Surya Siddhanta timing and its two pole stars

Recently I came across an article by one Mr. Raja Roy regarding the timing of Surya Siddhanta (SS). In this article the author is refuting the claim of Mr. Nilesh Oak and Rupa Bhaty on linking the Surya Siddhanta timing to 12000BC.

I shall post my take on it as well as explain why two pole stars are mentioned in Surya Siddhanta, what does it mean and how it could be linked to the Surya Siddhanta’s initial point timing.

1. The SS obliquity is 24 degrees. In my book ‘Taming the Untamed’, which is a research work on the SS model as per my findings that are different from all the other writers, I have arrived at 24-degree obliquity in 1699BC.

   Nilesh and Bhaty arrived at 24-degree obliquity in about 12000 BC. They use modern model. Why should they use a modern model to explain something that is a nirayana model? So, wrong.

   Mr Raja Roy, on the other hand, says the SS obliquity was rounded off to 24 degrees against what it was in 580 CE. Well, the author certainly is going with the planetary alignment and the stars’ positions mentioned in the Surya Siddhanta to ascertain 580 CE and is not seeing the SS in totality.
2. In chapter 12, verse 43 and 44, that is translated by Burgess as under:

   “In both directions from Meru are two pole-stars (dhruva-tārā), fixed in the midst of the sky: to those who are situated in places of no latitude (niraksha), both these have their place in the horizon”

   All the authors link it to two pole stars, one being the North Pole star and the other being the South Pole star.

   To me, they are wrong. The verse says that there are pole stars in both the directions from Meru. Meru is North Pole in the SS terminology and thus how can one say that the two directions from it are North and South? Further, it is merely written that the two stars are visible at the equator at the horizon. Nowhere it is written that the two stars are only visible at the equator. Please note the SS verse is just mentioning that at the equator, one can see them at the horizon. This is fair. But obviously, the stars can be seen away from the horizon at other places as well.

   Hence, the two pole stars that are mentioned in the SS verse could just be the two Northern pole stars in the two directions (such as the left and right) from the North Pole.

   Now, if we go back in history, from 1700 BC to around 300AD, Kochab and Pherkad were twin northern pole stars, and it justifies my interpretation.

   Interestingly, it even matches the timing of the SS obliquity for 1700BC that I discovered using the SS model and which I have mentioned in point (1) above.

3. Linking the SS verse 12.46 to distance between the Sun and Earth or perihelion/ aphelion is wrong.

   The verse translation is “Hence, owing to his exceeding nearness, the rays of the sun are hot in the hemisphere of the gods in summer, but in that of the demons in winter: in the contrary season, they are sluggish.”

   In the verse 45, before this verse, it is told that when the Sun is from Aries until the beginning of Libra, it is with Gods (Devas), and the verse 46 is merely telling us that when the Sun is with Devas (i.e. from 0 Aries to 0 Libra), it is summer in the Northern hemisphere as the sun rays are teevra (intense).

   Nowhere the verse talks about the distance between the Sun and Earth. We all know today that the seasons are linked with the Earth tilt and not aphelion/ perihelion or distance between the Sun and Earth. Obviously, the SS verse 46 above is mentioning indirectly about that tilt only.

In a nutshell, if at all one is thinking of timing the initial point of the SS model based on all the above points, it has to be around 1700BC as explained.

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