They are not Myths, They are Science

They are not Myths, They are Science

In any era, in any age, without the enablement of technology, the only way to transmit information or knowledge is via the medium of a story. A story is like a tapestry woven from the threads of reality and imagination that enchants the senses and captivates the mind. But behind the facades of stories deemed mere flights of fancy, we often discover hidden gems of verity, shimmering like gems in the rough. Stories, as potent instruments in India's cultural heritage, impart profound philosophical, religious, and scientific concepts, and serve as the timeless moral compass that guides humanity. These tales, like enigmatic packages, are wrapped in the ethereal veil of narration, concealing their deeper truths and waiting for the inquisitive soul to unfurl the layers and decode the messages within. 

I am about to narrate a fable that is no exception; it is a gem from the treasure chest of Hindu philosophy, a vessel of profound insights, wrapped in the silken cloak of narrative, ready to seep into the fertile soil of the listener's intellect, awaiting interpretation and personal growth. 

In Hindu mythology, Brihaspati and Shukracharya are two powerful gurus. Brihaspati is the preceptor of the gods, the master of sacred wisdom, charms, hymns, and rites. Similarly, Shukracharya is a revered sage and guru of the Asuras, the demoniacal or anti-gods. Both Brihaspati and Shukracharya also represent planets, or 'Grahas', and thus are members of Navagraha, or nine planets in Hindu astrology. Shukracharya is represented as the planet Venus, and Brihaspati as the planet Jupiter. Legend has it that Shukracharya had a unique and special power that was possessed by no other celestial being, which is that he could bring the dead back to life. He got this remarkable capability because he got swallowed by none other than Lord Shiva, one of the three principals of the Hindu Trinity. Shukracharya had to spend 100 divine years in the Lord’s Belly, and when he emerged, he was bestowed with the power to bring the dead back to life. That is the myth, the story. 

But this also reveals a deep understanding of observational astronomy that the ancient Hindus possessed. As previously mentioned, the planet Venus represents Shukracharya. 'Shukra', the Sanskrit name for Venus, signifies either white or bright, depending on the context. Indeed, in the night sky, the planet Venus is the whitest or brightest and only second to the moon. The word ‘Shukra’ also has another meaning: semen. 

In Hindu astrology, Venus is a bright and potent planet. Similarly, in human physiology, semen is a white substance that is equally potent. In classical Western astronomy, Venus is called the Morning or Evening Star. Research shows that humans are most amorous either in the early part of the night or early morning. Research also shows that male testosterone is at its highest level at 4 a.m. Incidentally, the time around 4 a.m. in Hindu scriptures is called the ‘Brahmamuhurat’ or the time of Brahma, who is again one of the three principals of the Hindu Trinity and associated with the act of creation. 

In astronomy, the synodic period is the time taken by any planet to appear in the same position with respect to the sun when observed from Earth. For Venus, this period is 584 days, of which 263 days are as the evening star and 263 as the morning star. For the remaining 50 days, the plant conjuncts with the sun, which means that it is at the back of the sun when viewed from Earth; therefore, technically, the planet is invisible. For another 8 days, it is in front of the sun and hence again invisible. Observational astronomy shows that when Venus behaves as the evening star each night, it appears at a lower position than the night before. It seems as if the planet is sinking. Eventually, Venus conjuncts with the sun and disappears. 
In Hindu myths, the sun, or Shiva, represents the universal soul. Thus, the sinking and disappearance of Venus is Shiva swallowing up Shukracharya. And then, after a period of invisibility, it appears again, radiant and bright, as the morning star, signifying rebirth, and the soul surges ahead for another 263 days. When the ancient Hindu astrologers observed this, they also noted that 263 days is almost equal to the average human gestation period, i.e., 268 days! So, a celestial being dies and then comes back to life. Thus, all the constructs of a story were in place, and a myth was born. 

This myth has survived the ravages of time, as parents and grandparents still recount the story of how the powerful sage Shukracharya was swallowed by Lord Shiva, and when he emerged as pure and mellow, he was bestowed with the power to bring back the dead (or, in other words, the propagation of life). 
By the way, it’s not just in Hindu myths that this peculiar behavior of Venus has been encoded into a story. The Mayan, Aztec, and Sumerian cultures also document the death and rebirth of Venus. In the Aztec myths, Venus is called Quetzalcoatl, which means the plumed serpent god, and this god is also associated with creation. When the ancient Aztecs looked at Venus, they observed that it created a waveform similar to a snake in which each crest and trough represented birth, death, and rebirth. Surprisingly, in the Hindu tradition, the serpent represents the Kundalini, which, when awakened, rises up to reach the crown chakra, releasing the soul from its materialistic bondage and communing with the universal soul or God (death and rebirth?).