Solar and Lunar Eclipses Explained Scientifically in Ancient Indian Text, Rig Veda

Eclipses Were Known and Well Understood by the Vedic India.There is an interesting fact about eclipses in both in astronomy and astrology, this fact seems to correspond well with one another in both science and mysticism. As we well know astronomy is strictly science, but in astrology, mysticism and legends are common. First the astronomical explanation, An astronomical eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up in a straight line, although not always the line is perfectly straight, this causes the partial eclipses, like the upcoming one. 

Before coming to the main subject you should know what Veda is and its essence in presents era. For millions of years, the Vedas have been guiding Indian civilization. They are the foundations of modern Hinduism "Veda is the origin of all Spirituality," Manusmirti declares this in slok no. 2.6. There is no substantial religion in the world that was not influenced by the Vedas. Vedas are the basis of the creation stories of all major religions. Although all other religions have overlooked or ignored their Vedic origins, unfortunately.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy, wrote in his book, Vedic Physics,  "The knowledge contained in the Vedas is very abstruse, and is well beyond the comprehension of ordinary human beings. Therefore Vedic sages coded the knowledge in a simple form in which it could be understood by everyone. The Rig Veda itself testifies that it has a hidden meaning in verse 4.3.16. Sage Bharata in his Natyasastra  2.23 refers to the sages who knew the hidden meaning of the Vedas. This coding of knowledge proved to be very successful in disseminating the knowledge to common folks. This would also explain why extraordinary steps were taken to preserve the Vedas, and the honor given to the Vedas by Hindus, even though its meaning is little understood today. "On the eve of the "Mahabharata War" our ancestors believed that their knowledge was in danger of being lost. They could have written it down, but writings could be destroyed. Therefore, it was memorized and passed on orally. Today, the Avesta, religious scripture of ancient Iranians, only a fraction of it is available. Alexander captured Iran in 326 B.C. and after a bloody war, destroyed each copy of the Avesta available."

(Source: The Contents, a d v a n c e d  c o n c e p t s  o f  h i n d u i s m)

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth. The Moon shadow blocks the sunlight, and this is covers some areas on the surface of the Earth, as both celestial bodies are moving on their orbits, the path of the eclipse also moves, so different areas on the Moon's shadow falls on the path, on the surface of the Earth, and these areas on the path experience the eclipse. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, so the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. There is more about eclipses, this is only a simple explanation. The Rig Veda explains this, also Puranas explain the mystic legend.

Now the legend: When Lord Vishnu formed the planets, he extracted out of the sea the sacred nectar Amrita, this nectar gives immortality to the gods. One day a jealous demon named Rakshasha, after seeing that this nectar would make the gods immortal, Rakshasha also wanted to became immortal too. Rakshasha then disguised himself as a deity, and followed the other gods, that were lined up to receive the sacred nectar of immortality from Lord Vishnu.. After this demon drank the nectar, Lord Vishnu realized this was the dragon demon Rakshasha, and with his sword cut Rakshasha in half, the head part became Rahu, and the tail became Ketu. Then Rahu, the head became the north node of the Moon, and Ketu the tail, became the south node of the Moon. Nodes are the points where the orbits of the Earth and Moon intersect the ecliptic, that is the orbit of the Sun. Since the day the Rakshasha was split in two, the head and tail are the nodes of the Moon. In astrology both Rahu and Ketu became very important. 

Rahu and Ketu are the points where eclipses occur.
Or you can assume Rahu Ketu as two virtual shadow planets 

It is a well known fact, that ancient India, especially during Vedic times, the scientific knowledge, on all the branches of science, as well as mathematics, was very advanced. The sage Ved Vyas, believed to be the author of Mahabharata, gathered for several years, and organized all this knowledge. Here are from Rig Veda the verses from Chapter 5. Hymn 40.5, Unlike this popular stories of a demon swallowing Sun, Solar Eclipse has been properly described as Moon blocking Sun light from reaching earth.

yát tvA sUrya svàrbhAnus támasÁvidhyad AsuráH
ákSetravid yáthA mugdhó bhúvanAny adIdhayuH [Rig Veda 5.40.5]
O Surya, lord Sun! When you are blocked by the one whom you offered your own light (moon), then Earth gets scared by sudden darkness. Here Tamas and Asura are darkness and blockage.
यत तवा सूर्य सवर्भानुस तमसाविध्यद आसुरः |
अक्षेत्रविद यथा मुग्धो भुवनान्य अदीधयुः ||
O Surya, when Svarbhanu, the descendant of the Asura, pierced you with shadow through and through, all creatures looked like one who is confused who does not know where he stands.

सवर्भानोर अध यद इन्द्र माया अवो दिवो वर्तमाना अवाहन |

गूळ्हं सूर्यं तमसापव्रतेन तुरीयेण बरह्मणाविन्दद अत्रिः ||
Once you shot down the magic of Svarbhanu, which spread under the sky, O Indra, by his fourth sacred prayer, Atri discovers Surya, concealed in darkness, which remained his feature.

मा माम इमं तव सन्तम अत्र इरस्या दरुग्धो भियसा नि गारीत |

तवम मित्रो असि सत्यराधास तौ मेहावतं वरुणश च राजा ||
With this fear, let not the aggressor swallow me up in anger for I am mighty, O Atri. Mitra is you, the sender of real blessings: you and King Varuna are both helpers of mine.

गराव्णो बरह्मा युयुजानः सपर्यन कीरिणा देवान नमसोपशिक्षन |

अत्रिः सूर्यस्य दिवि चक्षुर आधात सवर्भानोर अप माया अघुक्षत ||
The Brahman Atri, as he set the press-stones, serving the deities with praise and worship, established Surya's eye in space, causing the magic arts of Svarbhanu to vanish.

यं वै सूर्यं सवर्भानुस तमसाविध्यद आसुरः |

अत्रयस तम अन्व अविन्दन नह्य अन्ये अशक्नुवन ||

The Atri found the Sun again, who had been filled with darkness by Svarbhanu of the Asuras group. None of them had the ability to do either.

The Sage explains how Svarbnanu created the Sun and Moon eclipses, and now Sun tends in the sky following an eclipse. Svarbhanu is made with three words respectively  Sva+Bha+Anu. Where, Sva is heaven or sky. Bha is light and Anu means particle or follower. Compiled together, it indicates the light follower present in the sky. Due to this shadow where the word Asura represents for the lunar shadow and not a monster, this eclipse phenomenon is seen.

Rig Veda says that Svarbhanu was not from space, but from Earth, which describes that each moon is a natural satellite of earth and doesn't have its own brightness, but rather depicts the sun's light.As the moon's shadow starts to cover a large Part of the sun,the solar chromosphere's red tinge becomes visible, identified by Rishi Atri as the red sheep.Both animals were afraid during the full solar eclipse and in horrible condition.The Sage describes that the darkness is different from the usual darkness of the night at the time of this eclipse.The animals and birds are the most affected by this darkness.

It's a well-known fact that in the field of astronomy, India's rich Vedic heritage has had a strong influence and several eclipse experiences are well recorded in ancient texts.As in modern physics, the universe was perceived by Hindu cosmology as cyclical in design. Also the beginning of the next is the termination of each kalpa brought about by Shiva's dance. Rebirth is the product of death. 

Author Dick Teresi says "Indian cosmologists, the first to estimate the age of the earth at more than 4 billion years. They came closest to modern ideas of atomism, quantum physics, and other current theories. India developed very early, enduring atomist theories of matter. Possibly Greek atomistic thought was influenced by India, via the Persian civilization."