We have been tracing the History of India, from the Ikshvaku dynasty to which Sri Rama belongs. Vaivaswatha Manu ,father of Ikshvaku was an Emperor of Dravida Desa as attested by Srimad Bhagavadha Puran.Manu also had a daughter Ila.She married Chandra and had Budha as their son. From Budha onwards the Chandravansha begins.Pururavas was a King of this Dynasty. Ancient Tamil Kings,Chera, Chila and Pandyas trace their origin to both Solar ( Surya Vamsa) and Lunar ( Chandra Vamsa)
Some interesting information emerge.As noted earlier, as ancient Tamil Kings trace their ancestry to both Surya and Chandra vanshas,that is Solar and Lunar dynasties,the Timeline of these kings must go back to Ramayana period.And there is information in Tamil literature that Pandyan Kings predate Chera and Chola Kings. This is open for debate. I shall be addressing this issue later.
We find that Mahabharata mentions King Sarangadwaja, Pandya King. It records that Sarangadwaja Pandya fought the Mahabharata War on the side of The Pandavas and was killed in the war by Aswathama.
Pandya king Sarangadhwaja sided with the Pandavas in the great Kurukshetra War. His main opponent was Ashwathama.
As per Bhishma’s ratings, Pandya king was rated as a great Ratha (a grade for chariot-warriors) (5,172).
Pandya, who dwelt on the coast-land near the sea, came accompanied by troops of various kinds to Yudhishthira, the king of kings (5:19). There hath come Pandya. Remarkably heroic and endued with prowess and energy that have no parallel, he is devoted to the Pandava cause. (5:22).
Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the five sons of Draupadi and the Prabhadrakas, and Satyaki and Chekitana with the Dravida forces, and the Pandyas, the Cholas, and the Cheras, surrounded by a mighty array – were mentioned as part of the Pandava army (8:12).
Pandya, that foremost of warriors skilled in shafts and weapons, was destroying crowds of foes by means of diverse kinds of shafts. Piercing the bodies of the elephants and steeds and men with sharp shafts, that foremost of smiters overthrew and deprived them of life. Cutting off with his own shafts the diverse weapons hurled at him by many foremost of foes, Pandya slew his enemies (8:19). He was slain by the Kaurava hero Ashwatthama (8:20,46) His name was mentioned as Sarangadhwaja.
There is a doubt if some other Pandya king sided with the Kauravas as indicated by the following passage at (9:2):- When the mighty Pandya, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, has been slain in battle by the Pandavas, what can it be but destiny?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandya_kingdom_(Mahabharata)
Sarangadwaja was also known as Malayadwaja Pandya.He was the Father of Madurai Meenakshi.She ruled Madurai and she undertook an expedition to North India, probably to avenge her Grandfather’s death( Kulasekara Pandya).This point that she undertook the expedition to avenge her Grandfather’s death needs corroboration.But expedition,she undertook, according to Tamil Literature.
Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata is dated 5100 CE. I have posted articles on the date details.
So ,as Malayadwaja Pandya alias Sarangadwaja Pandya had taken part in the Kurukshetra War of Mahabharata, then his and his daughter Meenakshi’s date may be assigned at 5100 CE.
And who was Kulasekara Pandya ,as Tamil Pandyan who is shown as Father of Meenakshi?This Pandya is Sarangadwaja.Kulasekara was Meenakshi’ s Grandfather and father of Malayadwaja alias Sarangadwaja.. This Kulasekara Pandya was killed by Sri Krishna.Please read my article on this point.
However, ther are more Pandyan Kings who preceded him and they are mentioned as having been present during Ramayana. These Pandyan Kings seem to have ruled before Sangam Literature.Will write with evidence.
Kulashekharan is said to be as strong as a bull. He is apparently killed by Lord Krishna, but although his son wants to avenge his father’s death, he is dissuaded from doing so by his well wishers.
fl c.1300? BC
Malayadwaja
c.1300? BC
One of the contemporaries of Jarasandha of the Brhadratha dynasty of Magadha is Jayatsena of Magadha. He takes part in the Kurukshetra War in the Mahabharata as one of the leaders on the side of Kauravas, along with Srutayus of Kalinga, Paundraka Vasudeva of Pundra, Karna of Anga, and Malayadwaja of the Pandyas. Bhagadatta of the Naraka kings is also involved in the war.
During the battle, Malayadwaja apparently wounds the mighty Dronacharya, the teacher of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and who fights on the side of the Kauravas. Malayadwaja goes further and takes on Drona’s son, Ashwathama, in a duel.
Malayadwaja’s daughter is Meenakshi, after whom the famous temple of Meenakshi Amman is built in Madurai. The city of Madurai is built around this temple. After this, the Pandyas fall back into obscurity for seven centuries.https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsFarEast/IndiaPandyas.htm
Kulasekara , Krishna and Malayadwaja
King Malayadhwaja has numerous appearances in the epic Mahabharata.His father,Kulashekara Pandya was said to have been slain by Lord Krishna and his country invaded.To avenge the death of his father,prince Malayadhwaja is said to obtain weapons from Bhishma,Drona,Balarama and Kripacharya.Then, prince Malayadadhwaja is said to became, in weapons, the equal of Rukmi ,Karna,Arjuna and Achyuta. He then desired to destroy the city of Dwarka, Krishna’s capital and subjugate the whole world.Sage Agastya and Varuna, however, counselled him against that decision and said to have granted him back his fathers kingdom and made king.He is said to have been present during the Swayamvara of Draupadi and said to have brought jars of Sandalwood and Agarwood perfumes and jars of gold for Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya.During the Kurukshetra War,he is said to have sided the Pandava and mentioned as a mighty and powerful charioteer and warrior.He is said to be slain by the Kaurava’s Ashwatthama. https://en.everybodywiki.com/Malayadhwaja_Pandya
Ramanisblog 