial Vedas" 1999 isbn 0-89281-753-4
    • Bal Gangadhar Tilak
      • "Artic Home in the Vedas" pub 1893 isbn 81-89297-18-x
      • "Orion" pub 1903 isbn 81-89297-16-3

    • Jane McIntosh

  • Archeological Sites:
  • Vedic Calendar:
    • Vedic Year begins with Winter Solstice
    • mid-March to mid-May: vasanta (spring)
    • mid-May to mid-July:  grishma (summer)
    • mid-July to mid-September: varsha (rains)
    • mid-September to mid-November: autumn
    • mid-November to mid-January: winter
    • mid-January to mid-March: sisira (dew)

       
  • Time Units:
    • Deva Ahorata = 1 solar year
    • Deva Vatsara = 360 Deva Ahoorata
                (see "Yugas," below)
      • Satya/Krita = 4800 Deva Vatsara
      • Treta =  3600 Deva  Vatsara
      • Dwapar = 2400 Deva Vatsara
      • Kali = 1200 Deva Vatsara
         
    • Chatur Yuga = 12,000 Deva vatsara
    • Manwantatr = 71 Chatur Yuga
    • Kalpa = 1000 Chatur Yuga
    • Brahma Ratra = 2 Kalpa
    • Brhma Varsha = 360 Brahma Rata
       
  • Numbers
    • 86,400,000 = 11 * 22 * 33 * 44 * 55

    •  
  • Earth Cycles
    • Note: 1 AU = 150,000,000 km or 93,000,000 miles
    • 100,000 year orbital stretch (ellipse to circle) varies as
      much as 18,000,000 km
    • 41,000 year tilt of Earth Axis (now 23.5 varies 21.5-24.5)
    • 23,000 year precession of the equino
    • Milankovitch Cycle
       
  • Moon
    • Tithi: 1 lunar day or longitudinal angle increases by 12-deg
    • Karana: half of tithi or 6-deg
    • Amavasya: lunar phase of new Moon. Often means new Moon
       
  • Asvins (i.e. twin)
    Planets: Mercury and Venus   or   Castor and Pollux or day and night or morning and evening stars or male female
     
  • Equinox
    The instant of time when the plane of Earth's equator passes through the center of the Sun .. twice each year: around 20 March and 23 September .. when the Sun is directly above the Equator (northern hemisphere in March is called the Vernal or Spring Equinox and the September equinox is called the Autumnal or Fall Equinox.
    And when the solar terminator (the "edge" between night and day) is perpendicular to the equator.
     
  • Indra
    Greatest of the Gods
  • Nakshatra (think "constellations")
    One of 28 Vedic Asterisms along the ecliptic. Each Nakshatras covers 13° 20’ of the ecliptic each. Each Nakshatra is also divided into quarters or padas of 3° 20’
     
  • Ribus: Earliest Astronomers
     
  • Rigveda: (cultural) Oldest of the Vedas (see)
    • Arya:
    • Dasyus: (servant/laborers) dark-skinned people
    • Dasas: (farmers)
    • Panis: (merchants)
    • Dravidians: Dravidian-speaking people found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka  (Ceylon)
    • Asuras:
       
  • Synodic Month
    The period between two successive new Moons or full Moons,
    29.5 days (making 354.0 days per year)
     
  • Sideral Month
    Time it takes Moon to complete 1 orbit, 27.3 days
     
  • Solstice
    The longest day of the year, June 21
    The Longesr night of the year December 21
     
  • Surya
    The name of the Sun
     
  • Syzygy:
    Straight line configuration (opposition or conjunction)
    that might result in an occultation, transit or eclipse
     
  • Tropical Year
    The time it takes the Sun to return to an equinox (365.2422 days used to keep seasons correct)
  • Vendanga Jyotisha
    One of six Vendanga disciplines: keeping track of time
     
  • Yuga 2 (controversial)
    4-age epoch or era of time