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Some Published Research Papers Authored By Saroj Bala
1. All four Varnas are the descendants of Manu From Manu to Vikramaditya:
An 8000-year Genealogy (8200 BCE TO 07 BCE)
Vaivastya Manu – The Ultimate Father of Greater Bharatvarsh:
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The research reveals that Vaivastya Manu was the ultimate progenitor of most of these ancient Indian dynasties. In most of the Puranas, Vaivastya Manu and Shradha have been described as having ten sons and one daughter, whose names are as follows (BP/9/2/1-2 and VP/4/1/6-7):
I. Ikshavaku
II. Nriga
III. Dhrishta
IV. Sharyati
V. Narishyant
VI. Nabhag
VII. Disht
VIII. Karush
IX. Prisadhra
X. Kavi
Daughter Ila: They had one daughter, Ila. She was the eldest child. She married Budha and gave birth to Pururava; many ancient dynasties of Bharatvarsh originated from him, and his descendants lived throughout the World. After that, Ila underwent a Sex change and became Sudyumna. These detailed studies concluded that Vaivastya Manu was the ultimate ancestor of most of India's ancient dynasties and of the ordinary people residing throughout Greater Bharat Varsh.
These are the brief details about the ten sons of the Vaivastya Manu:
1. Ikshavaku, the eldest son of Manu, was the most powerful, and he founded the influential Suryavamsha dynasty, in which Shri Ram was born. (VP/4/2/12). Among the sons of Ikshvaku, three names are considered the most important-
A. Vikukshi: The Suryavamsha Dynasty expanded from him. The Puranas list the names of 131 Kshatriya kings of this dynasty who ruled over the earth for over 5,000 years. Shri Ram was born in this dynasty.
B. Nimi: Nimi was the patriarch of this dynasty. King Janak was born in this region, and his daughter, Sita, married Lord Rama.
C. Dandak: He ruled over a large forest area known as Dandakavan. Under his leadership, various Vanavasi (Adivasi) tribes experienced significant growth.
2. Nriga: His son was Sumati, and his further descendants were Bhootjyoti, Vasu, Prateek, and Oghawan. Oghawan had a daughter who was married to Sudarshan.(BP/9/2/17-18).
3. Dhrishta: No significant details are available about Dhrishta. His descendants were known as Dhrishta Kshatriyas. Because of their noble deeds and profound knowledge, they later became Brahmanas. (BP/9/2/16-17).
4. Sharyati: He was a renowned Vedic Scholar. He had a daughter named Sukanya, who was married to the holy sage Chyavana Bhargava, s/o Bhrigu Ji. (VP/4/1/62).Thus, even the Bhargava Brahmans flourished from the daughter of Manu’s son. Sharyati also had a son named Anartta, who established the kingdom of Anarta in modern Gujarat. He and his descendants ruled over Anarta, with the capital at Kushasthali. (BP/9/3/1).
5. Narishyant: He is also known as Narahari. His successors were Chitrasen, Riksh, Midhvan, Kurcha, Indrasen, Veetihotra, Satyashrawa, Urushrava, Devadutt, and Agnivesh Ayan. He became the progenitor of the Agniveshyayan Gotra Brahmans. (BP/9/2/19-22).
6. Nabhag: Nabhag’s son was Ambrish; his son was Virup; Virup’s son was Prishadashv; and his son was Angiras. After establishing the Kshatriya race and performing the Brahminical rites, Nabhag attained the status of a Brahmin. From Angiras flourished the Angiras Brahmanas.
7. Disht: His son Nabhag-II adopted the profession of a Vaishya and thus became the forerunner of the Vaishya. He had a long list of descendants, including Bhalandhan, Kirtiman, Vatsapreeti, Pranshu, Prajapati, Khanitra, Chakshush, Vivinshak, Khaninetra, Ativibhuti, Karandham, Avikshit, and his son, Marut. Marut was a 14th-generation descendant of Disht; he was wealthy and powerful. He conducted the most lavish and unparalleled Yajna. Marut’s descendants were Dam, Rajyavardhan, Sudhriti, Kewal, Bandhuman, Vegwan, Bandhu, and Trinavindu. A noble Apsara named Alambusha married Trinavindu and gave birth to many sons and one daughter named Idvida. Through Idvida, Muni Vishrava, son of Pulastya, gave birth to Kuber. Trinavindu’s son, Vishal, established Vaishali Nagari. The list of his descendants is long, and many of them also ruled from Vaishali. (BP/9/2/22-
35).
8. Karusha: From him descended the mighty warriors named Karusha Kshatriyas, the sovereigns of the north.
9. Prisadhra: As a consequence of the mistaken killing of a cow when he was guarding them at night, Prisadhra was asked to serve the cows and the sages for some more time by way of atonement. After that, this noble soul chose to serve them for a long time; he took the Sannyasa vow and involved himself in selfless service. Thus, he laid the foundation for the service sector, and such people were later called Sudras, i.e., those who work with their hands and help others (BP/9/2/8-11).
10. Kavi: The youngest son, Kavi, also left behind royal life, relatives, and friends; he lived as a sanyasi, always remembering God Almighty, and achieved Nirvana (BP/9/2/15).
Ila was Manu;s first child. She married Budha, s/o Soma. A son named Pururava was born. A very large number of kings, communities, and professionals claim descent from Pururava. Yayati was included among his descendants. The more talented
among Yayati's sons were Yadu and Puru. The descendants of Yadu included Chandravamsha (Yaduvamsha) kings, who ruled the earth for thousands of years. Vasudev Krishna was the most prominent king of this dynasty. Believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, he was the most powerful and respected personality during the Mahabharata period and is still worshipped.
Pururava founded some of the most powerful dynasties, including the Kuru, Puru, Yadu, Panchala, and Brihdaratha dynasties. Emperor Ajameedh was the twenty-fifth descendant of Puru. Ajameedh had three sons: Brihdishu, Neel and Riksh. These three gave birth to many dynasties that settled in the north, south, east and west of Bharat Varsh.
The study of the Puranas indicates that in ancient times, particularly during the Mahabharata period, the number of men was much less than that of women. That is why there are many references to every eminent man having many wives, and increasing the number of men by producing more sons would have been considered a socially essential objective. Modern genetic studies also confirm this fact.
Thus, Manu was the true Rashtra-pita of nearly the entire population of Jambudweep/Greater Bharatvarsh. Most human beings, including Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Vanavasi tribes, are his descendants. The classification originated from the functions or duties in which they developed expertise or adopted. Incidentally, this historical reality also answers why many
Brahmanas are so intelligent and learned. Most of them are the descendants of the three sons of Manu and brothers of Ikshvaku: Sharyati, Narishyant, and Nabhag, who adopted the profession of Brahmanas because they were very bright, erudite scholars of the Vedas and experts in conducting Yajnas.
At the end of the last Ice Age, the Holocene, also known as the Nutan Yug, began approximately 11,700 years ago, according to the International Commission on Stratigraphy. Genealogies have been compiled from the Ikshvaku dynasty (approximately 10,000 years ago) to the Vikramaditya dynasty (approximately 2,000 years ago). Most Indians are familiar with India's history after Vikramaditya's rule and the Vikram Samvat era. The names of influential and mighty kings from various ancient lineages are listed below in sequence. The dynasties listed include 132 kings of the Suryavamsha, 61 kings of the Chandravamsha, and the sequential names of kings of many important dynasties, including Kuru, Panchala, Brihdaratha, Maurya, and the Guptas. All listed names are properly referenced in ancient texts.
2. Bhagavad Gita Conference organised by Varanasi Institute of History
on the 7-8 December, 2023 at Varanasi
Theory of Karma as enunciated in the Bhagavad Gita (Abstract)
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Eleven divisions of Duryodhana’s army and seven divisions of Yudhishthira’s army stood face-to-face in the battleground of Kurukshetra. When Arjun saw grandsire Bhishma, preceptor Drona, and many other venerated elders, he felt unsettled and told Shri Krishna that his body was trembling, his mind was whirling, and Gandiva was slipping from his hand and that he did not wish to fight the war to gain sovereignty.
At this juncture, through Arjun, Lord Krishna passed on to the World the great philosophy of Bhagavad Gita. Besides explaining different aspects of a righteous way of living, Shri Krishna explained the powerful philosophy of Karma Yoga/theory of Karma in great detail. He asked Arjun to do his Karma by fighting the war in order to protect righteousness. Shri Krishna at that time told Arjun that he need not grieve about the death of relatives and friends as the life of embodied beings had neither any beginning nor any end. The soul is eternal and changes bodies just as we change clothes. Shri Krishna, therefore, advised Arjun to perform his duties without getting attached to their results. The victory or defeat was not in his hands.
Lord Krishna further explained that one should work, be steadfast in devotion, abandon attachment, and be equanimous in success and failure. Action performed with attachment becomes the cause of bondage, while the same action if performed without attachment with evenness of mind, never becomes the cause of bondage.
In Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, Madhav has explained the unparalleled and exceptional philosophy of Karma yoga, which is the means of obtaining serenity of mind through selfless performance of actions. It is that path of spiritual evolution which highlights the importance of fulfilling all of one’s duties without any attachment to the actions or the results thereof. One has a right to choose noble or evil deeds. But once he has done those deeds, he cannot evade or avoid the fruits of those actions. The result of an action is inherent in the action itself.
Gita is a mandate for action. It has cautioned that one should never be attached to inaction. Inertia can never lead to perfection. Even if the duty is arduous, painful or unpleasant, one must not run away from it. Lord Krishna has taught that duty must be performed devotedly and wholeheartedly, but without a sense of attachment. The actions are done by the body, mind and intelligence, not by the soul. The actions of which fruits are not reaped in this life are carried to the next life through the soul. Through karma yoga one can lead a successful life in this world and also create a path to make a way for the other world.
Karma yoga is a spiritual practice the aim of which is to gain knowledge of the self, and one’s true nature. Not being attached to actions and their results, an aspirant for karma yoga performs his duties with an equanimous mind. Steadfast in inner composure, such a practitioner of karma yoga works with perfect serenity. As a result, his mind becomes more and more pure. A pure and tranquil mind is receptive to learning. It then becomes easier for one to attain the knowledge of the self.
That is why it has been stated that all works culminate in wisdom, and knowledge of the self. In other words, Karma yoga ultimately leads to jnana, the realisation of the self. By establishing such a relationship of trust with the Divine, he feels relaxed and free from fear. He becomes one with the Supreme Lord because the truth of the self is not different from the truth of the Supreme Lord.
If people from different communities and faiths follow these principles laid down in the Bhagavad Gita, the conflicts will automatically be resolved and entire mankind will be able to live together peacefully.
Saroj Bala
4. Eight kingdoms for Eight Princes
By Saroj Bala
Published in USA in 'Pearls of Ramayan' in February 2021 -
One look at the Map depicting modern day location of some important Ramayan places authenticates the facts stated in this chapter, particularly about the eight capital cities, which Shri Ram had got developed for eight princes and recent excavations proved their existence.
Capitals of kingdoms divided amongst 8 grandsons of King Dashrath
All 8 capital cities were developed as new cities
- Takshshila (Gandharva) – Belonged to Taksh, son of Bharat. Ref: VR/7/101/11
- Pushkalavat (Gandhar) – Belonged to Pushkal, son of Bharat. Ref: VR/7/101/11
- Chandrakanta (Mall Desh) – Belonged to Chandraketu, son of Lakshman. Ref: VR/7/102/8
- Angadiya (Karupath) – Belonged to Angad, son of Lakshman. Ref: VR/7/102/8
- Shravasti (North Kosal) – Belonged to Luv, son of Ram. Ref: VR/7/108/5
- Kushavati (South Kosal) – Belonged to Kush, son of Ram. Ref: VR/7/108/5
- Mathura (near Yamuna) – Belonged to Subahu, son of Shatrughan. Ref: VR/7/108/10
- Vidisha – Belonged to Shatrughati, son of Shatrughan. Ref: VR/7/108/10
Map depicts eight capital cities, developed by Shri Ram for the eight princes. These have been shown in blue color with their modern day locations, plotted using GPS. Limited Excavations have been carried out at all these eight places.
5. Mystery and Truth of Sarasvati River
By Saroj Bala
Published in Journals -
- Contemporary Art and World Civilization, Bangladesh National Museum, Dhaka - February, 2019
- Prof. Alok Tripathi Felicitation Volume September, 2020
Mighty River Sarasvati of ancient India had become ephemeral due to several reasons many millennia back. There are innumerable scientific proofs of its origin, development, and decay in the remote past. These include remote sensing imagery, literary and archaeological evidence, geological and hydrological evidence, geographical and hydrological evidence. Would it be justified to become blind, deaf, and dumb to all these testimonies of the existence, development, and decay of this grand River System because the plethora of scientific proofs could not be ignored if you have your eyes, ears and minds open.
It would be appropriate to conclude that Sarasvati in a sense is like modern India, having forgotten its heritage of Himalayan proportions, it got lost in a featureless desert. Only a few years back, the people of India started realizing the truth behind the dry courses of Sarasvati and their inseparable connection with our glorious heritage coming down through Vedas and Epics and in innumerable other ways. Scientific proofs based on literary references, satellite imagery, archaeological, geological, hydrological and geographical researches have proved that to consider Sarasvati as mythical is untrue and unscientific.
In fact ancient wisdom and modern technology should now combine to trace step by step evolution of mighty Sarasvati River System and then remind India that the greatest and the most ancient Vedic civilization flourished along the banks of ancient Sarasvati River System. Vedas were composed in the settlements along the course of the Sarasvati River and its tributaries. Rigveda is acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the oldest compilation of knowledge inherited by mankind. Reverence for our glorious past is a necessary element of patriotism. Allowing propagation of a false view of one’s own cultural heritage is not tolerance but self-betrayal.
6. Mahabharat Retold with Scientific Evidence
By Saroj Bala
Published in DIALOGUE, Volume 18 No. 3, 2017 -
After carrying out in depth research for 8 years, I have worked out sequential astronomical dates of events leading to Mahabharat war and of related events. These are also supported by scientific evidences from Archaeology, Archaeobotany, Geology, Remote sensing imagery, DNA studies etc. A Paper was posted on this blog on 19.3.2017, presenting these details.We received valuable critical comments during last three weeks. We worked on each one of these with utmost sincerity. As a result some minor corrections of great value have been made. Revised paper is now uploaded with the request that kindly indicate if this kind of astronomical date sequence of entire Mahabharat references is observed on any other dates. Dating of isolated references does not do justice to the historicity of this great Epic!
Abstract
Entire ancient history, revealed through Vedas and Epics, is capable of being re-constructed scientifically with accuracy by making use of modern scientific tools and technologies, which include planetarium software. The astronomical references of Rigveda could be observed in the sky between 7000 BCE and 5000 BCE, whereas those of Ramayan could be observed sequentially around 5100 BCE. The astronomical references of Mahabharat pertain to the sky views observed sequentially between 3153 BCE and 3102 BCE. For arriving at these dates, following approach & methodology were adopted –
More than one lakh slokas contained in nine volumes of Mahabharat (Parimal Publications) were scrutinized and astronomical references were extracted sequentially. Only those which were found in Critical Edition as well were identified for sequential dating. All translations were redone with the help of Sanskrit scholars and referring to dictionaries as some of the traditional translations were found to be not fully correct.
Astronomical references from Sabha parva, VanaParva, UdyogParva, BhismaParva, ShalyaParva, Shanti Parva, and MausalParva have been dated sequentially by making use of Planetarium software (Fogware). The internal consistency of astronomical dates with the text of Mahabharta was ensured. Astronomical dates calculated by almost all the scholars during last 130 years were analysed with respect and genuine efforts were made to provide the missing links and to make the dating more comprehensive.
VanaParva of Mahabharat reveals that in Mahabharat days asterisms were being counted from Rohini as equinox was on that. Astronomically there is precession of equinox by one degree in 72 years. Today Spring equinox is in 3rd quarter of PurvaBhadrapad Asterism; thus equinox has moved by more than 5.25 naksatras (Krttika, Bharani, Asvini, Revati, and Uttara Bhadrapada) since this reference in Mahabharata. This means that more than 5040 years (960 X 5.25) have passed. This took our research period for dating of Mahabharata references to 4000 BC – 3000 BC).
A more accurate translation of all the relevant slokas of chapters 2 and 3 of BhishmaParva, had enabled such accurate depiction of sequential sky views, which should be able to set at rest all controversies regarding the dating of Mahabharat war. Sky view of 19th December, 3139 BC, depicting Magh Shukla Saptami, a day before Bhishma’s demise and of September 14, 3139 BC, depicting all astronomical references of BhishmaParva observed six hours before solar eclipse of Kartik month are most exclusive, which do not get repeated on any other date; not even around 3067 BC, 1792 BC or 1472 BC.
Eleven sequential sky views covering a period of 52 years from 3153 BC to 3101 BC have been generated, using planetarium software (Fogware), which exactly match the descriptions in Mahabharat, are internally consistent and sequentially accurate. Evidences from archaeology, archaeobotany, palynology, oceanography, remote sensing and genetic studies have corroborated this date sequence of events recorded in Mahabharat. The kingdoms which supported Pandavas and Kauravas during Mahabharat war, have been plotted on the Map, which reveals that entire Greater India was involved in this war. This map also certifies the existence of Bharatvarsha as a Nation with defined boundaries for more than 5000 Years.
List of some important sequential sky views generated along with the dates on which these are recorded as observed at the time of important events narrated in Mahabharat is given in the full article. The list contains dates of Planetarium and Stellarium Skyviews and relevant references of Mahabharat text. References are from ‘Mahabharat’ of Parimal Prakashan (2008 Edition) translated by M N Dutt, edited by Dr. Ishwar Chandra Sharma and Dr. O N Bimali; all these are also included in critical edition ‘The Mahabharat’ by Vishnu S. Sukthankar. The reasons for certain discrepancies like observation of Solar Eclipse during night time or difference of 26 days in Stellarium and Planetarium skyviews have been given in the full article.
7. Mahabharat Retold with Scientific Evidence
By Saroj Bala
Published in WAVES 2016 Conference Procedings -
Entire ancient history, revealed through Vedas and Epics, is capable of being re-constructed scientifically with accuracy by making use of modern scientific tools and technologies, which include planetarium software. The astronomical references of Rigveda could be observed in the sky between 7000 BCE and 5000 BCE, whereas those of Ramayan could be observed sequentially around 5100 BCE. The astronomical references of Mahabharat pertain to the sky views observed sequentially between 3153 BCE and 3102 BCE. For arriving at these dates, following approach & methodology were adopted –
Technically, a tithi is said to be completed when the phase difference between the positions of Sun & Moon become integral multiple of 12. There are 30 tithis in a Chandra Maas, in which 15 tithis are of Krishna Paksh & 15 are of Shukla Paksh. After an aamavasya, phase difference between Sun & Moon starts increasing & goes to a maximum of 360°. If we divide 360° by 30 then the result comes out to be 12°, which is the value of a tithi.
In Indian Astrology, it is a convention to assume the start of a new tithi at the time of Sun rise irrespective of when the phase difference between Sun & Moon become integral multiple of 12. The tithi lasts till the next Sun rise. It means the tithi present at the time of Sun rise is considered as the tithi till next Sun rise. However, due to such a convention, sometimes a tithi does not come at all (also called as Kshaya tithi).
8. Scientific Dating of Ancient Events from 7000 BC to 2000 BC.
(Covering Rigvedic and Ramayan Eras)
Published in DIALOGUE, Volume 14 No. 3, 2014 -
The beginning of the Holocene (post last ice age) is now universally accepted to be around 12000 BP. Consequently the civilizations of the world naturally and simultaneously started developing near the rivers which initially started flowing due to the melting of glaciers near the Equator e.g. South India, Sri Lanka and Africa. When populations multiplied, these river waters became insufficient. Therefore some people started travelling from south to north. Such northward migration continued for several centuries and finally when these people from south India reached the banks of Himalayan Rivers, they got climatic conditions conducive to long term development of civilization on the banks of these rivers providing security of water, food and shelter for a very long time. Thousands of years later, when some of these Himalayan Rivers became non-perennial or started drying up, some of these people started moving towards Central Asia and Europe. As per ecologists this ecological cycle has been repeating itself and will get repeated after every ice age and during the beginnings of all Holocene cycles. Therefore the history of growth of civilization in the world, particularly of the Indian sub continent is not 4 to 5 thousand years old but it is more than 10,000 years old.
Shri Ram moved from place to place to spread the message of unity by showing very high level of respect for the people from backward tribes and those considered untouchable. He embraced Guh Nishad who belonged to a lower caste; he gave a strong message against untouchability by eating with great affection jootha berries of Bhilni (Shabri). He sent his wife and children to be brought up and educated by Maharishi Valmiki who is stated to be Shudra but was a great scholar in the ancient world. Shri Ram tried and succeeded in establishing victory of good over evil. He helped rishis and munis in living a life of honor. He got the kingdoms of small noble kings restored to them and acted as the biggest unifying factor.