Stellar Antiquity

NOTE: My interpretations of the Vedic treatises are based on the available translations. Until such time when I can understand Sanskrit, I will continue using the translated works of these timeless texts.

There were several different views held by the Vedics, concerning the nature of the Earth’s place in the cosmos. At first we examine a hymn from the Rig Veda(1500-1100 BCE), 1.35.7-9, that experts believe shed some light on the subject.

वि सुपर्णो अन्तरिक्षाण्य अख्यद गभीरवेपा असुरः सुनीथः |
कवेदानीं सूर्यः कश चिकेत कतमां दयां रश्मिर अस्या ततान ||
अष्टौ वय अख्यत ककुभः पर्थिव्यास तरी धन्व योजना सप्त सिन्धून |
हिरण्याक्षः सविता देव आगाद दधद रत्ना दाशुषे वार्याणि ||
हिरण्यपाणिः सविता विचर्षणिर उभे दयावाप्र्थिवी अन्तर ईयते |
अपामीवाम बाधते वेति सूर्यम अभि कर्ष्णेन रजसा दयाम रणोति ||[1]

He, strong of wing, hath lightened up the regions, deep-quivering Asura, the gentle Leader.
Where now is Sūrya, where is one to tell us to what celestial sphere his ray hath wandered?
The earth’s eight points his brightness hath illumined, three desert regions and the Seven Rivers.
God Savitar the gold-eyed hath come hither, giving choice treasures unto him who worships.
The golden-handed Savitar, far-seeing, goes on his way between the earth and heaven,
Drives away sickness, bids the Sun approach us, and spreads the bright sky through the darksome region. [1]

It has been suggested, that this verse implies that the Vedics took the Sun to be the center of the universe [2]. However, upon further examination of the verse, this interpretation is highly suspect. In fact, it seems obvious that the Vedics considered the Sun to be moving around the Earth. Further, it can be interpreted that the Vedics understood that the other planets were also illuminated by the Sun. However, the hypothesis that the Vedics held a helio-centric view of the universe seems unlikely.

Sources:

[1] Sacred-texts.com, (1999). Internet Sacred Text Archive Home. [online] Available at: http://www.sacred-texts.com [Accessed 26 Nov. 2014].

[2] Kak, S. (2008). Early theories on the distance of the Sun. 1st ed. [pdf] arxiv.org. Available at: http://arxiv.org [Accessed 1 Nov. 2014].