Solar Eclipse: Food myths and other fallacies
Solar eclipses have captured the human imagination for thousands of years. Myths and legends revering eclipses are found in Greek, Babylonian and ancient Chinese literature. In China, solar eclipses were believed to foretell an emperor’s future! [1]
Hinduism harbors a veritable amount of myths pertaining to eclipses. It’s a popular belief that eating food during a solar eclipse can cause miseries and previously cooked food should either be destroyed or preserved using insulators like Tulsi leaf or grass. Ayurvedic and Yogic practitioners give lengthy sermons on the harmful effects of this cosmic event.
As written in Nirnaya Sindhu (a 16th century AD Hindu text):
“During solar eclipse, no cooked food shall be taken during all its four stages. In a lunar eclipse, no cooked food should be taken during the first three stages” [2]
According to Devi Bhagwat Purana (9/35),
“A man lives in Arantud hell for as many years as the food grains he eats during Solar or Lunar eclipse”
As the belief goes, special rays emitted during solar eclipse intoxicate food, releasing vicious poisons.
However, modern science has not found any evidence of “extra emission” of rays or poisoning of food. [3] The premise of the poisoning myth probably stems from confirmation bias — as psychologists say, humans tend to connect two rare events when they occur simultaneously. Probably, someone ate moldy food during an eclipse and died. People associated it with the eclipse and the myth started prevailing. People die of food poisoning all the time. But poisoning at the time of an eclipse gets special attention because people connect it with the greater cosmic melancholy.
As to the “Eclipse emits UV light” thing, it’s proven that it does not!
The sun obviously doesn’t know (or care) that the moon is going to intervene between earth and itself. It emits light normally. Moon just stops some of it from coming to earth.
Why then is it preached “Don’t look at the eclipse directly”?
Bright light coming from the corona (oops! here we go again 2020) of the sun can potentially damage the retina. However, it’s similar to what will also happen if you see the normal sun with naked eyes. Staring at the sun can cause retinal damage — just that your pupil shrinks when you watch the normal sun, potentially delaying the damage. Your eyes don’t perceive an eclipse to be something “very bright” and hence, this pupillary defense doesn’t work. There are no “extra rays” impinging on you, just the fact that it’s never a good idea to stare at the sun.
The problem lies in bad journalism which is especially prevalent in India. For example- A Times of India article elaborates on unfounded myths as “Do’s and Don’ts during Solar eclipse”. A lot of news channels talk about precautions during solar eclipse just to fill up their content and provide generous masala to people. They give no reference, no evidence — just pots full of verbal bullshit.
Those who argue that we should follow it for the sake of respecting the Solar god as given in shastras of Hindus, please cancel your beach vacations! The Brahmavaivarta Purana(75/25) warns against watching the setting sun, let alone posting selfies or enjoying picture-perfect sunset scenes.[2]
Hindu literature doesn’t abate here! Bathing in the Ganges and other holy rivers at the time of an eclipse is thought to be a very pious act. Isn’t it in direct contradiction with the “harmful rays” hypothesis? Wouldn’t it cause more harm if you stand naked under the harmful rays with the waters reflecting the glaze? Pregnant women are asked to be “extra careful”- again an unfounded belief as no evidence of any harm to the fetus caused due to eclipses is found.
Believe wisely.
Thanks for reading!
Open for criticisms and comments:)
References:
- https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar-eclipse-history.html#:~:text=Solar%20eclipses%20have%20historically%20been,prove%20Einstein's%20theory%20of%20relativity.&text=Solar%20eclipses%20used%20to%20be%20seen%20as%20omens.&text=The%20word%20eclipse%20comes%20from,Greek%20word%20for%20being%20abandoned.
- “Scientific Basis of Hindu Beliefs” by Dr.Bhojraj Dwivedi, Diamond Pocket Books Pvt. Ltd.
- https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-misconceptions
