There is no dearth for stories in our Puranas. Just we read it and take the moral in that story, or just admire the powers our sages had and leave it at that. I do not know how many have viewed the story to analyse whether it has anything to convey scientifically.
For instance let us take the story of "Thirusanku Swargam". The story goes thus.
There was a king by name Thiru Sanku. He had a desire to go to heaven with his mortal body. He approached his Raja Guru Vashishtar, expressed his desire and requested the rishi to help him. The sage Vashistar informed the Raja that it is not possible to go to heaven with the body. Only after death he can go to heaven. The raja insisted but the rishi said "No".
Thirusanku went to Sage Viswamithra and told him what has transpired between him and sage Vashista and requested the sage Viswamithra to help him. Sage Viswamithra with his thapo balam sent Thirushanku to heaven. On seeing a mortal coming to heaven with mortal body Lord Indra threw him out in space.
Hurtling down through the space Thirushanku cried Help! Help!. Hearing the voice Viswamithra looked up and guessed what has happened. He stopped the Thirushanku in mid space and created a Swargam for the King and named it ‘Thirushanku swarga’,
Thus the story goes.
This story has a hidden message. Before analysing it, we should know what measure our ancestors in Vedic period used in measuring distances in space.
1) 10,000,000 = 107 = one Koti
2) 100,000 kotis = 1012 = one shangu.
3) 100,000 shangu = 1017 = one Maha shangu
4) 100,000 Maha shangu = 1022 = one virunthaa
5) 100,000 Virunthaa = 1027 ==one Maha Virunthaa
6) 100,000 Maha Virunthaa = 1032 = one pathmaa
7) 100,000 Pathmaa = 1037= one maha pathmaa
8) 100,000,Maha pathmaa= 1042= one kaarvaa.
9) 100,000 Kaarvaa = 1047 =one samuthraa
10) 100,000 samuthraa = 1052 = one maha samuthraa
In Vedic period the names are given with
reason (Karanap peyar) It will have some relation with the matter. In Vedic period they have discovered a constellation at a distance of Three shangus from earth. As it was three shangu distance from earth, and it is the practice to give name with some relation to the fact, they named the constellation as "THRISHANGU" , "Thri" means Three in sanskrit.
This discovery is made known through the story of Thirishangu.( This method is adopted by our ancestors as this will reach even the illiterate. Moreover stories spread fast and reach all nook and corner)
Now in modern times this constellation is called CRUX.
To substantiate this I give below an extract (relevant to the subject) from the Book.
“ Issues in Vedic Astronomy and Astrology page 122 chapter "Vedic Astronomy by P.V. Vatakar"
"The name Trisanku is given to Crux. Trisanku means three "sankus". "sanku" is a number Three times that number means Trisanku. If we calculate taking three sanku mahayojanas we get a figure of 204 light years. The modern Astronomy tells that the star is nearly 205 Light years distant from the earth."
Note: One Yojana is 12 miles Approx (19.2 Km).
