The course of an epic

Found an interesting discussion on the Mahabharatha here. The participants are obviously students, not experts. They have given a link from where they have sourced their material, but that link does not open. The participants' being students can be gauged from some irreverent material that has been posted. We can also obviously see that they are Amar Chitra Katha and Bollywood fans.

The interesting parts are

1. A light on how the epic has been adapted to a completely different culture and religion, which nevertheless made it their own. Here- Java /Indonesia.

2. A detailed timeline of the Mahabharatha complete with dates, times, and ages of the key characters at key events. This seems to have been deduced from the lunar calendar dates and times mentioned in the original epic, and a historical perspective.

Was the epic history? I don't know. Maybe the key events really did happen, as this discussion shows (this one is by people who have really studied the epic), and have been embellished with a lot of poetical licence. After all, we do say 'a history called Jaya' when speaking of the Mahabharatha.

Let me quote a bit from the timeline here, but do click on this link for the rest of it. And let me know what you think of the life expectancy.

"3. Yudhisthira's Birth : Yudhisthira was born on Pajothpatti Ashwin Bright 5th day, in Jyeshta Star, in Sagittarius Lagna, at midday Abhijit Muhurta. That was just years. 127-5-25 prior to Kaliyug (roughly 3229-8-15 B.C)"

"45. The Great Mahabharat War started on Shubhakrit Margashirsha Bright 13/14th Day, Tuesday in Bharani Star. Yudhishthir was yrs. 91-2-9 days old. Just the previous day 11/12th Day, when armies were rehearsing Vyuhas, Arjuna fell into a gloom, occasioning Lord Krishna's famous BhagavadGeeta discourse with Arjuna."

"62. Pandavas started for their Final End after 0-6-11 days, that is, on Pramadi Ashwayuja Bright 12th Day. Yudhishthir was aged yrs. 128-0-6. Parik$hit, 36 years old, was coronated on the same day at Hastinapur.

63. Swargaarohanam is not clearly stated in the Epic. It may be 26 years afterwards. Sage Veda Vyas dictated the Great Epic to Ganapati only after Swargarohanam of the Pandavas, that is, after 26 years of Kaliyug.

64. Parikshit ruled for 60 years, coronated his 25 year old son Janamejaya, and died.

65. So, Bhagavatha was written by Sage Veda Vyas soon after Mahabharat was over, and before the 60th year of the Kaliyuga.

66. In Dwapara Yuga, human beings lived upto 400 years. There are four stages in life - Balya, Youvana, Koumara and Vriddhapyam. In Dwaparyug, Balya stage was upto 40 years, Youvana stage upto 120 years, and later Koumara and Vriddhapyam stages. But now in the Kaliyuga, Balya stage is upto 15 years, Youvana upto 45 years, Koumara upto 60 years and Vriddhapyam beyond 60 years."