ARCHAEOASTRONOMY OF THE VEDIC

DARS’A--PURN.AM
DARS’A PURN.AMĀSA
ĀSA ALTAR

R.N. IYENGAR
JAIN UNIVERSITY, BANGALORE
V.H. SATEESHKUMAR
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY,
UNIVERSITY USA

TIFR ARCHAEOASTRONOMY MEET 16

16-17,
17 FEBRUARY 2011

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 1
Darsha‐purnamāsa Ishti also called  DP‐Yaga has direct astronomical 
connection with the Moon. 
Darsha=New Moon
Darsha=New Moon
Purnamāsa=Full Moon
The ritual is ordained to be observed under the Shrauta system which is 
ll d d h d l
very well recorded in the Vedic Kalpa texts. 

WE SEE THAT DP‐ISHTI WAS NOT ONLY A YAJNA/YAGA BUT WAS TAKEN 
WE SEE THAT DP‐ISHTI WAS NOT ONLY A YAJNA/YAGA BUT WAS TAKEN
TO BE PRESCRIBED BY THE RIGVEDA AND THE YAJURVEDA. THE 
MANTRAS USED IN DP APPEAR IN THE KYV , TAITTIRIYA BRAHMANA 
TEXT EXTENSIVELY.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RIGVEDIC CONNECTION?
THIS IS THE FOCUS OF THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION
R. SHAMA SASTRY  (REF: VEDIC CYCLE OF ECLIPSES 1938) HAS POINTED 
OUT THAT DP RITES ARE LINKED WITH THE CALENDAR.  

SHATAPATHA BR. (XI.1.2.10) REFERS TO THE  DP RITES AND THE 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLAR AND LUNAR YEARS.
“
“…..PERFORM FM & NM SACRIFICES FOR 15 YEARS. IN THESE THERE ARE 
&
360 FM & NM. THERE ARE 360 NIGHTS IN A YEAR. HE GAINS THESE 
NIGHTS (IN 15 YEARS). IF HE PERFORMS DP‐YAGA FOR ANOTHER 15 
( )
YEARS, HE GAINS A YEAR ITSELF. “ 

THE LUNAR YEAR WAS 360 TITHI LONG.  THE SOLAR YEAR WAS 371/372 
THE LUNAR YEAR WAS 360 TITHI LONG THE SOLAR YEAR WAS 371/372
TITHI LONG. THE DIFFERECE WAS 12 TITHIS WHICH MAKE UP 
12 X 30=360 THAT IS ONE FULL LUNAR YEAR IN THIRTY YEARS. AFTER 
SUCH 30 YEARS THE TWO CYCLES WERE EXPECTED TO COINCIDE THIS
SUCH 30 YEARS THE TWO CYCLES WERE EXPECTED TO  COINCIDE . THIS 
IS CALLED THE DĀKSHAYAN.IYA MENTIONED ALSO IN THE KĀTYĀYANA
S’RAUTA.  
HENCE WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT LONG TIME OBSERVATION OF MOON 
WAS NECESSARY AND INFACT CORRELATED WITH DP‐SACRIFICES.
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 3
 DP--VEDI
DP
or
ANTARVEDI

COMPILED
BY
Pt. V.R. PARANJAPE
PROFESSOR OF
PURVA-MIMĀMSA,
SANSKRIT COLLEGE,
MYSORE

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 4
 CONSTRUCTION OF DP‐VEDI AS PER THE S’ULBA SUTRAS
East
A 48 D
EW=96 angula
FIRST AN ISOSCELES 
ABCD=5376 sq 
ABCD=5376 sq
TRAPEZIUM 
angula
SYMMETRICALLY LAID 
OUT ABOUT E‐W
OUT ABOUT E W LINE 
LINE
Nothing special !
IS 
CONSTRUCTED.
But this is 
64 C
reduced in a very 
B
West peculiar 
deliberate 
deliberate
fashion.

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 5
WITH C&D FIXED POINT F 
IS CHOSEN SUCH THAT 
DF=CF=CD 
PERPENDICULAR TO CD
PERPENDICULAR TO CD. 
AN ARC OF A CIRCLE 
WITH CENTRE AT E IS 
DRAWN PASSING 
F
THROUGH C AND D. THIS 
IS REPEATED ON THE 
NORTHERN SIDE. ALSO 
ON THE OTHER TWO 
SIDES TO GET THE
SIDES TO GET THE 
PECULIAR DOLL SHAPED 
FIGURE. WHY THIS SHAPE 
AND REDUCTION IN
AND REDUCTION IN 
AREA? DC‐DF=CF
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 6
THE DP‐VEDI IS CALLED ANTARVEDI IN THE SHROUTA PRAYOGA OR 
PRACTICAL BOOKS. 
THIS IS BETWEEN THE AHAVANIYA AND THE GāRHAPATYA ALTARS.  
THIS IS BETWEEN THE AHAVANIYA AND THE GāRHAPATYA ALTARS
AHAVANIYA IS TO THE EAST ABOVE THE DP‐VEDI.  
GāRHAPATYA IS TO THE WEST BELOW THE DP‐VEDI.

VEDIC SYMBOLISM

GĀRHAPATYA IS THE EARTH                                    (S’a.Br 7.1.1.13)

ĀHAVANIYA IS THE SKY                                            (S’a.Br. 8.2.1.2)
DP‐VEDI IS IN BETWEEN. THAT IS THE ANTARVEDI.
IS IN BETWEEN THAT IS THE ANTARVEDI

THIS SYMBOLISM PROVIDES THE CLUE THAT THE DP‐VEDI IS SOME TYPE 
OF REPRESENTATION FOR THE MOON HENCE THE FIGURE IS CALLED
OF REPRESENTATION FOR THE MOON. HENCE THE FIGURE IS CALLED 
DĀRSHIKI OR DARS.A‐PURN.AMĀSA VEDI IN THE SULBA TEXTS.

WHAT PHYSICALLY OBSERVABLE SKY PICTURE COULD HAVE LEAD THE 
ANCIENTS TO THIS REPRESENTATION OF THE MOON?
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 7
 Āhavaniya

DP VEDI

Dakshinagni

Garhapatya

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 8
 AREA OF THE DP‐VEDI

AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE BEHIND VEDIC ALTARS IS THEIR SHAPE AND 
AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE BEHIND VEDIC ALTARS IS THEIR SHAPE AND
THE AREA.  

AREA EQUIVALENCE PLAYED A ROLE IN CIRCLING THE SQUARE AND 
SQUARING THE CIRCLE. THIS LEAD TO APPROXIMATE VALUES OF 
IRRATIONAL NUMBERS π , √2 AND √3.

THE AREA OF THE CUT OUT ARC REGION = (π/6 - √3/4) CD2

The length of the side CD is 96⅓ units, which is slightly more than the 
height of the trapezium. The area cut out on the four sides of the 
trapezium can be found to be 2261 units. 
i b f d b 2261 i

HENCE THE EXACT AREA OF THE

DP-VEDI FIGURE IS = 3115 sq. angula
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 9
The above EXACT value is based on the presently known accurate values 
of the irrational numbers π and √3. 

However in the Vedic period the priests handled these irrational 
numbers rather approximately and perhaps computed the area of the 
pp y p p p
arc by dividing it into squares and triangles. 

What area the manuals aimed at for the DP‐altar?

What area the manuals aimed at for the DP‐altar? 

The best of the ancient approximations were
π = 3.0885 and √3 = 26/15                           (Ref:  Sen and Bag)

Hence the area they implied to remove from the trapezium 
Hence the area they implied to remove from the trapezium
was equal to 2032 square units making the area of the altar 
to be 3345 units. 

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 10
There is one unknown step here in that we do not know 
whether the priests took the length of CD as 96 or more 
correctly as 96⅓.  Probably they took the correct value since 
the  so called Pythagorean relation was already known to 
them.  
them

However in the former case the area of the DP
However in the former case the area of the DP‐altar
altar would 
would
have been 3334 units. The above two numbers are the best 
estimates of the area of the DP‐altar of the Vedic period. 

This result is remarkable since the average of the two values 
h
happens to be 3339, a number stated twice in the R
t b 3339 b t t d t i i th Rgveda for  d f
invoking a special agni  called SAUCIKA‐AGNI by a group of 
deities called VIŚVEDEVĀH for a celestial sacrifice linked with 
deities called VIŚVEDEVĀH for a celestial sacrifice linked with
the MOON.
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 11
TWO OF THE HYMNS USED IN THE DP‐RITES ARE ALSO FROM THE 
SAUCIKA HYMNS OF THE RIGVEDA 10TH BOOK 

IN THE RITUAL NO FIRE IS LIT ON THE DP‐VEDI.

IT IS SPECIALLY CREATED FOR  INVOKING THE  PITRS (ANCESTOR 
(
DEITIES), AND VIŚVEDEVĀH . DARBHA GRASS IS SPREAD FOR THE 
INVOKED DEITIES CALLED BARHISHADA.

THE ABOVE  POINTS PROVIDE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE 
DP‐VEDI IN THE DP‐RITUAL
DP‐VEDI IN THE DP‐RITUAL 

AND ITS ASTRONOMICAL BACKGROUND GOING BACK TO THE RIGVEDA .

SAUCIKA HYMNS (RV 10.51, 52, 53) ARE ABOUT AGNI, VIŚVEDEVĀH , & 
SOMA THAT IS MOON

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 12
Hymn (10.51) is in the form of a conversation between devāḥ and agni, where in 
(v.2), agni wonders ‘how many gods have clearly beheld my form’. There is also an 
allusion, like in RV (3.9) considered previously, to agni hiding in secret places. The 
legend outlined in the hymn is briefly as follows.  Agni had three elder brothers who 
were doing the work of carrying sacrificial offerings to gods. The three died due to 
the harsh vasat sounds uttered during the sacrifices. Hence the youngest fire known 
as Saucīka fearing the same treatment will befall him was hiding in waters, till 
S īk f i h ill b f ll hi hidi i ill
viśvedevāh found him and requested him to come out and help in carrying sacrificial 
offerings to gods. 

VIŚVEDEVĀH COUNTED AS 
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 3339 IN THIS HYMN13
agni mentions aśvins as the adhvaryus and samidh or moon as the Brahman in the 
yajna. Quite cryptically this samidh is offered as oblations to aśvins.  The Vedic 
tradition does not identify aśvins with any specific celestial object but is quite clear 
that samidh should be equated with soma and the moon. The next verse (v.3) 
alludes to counting of days or nights, where the reference is to one who springs to 
life month by month and each day (aharahar jāyate māsi māsi). The conclusion that 
this should be a reference to moon is unavoidable.  Agni being honoured by 3339 
hi h ld b f i id bl A i b i h d b 3339
gods is the theme of the last verse (v.6) of this hymn.

Agni has arrived with the life (TIME) given to him by the gods 
Agni
(10 53)
(10.53): has arrived with the life (TIME) given to him by the gods
and has made our offerings to the gods auspicious. We have obtained 
(UNDERSTOOD) the secret of the sacrifice.

The poet is describing a lunar eclipse, since moon as per the previous 
g
verse was the sacrificial offering.  Moon was also the Brahman who in 
Vedic parlance is the presiding officer during a sacrifice. The word also 
means one who had grown big indicating a full moon. The life given to 
AGNI by the gods can be guessed to be connected with the number
AGNI by the gods can be guessed to be connected with the number 
3339. This secret of AGNI who was the tongue of gods for drinking soma
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 14
was known to the composer.
Agni is asked by VD to follow the sun protecting the luminous path, 
which is a poetic but unmistakable reference to the ecliptic. The deities
eligible to partake soma are asked to arrive in a chariot that is
eight cornered or is bound eight fold.
Hymn (10 55)
Hymn (10.55)
He is woken up from his slumber running his course with many around him.
He who died yesterday is living today. (V.5)

The next verse (v.6) is even more cryptic mentioning the arrival of the ancient
red bird which has no nest to rest (arunah suparnah anīdah).
If the
th poetic
ti language
l i disentangled
is di t l d the
th context
t t is
i off a celestial
l ti l eventt in
i which
hi h
moon is seen and an apparition of red colour also appears. Mention of the red
colour of moon makes a strong case for taking this hymn to be describing a total
lunar eclipse.
p

The summary of the archaeo-astronomical information contained in the

above four hymns is:

the night sky is described when moon’s colour turned red due to the
arrival of saucīkāgni brought
2/19/2011
in by viśvedevāh numbering 3339. 15
RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE
TRADITIONALLY RV HYMNS ARE MEANT TO BE INTERPRETED 
IN THREE WAYS

ADHIYAJNA, ADHIDAIVA & ADHYATMA.

ADHIYAJNA:                   SACRIFICIAL, RITUAL MEANING
ADHIDAIVA:
ADHIDAIVA:                  MEANING AS GODS, CELESTIALS
MEANING AS GODS, CELESTIALS
ADHYATMA:            PHILOSOPHICAL, ESOTERIC, MYSTIC
SOMA IN THE ADHIDAIVA MEANING IS THE MOON
Candramā vai somo devānāmannam tā
pournamāsyāmabhisunvanti (Śa. Br. 11.1.5.3)

(YĀSKA’S NIRUKTA 11.4-5)

atha adhidaivatam|
somam yam brahmāno
brahmāno viduh
viduh candramasam
candramasam na tasya aśnāti
kaścana deva iti||
2/19/2011
somo rūpaviśes aih osadhih candramā vā
RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 16
THE VEDIC EVIDENCES ARE INDIRECT.  DEVAS DRINK SOMA. DRINKING MOON IS THE 
WANING OF THE MOON. THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN THE DARK FORTNIGHTS. PURANAS 
ARE QUITE CATEGORICAL ON THIS MODEL AND THE NUMBER 3339

Brahmanda purana
bhaksārtham amrtam somah pournamāsyām upāsate |
ekām
k rātrīm
t suraih
ih sarvaih
ih pitr
it bbhih
hih sarsiibhih
bhih saha
h ||
somasya krsna-paksādau bhāskarābhimukhasya tu |
praksīyante pitr-devaih pīyamānāh kalā-kramāt
trayaśca trimśataścaiva trayah
trayah-trimśat tathaiva ca |
trayaśca tri-sahasrāśca devāh somam pibanti vai ||
ityetaih pīyamānasya krsnā vardhanti vai kalāh |
ksayanti
ks ayanti tasmāt śuklāśca krsnā
krsnā āpyāyayanti ca || (I-
(I 23.66
23 66-69)
69)

Moon is approached by all the deities, manes and rsis for a night  on Full moon, for 
partaking amr
p g ta. From the beginning of the dark fortnight, parts of moon facing sun, 
g g f f g ,p f f g ,
decrease being drunk by pitr‐devatās digit by digit.

Three hundred and three, then thirty‐three and again three thousand and three gods 
drink soma. (33+303+3003=3339)
Being drunk this way, the dark digits increase with corresponding decrease in the 
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 17
bright digits.
The count started on a Full Moon to proceed till amāvāsya 
and stopped till the next Full Moon, to repeat again in the 
same fashion with gaps in the bright fortnight.  

This number is the count of tithis in the dark fortnights 
This number is the count of tithis in the dark fortnights
summed up as 3339 sequentially for a special purpose. 

If both the fortnights were to be included, this count would 
be 6678 tithis.
Now, at the rate of thirty tithis per lunation, this long count is 
equal to 222.6 lunations, which in round figures is the eclipse 
cycle of 223 synodic months. 
l f 223 di th
Vedic months were lunar but the year was solar. It is known 
from the Vedāńga Jyotisaa one solar year was taken to have 
from the Vedāńga Jyotis one solar year was taken to have
371 tithis.
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 18
RV number 3339, which is half of 6678, is a proxy for 18
solar years.
Agni, viśvedevāh, yajna
 and somapāna described in
some places of RV are symbols or metaphors for
explaining the celestial phenomenon of similar lunar
eclipses.

The number 3339 was the Vedic long count of nights

or tithi linked with lunar eclipses occurring near the
same naksatra.

R N IYENGAR: IJHS (2005) NO

R.N. NO. 3339 IN THE RIGVEDA

K.D. ABHYANKAR: IJHS (2006) Note: In support of the above

R.N. IYENGAR: IJHS (2009) CONNECTION BETWEEN

VEDANGAJYOTISHA
2/19/2011
& THE LONG COUNT 3339
RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 19
WE ARE NOW IN A BETTER POSITION TO UNDERSTAND THE DP‐VEDI 
AND ITS SPECIAL GEOMETRY.

THE MODEL OF SOMA‐PĀNA REPRESENTS UNCANNY SCIENTIFIC 
NATURALISM. 

MOON BECOMES VISIBLE IN THE MORNING ALSO IN THE BRIGHT 
FORTNIGHTS WHEN OBSERVATION IS DIFFICULT. 

During (and only during) Kris.n.a

Kris n a Paks.a
Paks a one can see the
moon rise at night.

It happens
h soon after
ft the
th sunsett on the
th Full
F ll Moon
M day
d and
d
then delayed everyday by about 50 minutes.

This is the justification for counting only the dark fortnights

in the 3339 viśvedevāh model!
2/19/2011 .
RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 20
IT IS MOST LIKELY THE COUNT OF THE DARK NIGHTS WAS
KEPT ON THE GROUND WITH PEBBLES OR STONES
APPROXIMATELY MARKING THE POSITION OF THE MOON
AS SEEN IN THE SKY.
QUITE SURPRISINGLY IN THE SOLAR ECLIPSE
DESCRIPTION IN THE RIGVEDA (RV 55.40)
40) THERE IS A
REFERENCE TO ATRI BRINGING TOGETHER STONES TO
RELEASE THE SUN FROM THE SHADOW,,

THE VARIATION IN THE DECLINATION OF THE MOON WHICH

SWINGS FROM 18 DEGREES TO 29 DEGREES GIVES THE
PECULIAR SHAPE. THIS CAN BE EASILY VERIFIED
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 21
 Position of moon in the sky Position of  moon for 3339 
plotted with the Celestial Equator consecutive nights only in the 
as the dark fortnights starting from 
7th Sept 2006 a lunar eclipse
Sept 2006 a lunar eclipse
E-W line covering 18.6 years or
230 lunations ( ).

On 18th Sept 2024 a lunar 
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 22
eclipse is possible
 DP YĀGA IN PROGRESS
OBSERVE THAT THERE IS
NO FIRE IN THE ANTARVEDI
ONLY DARBHA GRASS IS
2/19/2011 SPREAD.
RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 23
 SUMMARY

Ā
DP‐RITES ARE CALLED YAJN~A BY ĀPASTAMBA A CELEBRATED 
AUTHORITY ON VEDIC RITUALS.  HE ASSIGNS THE 
PRESCRIPTION OF THE DP RITES TO RIGVEDA AND THE
PRESCRIPTION OF THE DP‐RITES TO RIGVEDA AND THE 
YAJURVEDA.  

FORTUNATELY DP‐RITES ARE OBSERVED BY SOME PERSONS 
TO THIS DAY AND HENCE THE DP‐ALTAR CONSTRUCTION AND 
SHAPE HAS AN UNBROKEN TRADITION.  

THE ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THE ALTAR AND 
THE ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THE ALTAR AND
THE RITUAL IS NOT EXPLAINED IN ANY TEXT EXCEPT FOR 
VAGUE REFERENCES ALLUSIONS METAPHORS
VAGUE REFERENCES, ALLUSIONS, METAPHORS….
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 24
THE YAJURVEDIC TEXTS WHICH PROVIDE DETAILS OF THE
DP-RITES DO NOT ASCRIBE ANY SPECIAL ASTRONOMICAL
SYMBOL TO THE DP-VEDI.
DP VEDI

THE SUTRAS THAT DESCRIBE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE

DP VEDI ARE ALSO SILENT ON THE SECRET BEHIND ITS
DP-VEDI
SHAPE AND AREA.

BUT THE RV SAUCIKA HYMNS & THE 3339 VIŚVEDEVĀH

UNAMBIGUOUSLY POINT OUT THE ARCHAIC ASTRONOMY
BEHIND THE DP-VEDI
DP-VEDI.

IT IS SURMISED THE SAUCIKA HUMNS OF RV REFLECT A

FORGOTTEN SCIENCE THAT WAS KNOWN DURING ITS
PERIOD.
THE BRIHADDEVATA SUPPORTS THIS CONCLUSION SINCE
IT LISTS THE NAME OF SOME FORTY SEERS WHO KNEW
2/19/2011 THE SECRET RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE
BEHIND THE VIŚVEDEVĀH. 25
USING ONLY AVAILABLE TRADITIONAL TEXTUAL
EVIDENCES THE ASTRONOMICAL BASIS OF THE
DP-ALTAR IS FOUND TO BE LINKED TO THE
NUMBER 3339 OF THE RIGVEDA

THIS NUMBER IN TURN IS A LONG COUNT OF

TITHIS IN THE DARK FORTNIGHTS
REPRESENTING THE
SO CALLED SAROS OF ~18-YEARS

WRONGLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CHALDEANS BY

MAIN STREAM HISTORIANS & SCIENTISTS.

2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 26
2/19/2011 RN IYENGAR‐BANGALORE 27