History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.185

v6.c82.185

⁷⁴⁶ आसन्मघासु मुनयः शासति पृथिवीं युधिष्ठिरे नृपतौ। षड्द्विकपञ्चद्वियुतः शककालस्तस्य राज्ञश्च॥ एकैकस्मिन्नृक्षे शतं शतं ते चरन्ति वर्षाणाम्॥ Several purāṇas mention that the Saptarṣis were in Maghā at the time of Parīkṣit and that they are in one nakṣatra for a hundred years Vide वायु 99 421-23, मत्स्य 273 42-44. on बृ सं 13 3-4, उत्पल quotes a verse of Vṛddha Garga who is earlier by some centuries than वराहमिहिर "कालिद्वापरसन्धौ तु स्थितास्ते पितृदैवतम्। मुनयो धर्मनिरता प्रजाना पालने रताः॥" पितरः are the deity of मघा. In the विष्णुपुराण IV. 33. 34 it is said that at the time of king Parīkṣit the Saptarṣis were in Maghā nakṣatra In बृहत्स 13. 2 वराह promises that he would follow the doctrines of वृद्धगर्ग about the motion of Saptarṣis (Ursa Major) According to the Śalyaparva of the Mahābhārata (chap. 37. 14-15) Vṛddha-Garga was an adept in the computation of time and in auspicious and inauspicious phenomena and a holy place on the Sarasvatī river was named Gargasrotas, which Balarāma is said to have visited. Therefore, Vṛddhagarga must have preceded Varāha by many centuries.