In Hindu scriptures,some ancient texts, particularly the Surya Siddhanta, provide surprisingly advanced astronomical knowledge.
1. Sun (Surya)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: The Sun’s movement around the center of the galaxy is cyclical, but Earth’s revolution around the Sun takes approximately 365.25 days (solar year).
- Nature: The Sun represents life, light, heat, and consciousness. It is a source of spiritual and physical vitality in Hindu philosophy.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: The Earth orbits the Sun in 365.25 days.
- Nature: The Sun is a G-type main-sequence star (G2V) at the center of the Solar System. It provides the energy required to sustain life on Earth and influences the planetary orbits via its gravitational pull.
2. Moon (Chandra)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: The Moon orbits Earth in about 27.3 days (sidereal month). The Sunlit Moon’s period is described as a year passing in two fortnights.
- Nature: The Moon governs emotions, mental states, nourishment, and cyclical transformation. It influences tides and symbolizes change.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: The Moon completes an orbit in 27.3 days (sidereal month). Its phases (New Moon to Full Moon) take about 29.5 days (synodic month).
- Nature: The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite, affecting tides and stabilizing Earth’s axial tilt, influencing climate. It plays a central role in Earth’s ecosystem and timekeeping.
3. Mars (Mangala)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: Mars takes about 687 Earth days (1.88 Earth years) to orbit the Sun.
- Nature: Mars symbolizes courage, aggression, and war. It is associated with strength, vitality, and action.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: Mars completes its orbit around the Sun in 687 Earth days.
- Nature: Mars, the fourth planet, is often called the “Red Planet” due to its iron oxide (rust) surface. It has been a focus of exploration for signs of past life and its potential for human colonization.
4. Mercury (Budha)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: Mercury takes 88 Earth days to complete its orbit, the shortest among all the planets.
- Nature: Mercury represents intellect, communication, and adaptability.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: Mercury orbits the Sun in 88 Earth days.
- Nature: Mercury is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun. It has extreme temperature variations due to its lack of atmosphere, and it is highly cratered.
5. Jupiter (Brihaspati)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: Jupiter takes about 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun.
- Nature: Jupiter symbolizes wisdom, growth, and spiritual knowledge. It is the teacher of the gods.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: Jupiter completes its orbit in 11.86 Earth years.
- Nature: Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System, a gas giant made mostly of hydrogen and helium. It has an extensive magnetic field and dozens of moons. Its Great Red Spot is a notable atmospheric feature.
6. Venus (Shukra)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: Venus orbits the Sun in about 225 Earth days.
- Nature: Venus represents love, beauty, luxury, and material comfort.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: Venus completes an orbit around the Sun in 225 Earth days.
- Nature: Venus is similar in size to Earth but has a thick toxic atmosphere that traps heat, making it the hottest planet. It rotates in the opposite direction of most planets, a phenomenon known as retrograde rotation.
7. Saturn (Shani)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: Saturn takes 29.5 Earth years to complete one orbit.
- Nature: Saturn represents discipline, karma, and hard work. It is often considered the taskmaster planet.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: Saturn’s orbital period is 29.5 Earth years.
- Nature: Saturn is the second-largest planet and is famous for its ring system made of ice and rock. It has several moons, including Titan, the second-largest moon in the Solar System.
8. Rahu and Ketu (Lunar Nodes)
Hindu Description:
- Duration of Revolution: Rahu and Ketu take about 18.6 years to complete one full revolution around the zodiac.
- Nature: Rahu represents material desires, and Ketu symbolizes spiritual enlightenment and detachment.
Modern Science:
- Duration of Revolution: Rahu and Ketu are mathematical points where the Moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic, taking 18.6 years for a full cycle.
- Nature: As non-physical points, Rahu and Ketu influence eclipses and have significant astrological importance. They represent the nodes of the Moon, impacting the cosmic balance.
No ancient culture explicitly stated that planets revolve around the Sun,except hindu scripture
1. Ancient Greek Astronomy
- Geocentric Model (Ptolemaic): Greek astronomers, including Ptolemy, believed in a geocentric model, where Earth was the center of the universe. The planets, including the Sun and Moon, were thought to move around the Earth in complex orbits.
- Heliocentric Idea (Early): Although the heliocentric theory wasn’t fully developed until Copernicus, the Greek philosopher Aristarchus of Samos (circa 310–230 BCE) suggested that the Sun, rather than the Earth, was the center of the universe. However, his ideas were not widely accepted, and the geocentric model dominated Western thought for centuries.
2. Babylonian Astronomy
- Geocentric Model: Like the Greeks, the Babylonians followed a geocentric view of the universe. Their observations of planets like Venus and Jupiter were based on their movements across the night sky but didn’t imply that these planets revolved around the Sun. They tracked the planets’ synodic cycles to predict positions but maintained Earth as the center of the cosmos.
3. Mayan Astronomy
- Planetary Cycles: The Mayans were keen observers of celestial movements, particularly Venus, but their cosmology didn’t describe the planets revolving around the Sun. Instead, they saw Venus as an important symbol, often associating its movements with gods and cycles of life.
- Geocentric Views: Like other ancient cultures, Mayans had a geocentric understanding of the cosmos. Their calendars, such as the Dresden Codex, tracked planetary positions in relation to Earth.
Vedic References to the Sun’s Gravitational Influence:
- Rig Veda 1.35.9:
- “The Sun moves in its orbit, holding the Earth and other heavenly bodies in place with its force of attraction, preventing them from colliding.”
- This suggests an awareness of the Sun’s central role in the cosmos, with a force that maintains the stability of celestial bodies, preventing them from colliding, much like the modern understanding of gravitational forces.
- Atharva Veda 4.11.1:
- “The Sun holds the Earth and other planets in place, similar to a bull pulling a cart.”
- This metaphor compares the Sun’s influence to that of a bull pulling a cart, again symbolizing control or stability. It emphasizes the Sun’s central role in organizing the celestial bodies.
- Taittiriya Branch of Krishna Yajurveda:
- “The Sun holds the Earth in space with its power of attraction, which implies that the Earth also has an attractive force.”
- This passage seems to suggest a mutual interaction, where the Earth also exerts an attractive force, which is a concept that could be loosely connected to the modern idea of gravity.
- Rig Veda 1.103.2:
- “The gravitational effect of the solar system keeps the Earth stable.”
- This passage appears to describe the stabilizing influence of the Sun and the other celestial bodies in a way that resonates with modern understandings of the gravitational pull in the solar system.
- Yajurveda 33.43 says, “The sun moves in its own orbit in space taking along with itself the mortal bodies like earth through force of attraction”
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