Thread by @Varanasiboy_

Speed of Light in Rig Veda I,50-4 sloka: It is nearly about of modern value of 186,282.397 miles / seconds.
“Yojananam Dwe Dwe Shate Dwe Cha Yojane, Aken Nimishardhena Krammana Namostute”

Calc:
1 yojan = 4 kose
1 kose = 8000 British yards
1 British yard = 0.9144 m.

1/n

The unit of time nimish is defined in Shrimadbhagwat.
15 nimishas = 1 kashta
15 kashtas = 1 laghu
30 laghus = 1 muhurta
30 muhurtas = 1 diva-ratri

1 diva-ratri is, as the name suggests, one cycle of day and night, that is, 24 hrs.

2/n

Therefore, the sunlight travels:
2202 yojanas = 2202*4 = 8808 kose
= 8808*8000 = 70464000 British yards
= 70464000*0.9144 = 64432281 m.

3/n

in time interval:
1/2 nimish = 1/30 kashta
= 1/30*1/15 = 1/450 laghu
= 1/450*1/30 = 1/13500 muhurta
= 1/13500*1/30 = 1/405000 diva-ratri
= 1/405000 diva-ratri = 1/405000*24*60*60 s = 0.21333 s.

4/n

Therefore, speed of the sunlight, according to the hymn is: c = 64432281 m/ 0.21333 s c = 302031036.422 m/s which is fairly close to the calculated speed of light.
Ancient Indians had incredible knowledge about astronomy and astronomical calculations.

5/n

The hymn definitely speaks volumes about their ability in doing so. It is definitely the work of a genius and should not be written off as a mere coincidence. Citing it as a coincidence only means disrespect for our great ancestors.

6/n

Distance Between Sun & Earth Mentioned in Hanuman Chalisa:

In 1672, Jean Richer and Giovanni Domenico Cassini measured the distance between Earth & Sun as 22,000 times of Earth Radii.( Earth’s Radius is 6,371 Kms). i.e 22000 * 6371 kms = 140,162,000 kms (140 M Kms)

7/n

“! जुग सहस्त्र योजन पर भानु, लील्यो ताहिमधुर फल जानू !”

This means that Sun (भानु) is at a distance of Jug Sahastra Yojans (जुग सहस्त्र योजन- Distance Unit in Hindi)
According to following conversion practices that are in use as per Hindu Vedic Literature-

8/n

1 Jug = 12000
1 Sahastra= 1000
1 Yojan = 8 Miles
Thus, 12000 X 1000 X 8 = 96,000,000 miles
1 mile = 1.6 kms

This further implies that distance is 96,000,000 * 1.6 kms = 153,600,000 Kms.

9/n

Tulsidas was during the period of Sayanacharya. He was a Sanskrit scholar from the Vijayanagara Empire. An important commentator on the Vedas, he flourished under King Bukka Raya I and his successor Harihara II.

10/n

In Chapter 50 of VayuPurana, there is the statement that the sun moves 3.15 million yojanas in 48 minutes. This corresponds to about 10,000 miles/second if considered as speed of light, & 135 million miles for the distance to the sun, if considered as the speed of the sun.

11/n

Sayana’s speed of light is exactly 18 times greater than this speed of the sun! Mere numerology? For the rationalists these numbers are a coincidence. Given the significance of these numbers, they’d look very carefully at the old manuscripts of Sayana’s commentary.
12/n

Sayanacharya's elder brother Mādhavāchārya, occupies a very important place in the history of Dharma śāstra and Mīmāmsa literatures.

Thread completed.