History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.753.6

v4.c63.t2.753.6

eclipsed) at an unusual season (*aparvaṇi*) or simultaneously by Rāhu (vide Bhīṣmaparva 3. 28 and 32–33 and Aśvamedhikaparva 77. 15 ).¹⁷⁶⁷ Further, these very verses state that the eclipses of the Sun and the Moon took place on the *same day* and on the 13th and in the same month. Dr. Daftari interprets 'ekāhnā' as meaning on the same week-day and 'on the 13th tithi' (pp. 5-6 of his work) calculated according to the wrong method of those days. It is extremely doubtful whether week-days had been known or named at the time of the Bhārata war or even at the time of the composition of the Epic. It is too much to assume that the astronomers of the Mahābhārata war days, while they could predict eclipses and state accurately the position of the planets, were so clumsy as to allow a mistake of two *tithis* to occur in their calendar with respect to the occurrence of a solar eclipse. The words in Bhīṣmaparva 3. 28 and 32–33 appear to be a mere exaggerated statement of portents. If real observed eclipses are meant they would have to be taken in the order of the words in the text, viz. first an eclipse of the Moon (on Kārtika paurṇimā) and then an eclipse of the Sun (on Kārtika amāvāsyā) and further it must be assumed that the dark half of Kārtika contained only 13 days. Dr. Daftari (pp. 44–46 of his work) holds that first there was a solar eclipse on Āśvina amāvāsyā, then a lunar eclipse and then again a solar eclipse.