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Tag: Chera

  • Ramayana Sugreeva To Hanuman Describes Tamil Chera Chola Pandya Kingdoms

    Ramayana Sugreeva To Hanuman Describes Tamil Chera Chola Pandya Kingdoms

    Some time back there was a comment for one of my articles that there is no reference to Tamil Kings and Tamil Kingdoms in the Valmiki Ramayana. nd that I am making this up only to make Tamil and Tamils look ancient!
    Funny that it was nade by a gentleman in/from Tamil Nadu!

    Readers of Ramanis blog are aware that I do not promote or align my self to any language or region and I present facts as available in Indian and reliable foreign texts.

    The purpose of Ramanis blog is to get rid vof the misinformation spread over thecpast few cetuiries about India and Sanatana Dharma and to clear the cobwebs about Hinduism that had crept in because of not referring to original sources including Vedas , Puranas and Ithihasas.

    It is also aimed at sourcing ancient languages of India,Sanskrit , Tamil Brahmi texts along with other world languages cultures and Religion.

    I am aware that the other languages of India are also ancient have  vast information.

    I shall take them up too.

    These two languages have been taken up because I know something about these.

    Now the Tamil Kingdoms of Chera, Chola and Pandyas are described by Sugreeva to Hanuman and Angadason of Vaali, when Sugreeva directs them to routes to be taken by themthe places to search for Sita, who was kidnapped by Ravana.

    These verses appear in the Valmiki Ramayana.

    I am providing the text of slokas and translation hereunder.

    Valmiki Ramayana,Sundarakanda, Slokas 1 to 49.

    ‘Sugreeva sends Vanara-s to southward which troop includes Hanuma, Jambavanta, Niila and others and Angada is its leader. Sugreeva gives a vivid picture of the southern side of Jambu dviipa up to the south-most part of passable regions, next to which the abode of Yama, the Terminator is there. This troop is also given one month’s time to find the whereabouts of Seetha.

    tathaa vangaan kalingaam ca kaushikaan ca sama.ntataH |
    anviikSya daNDaka araNyam sa parvata nadii guham || 4-41-11
    nadiim godaavariim caiva sarvam eva anupashyata |
    tathaiva aandhraan ca puNDraan ca colaan paaNDyaan keralaan || 4-41-12

    11, 12. tathaa= like that; vangaan kalingaam ca=, Vanga, Kalinga [kingdoms,] also; sam antataH= verily, at its fringes; available; kaushikaan ca= Kaushika [territories,] also; you search and then; sa parvata nadii guham daNDaka araNyam = with, mountains, rivers, Dandaka, forest, caves; anviikSya= on seeing – on searching Dandaka; godaavariim nadiim caiva= Godavari, river, also, thus; tathaiva= like that; aandhraan ca= Andhra territory; puNDraan ca colaan paaNDyaan keralaan= Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Kerala [provinces]; sarvam eva= all of them; anu pashyata= closely, see – make a through search.

    “Like that Vanga, Kalinga territories shall be searched along with Kaushika territories available on their fringes, then cast about the Dandaka forest all over its mountains, rivers, and its caves, then River Godavari that courses through Dandaka forest, and then the provinces of Andhra, Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Kerala are to be searched thoroughly. [4-41-11, 12]

    Some other mms have Matsya desha in this verse instead of the Vanga desha. The Vanga is the present day Bengal and this territory retained its epical name, but while pronouncing it becomes banga because the Sanskrit grammar allows to pronounce or write va as ba by the rule va ba yoH abhedaH and thus it is called Baangla or Bengal as British used to call. Kaushika in some other mms is read as kaashika. Kalinga is Orissa which touches Bengal at its north, and it is the Kie-ling-kia as said by Huet Tsang.

    The Andhra is the present day Andhra Pradesh and Chola is the present Tamil Nadu, especially northern area, and Pundra is roughly in between Andhra and Chola. Paandya is south-most area where in Kanyakumari district the Cape Camorin is there, and Kerala is the present Kerala state from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Its historical name was chera raajya and in Ashoka’s time, it was called kerala putra.

    ayomukhaH ca ga.ntavyaH parvato dhaatu maNDitaH |
    vicitra shikharaH shriimaan citra puSpita kaananaH || 4-41-13
    suca.ndana vanoddesho maargitavyo mahaagiriH |

    13, 14a. dhaatu maNDitaH= with ores, crowded with; vi citra shikharaH= verily, amazing, with crests; shriimaan= prosperous [mountain]; citra puSpita kaananaH = motley, flowered, with forests; such a; ayaH mukhaH parvataH= iron, mouths, mountain – a mountain having iron-ore mines in the shape of mouths, namely Mt. Malaya]; gantavyaH= reachable – you shall go to; su candana vanaat deshaH= best, sandalwood trees, with copses, places; mahaa giriH maargitavyaH = great mountain, is to be searched.

    “You shall go to the prosperous Mt. Malaya which is crowded with iron-ore mines as its vast mouths, and with amazing crests and motley flowered forests. Search shall be carried out on that great mountain in the places that are with the copses of sandalwood trees. [4-41-13, 14a]

    This Mountain is also called Agastyamalai and it is in Western Ghats from which River Tamraparni emerges.

    tataH taam aapagaam divyaam prasanna salilaashayaan || 4-41-14
    tatra drakSyatha kaaveriim vihR^itaam apsaro gaNaiH |

    14b, 15a. tataH= from there; divyaam= divine one; prasanna salila ashayaan= limpid, waters, receptacle of; apsaraH gaNaiH vihR^itaam = by apsara, throngs, make pleasure-trips; taam kaaveriim= her, Kaveri; aapa gaam= water, flowing [river]; tatra drakSyatha = there, you shall see.

    “From there you shall go and see the divine River Kaaveri there, a receptacle of limpid waters, to where throngs of apsara-s will be making pleasure-trips. [4-41-14b, 15a]

    The River Kaaveri is the best river in southern peninsula of India that flows from Braham Giri Mountains in Coorg of Western India to the East draining in Bay of Bengal and irrigating a major chunk of land. Many legends are associated with this river, of which one is that when Sage Agastya was bringing waters of River Ganga, they sprinkled from his kamandulau, the handy water-vessel, and flooded like Kaaveri. The original Tamil name is kakaviri where kaakam is ‘crow…’ viri ‘spread out…’ When Agastya is bringing water it sprinkled from his handy vessel and flooded the kaa ‘the garden…’ in Tamil, the garden of Indra. Then it is called kaaviri, but Shilpadikkaaram records its name as Kaaveri only pulavoy vazhi kaaveri… nadanthai vazhi kaaveri…

    tasya aasiinam nagasya agre malayasya mahojasam || 4-41-15
    drakSyatha aaditya sa.nkaasham agastyam R^iSi sattamam |

    15b, 16a. mahaa ojasam= highly resplendent [mountain]; tasya malayasya nagasya agre = of that, Mt. Malaya, mountain, on the top of it; aasiinam= who is sitting; aaditya sankaasham= Sun, in similarity; R^iSi sattamam agastyam drakSyatha= Sage, the eminent, Agastya, you shall see.

    “You shall see the eminent sage Agastya, whose resplendence is akin to that of the Sun, and who will be sitting on the top of that highly resplendent Mt. Malaya. [4-41-15b, 16a]

    saa candana vanaiH citraiH pracChannaa dviipa vaariNii || 4-41-17
    kaantaa iva yuvatii kaantam samudram avagaahate |

    17b, 18a. citraiH candana vanaiH = with amazing, sandalwood trees, copses; pracChannaa dviipa vaariNii= with overlapped, islands, water; saa= she [the river]; yuvatii= a young woman [Taamraparni]; kaantaa = one who is yearning for; kaantam iva= for whom she is yearning – her love, as with; samudram= to ocean; avagaahate = [she will be] rendezvousing.

    “She whose water is overlapped with amazing copses of sandalwood trees and islands that River Taamrapani will be drifting for a rendezvous with her much yearned lover, namely the ocean, as with a young woman who will be coursing to have a rendezvous with her yearned lover. [4-41-17b, 18a]

    tato hemamayam divyam muktaa maNi vibhuuSitam || 4-41-18
    yuktam kavaaTam paaNDyaanaam gataa drakSyatha vaanaraaH |

    18b, 19a. vaanaraaH= oh, vanara-s; tataH= from there; yuktam= joined to – braced to the wall of fortress; hemamayam divyam= full with gold, beautiful one; muktaa maNi vibhuuSitam= pearls, gemstones, decorated with; paaNDyaanaam kavaaTam= of Paandya [kingdom’s,] castle-door; gataaH= having gone there; drakSyatha= you shall see; search inside that gateway.

    “From there, on going to the Paandya Kingdome you shall see a fully golden castle-door bracing the compound-wall of the fortress, which is decorated with pearls and jewels, and conduct your search even in that kingdom. [4-41-18b, 19a]

    tataH samudram aasaadya sa.mpradhaarya artha nishcayam || 4-41-19
    agastyena antare tatra saagare viniveshitaH |
    citra saanu nagaH shriimaan mahendraH parvatottamaH || 4-41-20
    jaata ruupamayaH shriimaan avagaaDho mahaarNavam |

    19b, 20, 21a. tataH samudram aasaadya= then, [southern] ocean, on reaching; artha nishcayam sampradhaarya = purpose’s, resolve, on resolving; agastyena= by Agastya; tatra= there; saagare antare vi niveshitaH= in ocean, inside, verily, penned up [one end of mountain]; citra saanu nagaH= one with marvellous, terraces, trees; shriimaan mahendraH = glorious, Mt. Mahendra; parvata uttamaH= among mountains, best one; jaataruupamayaH= completely golden; shriimaan mahaa arNavam= august [Mt. Mahendra,] into great, ocean; avagaaDhaH= will be steeping in.

    “Then on reaching the southern ocean, and on taking a resolve with regard to the purpose of your task, viz., importance of the mission undertaken vis-à-vis your individual capacities to leap the ocean, you reach the glorious Mt. Mahendra. Sage Agastya once penned its one end in the ocean, and the other end is now visible. That august and best one among all mountains will be completely golden with marvellous terraces and trees, and it will be steeping into ocean on the other side of land, and this mountain becomes the jumping-off point for you vanara-s. [4-41-19b, 20, 21a]

    naanaa vidhaiH nagaiH phullaiH lataabhiH ca upashobhitam || 4-41-21
    deva R^iSi yakSa pravaraiH apsarobhiH ca sevitam |
    siddha caaraNa sa.nghaiH ca prakiirNam sumanoharam || 4-41-22
    tam upaiti sahasraakSaH sadaa parvasu parvasu |

    21b, 22, 23a. naanaa vidhaiH= numerous, sorts of; phullaiH nagaiH= with flowered, trees; lataabhiH ca upashobhitam= with climbers, also, glorified; deva R^iSi yakSa pravaraiH= by gods, sages, yaksha-s, important ones; apsarobhiH ca= by apsara-s, even; sevitam= adored; siddha caaraNa sanghaiH ca = by siddha-s, caarana, groups of, also; pra kiirNam= well, overspread; su manaH haram= truly, heart-stealing [for a look]; tam= it – to that mountain; sahasraakSaH= Thousand-eyed Indra; parvasu parvasu= on auspicious day, on auspicious day – on every auspicious day; sadaa = always – regularly; upaiti= he comes.

    “Mt. Mahendra is glorified with numerous kinds of flowered trees and climbers. Important gods, sages, yaksha-s and even apsara-s will adore it, and it is overspread with the groups of siddha-s and caarana-s, and thus it will be heart-stealing for a look. And the Thousand-eyed Indra will always be visiting that Mt. Mahendra on every auspicious day. [4-41-21b, 22, 23a]

    dviipaH tasya apare paare shata yojana visR^itaH || 4-41-23
    agamyo maanuSaiH diiptaH tam maargadhvam sama.ntataH |

    23b, 24a. tasya= its – Mt. Mahendra’s; apare paare= on the other, shore; shata yojana visR^itaH= hundred, yojana, in breadth; maanuSaiH= by humans; a + gamyaH = not, passable; diiptaH= a dazzling; dviipaH= island – is there; tam samantataH maargadhvam = that, till its fringes, you have to search.

    “There is a dazzling island on the other side of the shore of Mt. Mahendra, which is breadthwise a hundred yojana-s, and which is an impassable one for humans, and you have to search that island up to its fringes. [4-41-23b, 24a]

    This island on the other shore of the ocean is Ravana’s Lanka, and it is believed to be the present day Sri Lanka. That island’s association with River Taamraparni is as noted above.’

    Reference and citation.

    http://www.valmikiramayan.net/kishkindha/sarga41/kishkindha_41_frame.htm

  • Kerala Kingdoms Date Back to Ramayana Mushika Ays

    Kerala Kingdoms Date Back to Ramayana Mushika Ays

    Contrary to popular belief,there were five Kingdoms of the Tamils and not three kingdoms,Chera,Chola and Pandya.

    The five Kingdoms are,

    Chera,

    Chola,

    Pandya,

    Mushika and

    Ay.

    While the Chera Kingdom extended ,

    ‘By the early centuries of the Common Era, civil society and statehood under the Cheras were developed in present-day western Tamil Nadu. The location of the Chera capital is generally assumed to be at modern Karur (identified with the Korura of Ptolemy). The Chera kingdom later extended to the plains of Kerala, the Palghat gap, along the river Bharathappuzha and occupied land between the river Bharathappuzha and river Periyar, creating two harbour towns, Tondi (Tyndis) and Muciri (Muziris),where the Roman trade settlements flourished.

    The Chola and Pandya Kingdoms were in the interior parts of the present Tamil Nadu.

    The western coastal areas were ruled by Cheras,Mushikas and Ays Dynasties.

    As the first Chera has been mentioned as having participated in the Mahabharata battle, Chera kingdom is mentioned in the  Aitreya Aranyaka of the Rig Veda Ramayana,Sumerian texts and by various historians of Greece,these Kingdoms are to be dated at least towards 5000BC,when Ramayana took place.

    For date of Ramayana,please read my article on the date of Ramayana.

    Rama’s ancestor Satyavrata Manu,also called as Vaiwasvatha Manu was from  the south of Vindhya mountains and the region where he reigned was located  near and included Madagascar.

    And this was a part of Lemuria/MU.

    So the date of these Chera kingdoms,of which the present State of Kerala was a part,may safely pushed back to 5000 BC.

    And the landmass then was different,it was in Lemuria/MU.

    lemuria

    ‘The Cheras were an ancient Dravidian royal dynasty of Tamil origin. The first to establish an historical ruling dynasty in the area, they ruled wide-ranging areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in south-eastern and south-western India respectively, areas that had been settled since at least 5000 BC, when Neolithic carvings had been left in Edakkal Caves. Chera territory included regions such as Venad, Kuttanad, Kudanad, Pazhinad, and others, encompassing the area between Kanya Kumari in the south to Kasargod in the north (now in the far north of Kerala). Also included in this list are Palghat, Coimbatore, Salem and Kollimalai, although they quite probably did not rule all of these areas at all times as ancient borders could be quite fluid at times. Their core territory was in Kerala, while the later rise of the Pallavaspushed them out of Tamil Nadu. However, they did establish a capital at Vanchi, which was known by the Romans as Muzris after an active sea-borne trade sprang up between the two powers.’

    The first Chera King was Vanavaramban” Perumchottu Uthiyan Cheralathan.

    He took part in the Mahabharata War as the provider of food both to Pandava and Kaurava armies.

    He had two sons,each ruling a part of Chera kingdom.

    Mushika Kingdom.

    ‘The Mushika Kingdom (Mushaka Rajya, also called Ezhimalai Rajya, Puzhinadu, Kolathunadu, Chirakkal Rajya among the more common names) was an ancient kingdom of the Tamil Sangam period in present-day Kerala, India, ruled by a royal dynasty of the same name. Its dominions, for most of its recorded history, covered the present-day regions of Northern Kerala, Tulunadu and Coorg, between the western slopes of the Western Ghats in the East and the Arabian Sea in the West.It was one of the five primary ruling dynasties in the ancient Tamilakam of recorded history, and in the Tamil Sangam Period, along with the Cheras, the Pandyas, the Cholas and the Ays. Ezhimalai Nannan was the most powerful ruler of Ezhimalai. He expanded the kingdom to include Gudalur and Coimbatore in his lifetime.

    Reference to Mushikas in Mahabharata.

    ‘

    The Mahabharata mentions the Mushika as one of the kingdoms of South India, and is grouped with the Cheras, Pandyas and Cholas.The Mushika Dynasty in the Mahabharata indicates the Ay Dynasty in Thiruvananthapuram area possibly before the formally known Mushika Dynasty branched out.

    The Tamil Sangam period is replete with mention of the Mushika Family, and especially that of their most famous ruler Nannan, who had his capital at Pazhi (Pazhayangadi).

    The Greek traveler Strabo, who lived around 100 BCE, mentions the kingdom of Mushika in his accounts. The Greek geographer Ptolemy mentions the Ay Dynasty, the mother dynasty of Nannan (Mushika) in the Second Century C.E, and refers to it as “Aoi”

    Ays.

    The Ay dynasty (I / Ai dynasty) (later known as the Venad and subsequently the Thiruvithamkur Dynasty) ruled parts of southern India from the early Sangam age, which spanned from c. 3rd century BC to c. 4th century AD, till the Independence of India. At their zenith, the dynasty ruled an area extending from Tiruvalla in the north to Nagercoil in the south including western Ghats inn the east.One part of the Ayi Kingdom was headquartered in Mavelikkara while another was headquartered at Periyaoor, later called Keezhperoor, Aykudi, Alwarkurichi,Tenkasi (Ayiraperi village), .

    References and citations.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ay_kingdom

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chera_dynasty

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushika_Kingdom

    ‘

     

    This king is mentioned in the eighth decade of the century by the poet Arisil Kilar after winning a great victory at Takadur against the Adiyaman and two great kings. However, his position in this list is highly subject to change, and he is never shown in the same place twice in other lists. He also goes by the name of Karuvar-Eryia-ol-val-ko-Perunceral Irumporai. It seems likely that he is the son or descendant of Yanaikat-sey Mantaran Cheral (of the second century AD), but the Barr List places him first (as does the Pillai list), ahead of the more traditional founder of the dynasty, Perumchottu Uthiyan Cheralathan, who is shown as the third ruler.

    The succession after Peruncheral is where things become really complicated. The kingdom appears to divide in two or, more probably, forms a boundary region that is governed by a junior member of the royal house. Each of Peruncheral’s sons gain a throne of their own with one, seemingly the Vanavar (Vanavarambanas) branch, being the senior.

    Natuvan (or Antuvan) Cheral Irumporai and Udiyan Cheral have been connected together as those two sons, since they are already accepted as being brothers. However, it is not certain that Peruncheral is their father. The accepted story is that Udiyan, carrying the dynastic name Vanavaramban, succeeds his father and conquers territory to the north, but he later places his brother Antuvan in charge there to begin a co-ruling ‘dynasty’ while he rules the main kingdom

    Source.http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsFarEast/IndiaCheras.htm