Ancient Vedic astronomy predates Greek influence by over 1,500 years — and a newly edited Sanskrit manuscript called the Mahasalilam proves it.
Prof. R.N. Iyengar presents his landmark scholarly work decoding the Mahasalilam, a pre-Vedanga Jyotisha text that constitutes what may be the earliest extant compendium of Indian astronomical knowledge. Drawing on the manuscript’s own cosmological framework, he walks through its treatment of Rahu as an eclipse-predicting six-month cycle, the nakshatra system with Rohini as the primordial single star, the ordering of planets by brightness (Rashmi numbers), and 101 named comets — explaining why the Navagraha shloka still uses “Kethun” in the plural. He challenges Western scholars like David Pingree who dismissed Indian astronomy as derivative, showing that the Mahasalilam independently establishes a Magadhi epoch circa 1800–2300 BCE, predating Lagadha’s Vedanga Jyotisha.
The lecture closes with a rich Q&A covering Mount Meru as a cosmic concept, the movement of Dhruva (pole star) dated to 2850 BCE, the earliest precursors of zero in lunar kala mathematics, and why the Sanskrit word Varsha encodes both “rain” and “year” — pointing to India’s oldest astronomically determined new year.
About the Speaker:
Professor R. N. Iyengar (B.E., M.Sc(Eng), Ph.D.) is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor and Director of the Centre for Ancient History and Culture (CAHC) at Jain University, Bangalore, where he has been leading research in Indian Knowledge Systems and the History of Science in India since 2012. An eminent civil engineer and former KSIDC Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), he is internationally recognized for his contributions to Earthquake Engineering, Structural Dynamics, Nonlinear Systems, and Random Vibrations. He has published over 200 scholarly works and held prestigious positions. Prof. Iyengar brings a rare blend of traditional Sanskrit learning and modern scientific inquiry. His pioneering work decoding ancient Indian scientific texts—on astronomy, comets, eclipses, earthquakes, and classical music—has earned global recognition.
