SPEED OF LIGHT ACCORDING TO RIGVEDA

SPEED OF LIGHT ACCORDING TO RIGVEDA

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2017/01/speed-of-light-according-to-rigveda.html

It will be very surprising to note, especially for the present
generation if old people like us say that Vedas are treasures of
knowledge. Some may even do not hesitate to laugh.The first
quantitative estimate of the speed of light is seen in Indian
Vedic scholar Sayana’s commentary on the Rig Veda. It says that
sun light travels 2,202 yojanas in the time span of a nimishardha
(half a nimisha). The yojana is an ancient unit of length.
Arthasastra defines it as being equal to 8,000 dhanus, which is
equivalent to 9.09 miles. A nimisha is an ancient unit of time that
is equal to 16/75 seconds. Thus 2,202 yojanas in half a nimisha is
equal to 189,547 miles per second after conversion. The modern
estimate of the speed of light is 186,281.7 miles per second.

This velocity of Light was calculated by Maxwell in the 19th

century, but it was actually determined accurately thousands of

years before in the Rig Veda. It was further elaborated by

Sayana in the 14th century AD in his commentaries on Rig Veda.

Indian Almanacs have always calculated accurately the motion of

planets, sunset, sunrise, eclipses, etc. without using telescopes or

any other machinery.

It is to be noted that Bhatta Bhaskara (probably from the 10th

century) made the same statement in his commentary on

Taittiriya Brahmana, another Hindu Veda. He says this to

be an old tradition. The fourth verse of

the Rigvedic hymn 1:50 (50th hymn in book 1 of rigveda) is as

follows:

तरणिर्विश्वदर्शतो जयोतिष्क्र्दसि सूर्य |विश्वमा भासिरोचनम |

Taranirviśvadarśato jyotishkridasi sūrya | viśvamā bhāsirocanam.

This means “Swift and all beautiful art thou, O Surya (Sun),

maker of the light, illuminating all the radiant realm.

Explaining this verse

in his Rig Veda commentary, Sayana(సాయణ భాష్యము), who was

the brother of Vidyaranya, (As people say, some say Vidyaranya

himself is Sayana Madhava)founder of Vijayanagara  and was

in the court of Bukka Raya of the great Vijayanagara Empire of

Karnataka in South India (in early 14th century), says:

तथा च स्मरयते योजनम्.

सहस्रे शते द्वे द्वे शतेद्वे च योजने एकेन निमिषार्धेन क्रममन

Tatha ca smaryate yojananam. Sahasre dve dve sate dve ca

yojane ekena nimishardhena kramaman.

In the Vedas, Yojana is a unit of distance and Nimisha is a unit of

time.

Distance travelled=2202 Yojanas

1 Yojana = 9.09 miles,

110 Yards =21,144.705 miles (Apprx)

Time taken 1/2nimesha = 0.114286 seconds (Apprx) (note that
this is the actual calculation of nimisha as per our scriptures. Let
it not be mistaken that 1 Nimisha or nimesha= 1 Minute=60
Seconds.)

Speed of light=185,016.169 miles / seconds.

Modern Value=186,282.397 miles / seconds.

Modern science claims the speed of light to be approximately

186,282.397 miles / seconds

The Moksha Dharma Parva of Shanti Parva in Mahabharata

describes Nimisha as follows:

15 Nimisha = 1 Kastha

30 Kashta = 1 Kala

30.3 Kala = 1 Muhurta

30 Muhurtas = 1 Diva-Ratri (Day-Night)

We know Day-Night is 24 hours

So we get 24 hours =30 x 30.3 x 30 x 15 nimisha

in other words 409050 nimisha

We know 1 hour = 60x60 = 3600 seconds

So 24 hours = 24 x3600 seconds== 86400 seconds = 409,050

nimisha (As per Vedic calculation.)