While Sastras denote conventional weapons like Bow and Arrow,Mace(Gatha)`,Swords of different type…, Astra denote weapons that are energized by Mantras.
Some of these Astras do not any supportive conventional weapon like Bow and Arrow.
Mere uttering of the words will do.
Another type is the one used frequently in Indian legends are the Astras that are used with a bow and arrow simultaneously reciting the Mantra ascribed to the Arrow.
These weapons are to be learnt from a Guru.
The Bow, Dhanus and the Arrows are to be worshiped daily.
Only then they will be effective.
Important fact is that the user must be spiritually inclined and should have attained the status of an effective Sadhaka.
When a Sadhaka meditates and raises his Kundalini (Brahmastra in this context), it derives energy from his base chakra (Mooladhara) and propels upwards.
Then, it penetrates through 5 other chakras deriving energies from each of them at every stage.
Finally it hits the target : Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) and explodes there with a brilliance.
That explosion annihilates all “Illusion(Maaya)“, and leaves the sadhaka with the debris called as “Aham Brahmasmi (I’m Brahma)” feeling.
Otherwise the Astra will not be effective.
It is true that even well-developed Sadhakas turn bad morally, like Ravana.
The Astra will still be effective because of the spiritual efforts involved in obtaining the Astra.
Brahmastra is an Ultimate weapon.
It is energized by chanting Gayatri Mantra by chanting it in a certain way.
Brahmastra leaves destruction all around, including the environment.
How to chant the Brahmastra Mantra, I have explained in one of my earlier posts .
How the Mantras affect weather, bring rainfall, produce heat, change thoughts in human minds around us, control animals and birds are explained thus,
“It contains air, fire and cosmic poison, two goat-like fangs, full of poison, weighty, emits air, contains mercury, fiery, sparkling, sky is filled with air, enemy killing greatly radiant and it is projected with three hymn, Gayatri at its centre, it is known as brahmastra”(Ahirbudhnya Samhita of the Pancharatra Agama volume1)
The counter Astra to Brahmastra is called the BrahmaSirōnāmāstra, which was never used in war, as it had power equivalent to (Brahmāstra),representing 4 heads of Brahma and in Mahabharata war, it was known only to Dronacharya, Aswatthama, Arjuna and Karna.
I had written articles on the Patala mentioned in the Hindu Puranas refer to Latin and ,Central and North Americas and indicated the Sanskrit,Sanatana Dharma and Tamil connection to these places.
Giant’s Remains washed ashore during Tsunami, India,Giants remain found in US NYT report.Giants’s skeleton near Arizona desert.
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The presence of Giants in the past is a part of almost all cultures.
In the Hindu Puranas there are repeated mentions of these Giants.
The Ramayana has Kumbhakana, brother of Ravana is described as a Giant.
Ravana called upon his Moola Sainya in the Patala for a final go at Rama.
Kara and Dhusuana were Giants.
Bhima, his son Gatohkaja of Mahabharata were Giants.
The curious fact is that these Giants lived side by side with ordinary Men.
Except Bhima, almost all the Giants described were reported to have lived in the Patala Loka.
If some one wanted to hide they went to Patala as in the case of Jayathratha, when he heard Arjuna had vowed to kill him before sunset , as a revenge for Jayathratha’s merciless killing of Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
Now there are reports from around the world that skeletons of Giants have been found.
‘There was gas exploration conducted in the south-east region of the Arabian deserts. It uncovered the skeletal remains of a human of phenomenal size. This skeleton was discovered in the Rab-Ul-Khelee region. It stated in the Quran that God created people of phenomenal size which he had never created before. They were the people of Aad. These people were given a lot of powers, but they started misusing the powers. They turned against God and his prophet and often intervened the path of God. So God destroyed them. Ulemas in Saudi Arabia believe that the remains belong to these mythical people of Aad. Though the Saudi military had secured the place but some photographs leaked out.
Another gigantic skeleton was found in India by an exploration team. In the Indian mythology it is mentioned that Brahma created people of phenomenal size which he had never created before. These men were tall, powerful and very big. They could put their arms around the trunk of large trees and uproot them. They were created to bring order to Earth and stop people from fighting each other. Bhima who is mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata was one of the God sons of Brahma and had similar powers. The skeletons unearthed bear resemblance to such descriptions. They are large beyond recognition.
Another incident during the 2004 tsunami that effected India and Sri Lanka adversely. There was a giant skeleton washed ashore by the tides. It was one of the largest ever seen skeletons. Closer inspection of the skeletons revealed that each one of these were thousands of years old and some even dated back to the prehistoric ages. It seems that giants did in fact stroll on this Earth and all the myths were not fictitious.”
* These statements are stated to be Hoaxes, but curiously nobody has explained why they are called hoaxes!
Some more evidence is found in the US and Peru.
This is yet to be contradicted.
‘Nephilim’s Graveyard of the Kings near the Newark, Ohio Earthworks
Located in a small town, north of Newark, Ohio have been found gigantic human remains in all of the burial mounds. In one of the mounds a megalithic bee-hive tomb with a keystone at the top was uncovered.
While there are claims that the Japanese descended from the Chinese there is yet to be a conclusion.
One does not find much beyond Buddhism in China , thanks to their self censorship.
However , there are materials available to indicate that Hinduism was in existence in China before the advent of Buddhism.
Chinese worship Hindu Gods.
Please read my post on this.
Now there are references in the Mahabharata that the Chinese fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Epic Battle of Mahabharata, they, being the friends of Bhagadutta, who was close to Duryodhana.
Vagadatta of Pragyotispur joined the Kurus and we find that the Chinese people sided with Vagadatta, the king of Pragyotispur. It is also found that Vagadatta was present in Yudhisthiras court with many Kirat, Chin, and other soldiers.
However, during the Rajasuya Yaga of Yudhishtra,Bhagadutta agreed to Arjuna to pay Homage to Yudhistra and be his ally.
It is also stated that the Chinese were the descendants of the son of Pururavas,Ayu.
There is a reference in the Chinese tradition that the ancestors of the Chinese people came to China after crossing the high mountain ranges to the South.
Lost Chinese History supports that King named Vikrama conquered all the parts of Modern China.
He gave Chinese culture a new life which was lost due to internal conflicts.
This probably refers to Vikramadtiya.
”
King Yudhisthira wanted to perform the greatest of all sacrifices viz. the Rajasuya sacrifice. This involved military activity along with the usual sacrificial rites. The king’s armies would march under his appointed military generals in four cardinal directions and defeat all the kingdoms encountered in their paths. Any kingdom can chose to accept the sway of the king peacefully or choose to battle against the king’s military general. King Yudhisthira obtained a huge army by defeating the rising Magadha empire of king Jarasandha as Bhima slew Jarasandha in a dual of mace-fight. Taking a portion each of that army, the four brothers of king Yudhisthira, viz. Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva marched from Indraprasthato the four cardinal directions. Arjuna was responsible for the military expedition towards the northern direction.
Like Jarasandha, king Bhagadatta was another impediment for Yudhisthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice. Jarasandha was slain by Bhima by executing the clever strategy formed by Krishna. Bhagadatta was however a friend of Pandu, the father of the five Pandavas. Arjuna chose to use diplomacy to subdue Bhagadatta, rather than slaying him in battle.
Pragjyotisha is mentioned as a city only once (Mbh.5.48) in Mahabharata. The name Pragjyotisha is applied to the whole of the territory controlled by Bhagadatta, which included the regions north to Indraprastha as well. As a result, confusion arose in the location of the city of Pragjyotisha.Gohati in Assam is usually considered to be the Pragjyotishapura or the city of Pragjyotisha. The location of the city can be in Himachal Pradesh as well. There is a village named Kamaru (Kamru) in Baspa Valley (Sangla Valley) of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. This is a candidate location of Pragjyotisha city. The name ‘Kamaru’ could be the remnant of the name ‘Kamarupa’ another name of Bhagadatta’s territories. The name Kamarup is however not found in Mahabharata. This name is not used in Mahabharata to denote any territory of Bhagadatta. The name Kamaru or Kamru is also found in Tibet to the north of Bhutan as well. It is not clear if this territory belonged to the Chinas mentioned as allied to Bhagadatta. Mahabharata mentioned about a China territory close to Sindhu river in Tibet as well.
Prag-jyotisha (Praag:- East; jyotisha: light, astronomy) means the eastern light. Hence it lied to the east, but probably from the point of view of the land of the five rivers (Punjab). Mahabharata also mentions another city or territory with similar name viz. Uttarayotisha (Uttara-jyotisha) meaningthe northern light. Jyotisha also means astronomy. It is not clear if these cities has anything to do with astronomy or if Prag-jyotisha and Uttara-jyotisha had some relationship. Uttarayotisha is mentioned as part of Nakula‘s military expedition to the west.
According to French art historian Rene Grousset, the name China comes from “an ancient” Sanskrit name for the regions to the east, and not, as often supposed, from the name of the state of Ch’in,” the first dynasty established by Shih Huang Ti in 221 B.C.
The Sanskrit name Cheena for China could have been derived from the small state of that name in Chan-si in the northwest of China, which flourished in the fourth century B.C. Scholars have pointed out that the Chinese word for lion, shih, used long before the Chin dynasty, was derived from the Sanskrit word, simha, and that the Greek word for China, Tzinista, used by some later writers, appears to be derivative of the Sanskrit Chinasthana. According to Terence Duke, martial arts went from India to China. Fighting without weapons was a specialty of the ancient Ksatriya warriors of India.
The story of Sun Hou Tzu, the Monkey King, and Hsuang Tsang. It is a vicarious and humorous tale, an adventure story akin to the Hindu epic of Ramayana, and like Ramayana, a moral tale of the finer aspects of human endeavor which come to prevail over those of a less worthy nature. The book ends with a dedication to India: ‘I dedicate this work to Buddha’s Pure Land. May it repay the kindness of patron and preceptor, may it mitigate the sufferings of the lost and damned….’
(source: Eastern Wisdom, Michael Jordan, p. 134-151)
Hu Shih, (1891-1962), Chinese philosopher in Republican China. He was ambassador to the U.S. (1938-42) and chancellor of Peking University (1946-48). He said:
“India conquered and dominated China culturally for two thousand years without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.”
Lin Yutang, author of The Wisdom of China and India:
“The contact with poets, forest saints and the best wits of the land, the glimpse into the first awakening of Ancient India’s mind as it searched, at times childishly and naively, at times with a deep intuition, but at all times earnestly and passionately, for the spiritual truths and the meaning of existence – this experience must be highly stimulating to anyone, particularly because the Hindu culture is so different and therefore so much to offer.” Not until we see the richness of the Hindu mind and its essential spirituality can we understand India….”
“I see no reason to doubt,” comments Arthur Waley in his book, The Way and its Power, “that the ‘holy mountain-men’ (sheng-hsien) described by Lieh Tzu are Indian rishi; and when we read in Chuang Tzu of certain Taoists who practiced movements very similar to the asanas of Hindu yoga, it is at least a possibility that some knowledge of the yoga technique which these rishi used had also drifted into China.”
Both Sir L. Wooley and British historian Arnold Toynbee speak of an earlier ready-made culture coming to China. They were right. That was the Vedic Hindu culture from India with its Sanskrit language and sacred scripts. The contemporary astronomical expertise of the Chinese, as evidenced by their records of eclipses; the philosophy of the Chinese, their statecraft, all point to a Vedic origin. That is why from the earliest times we find Chinese travelers visiting India very often to renew their educational and spiritual links.
Some times events take place and they make you wonder whether what we know as Science is really adequate in explaining Nature’s Mysteries,Our present state of civilization is really an advanced one!
Us troops disappear Afghanistan Vimana.
‘ It’s always easier (and lazier) to discount such stories, but the more you dig, the more you will realize there is some ancient truths behind this. After this article, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a ‘surprise’ visit to Afghanistan, followed by visits by United States President Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy., So I’m guessing there’s more to it than a fake ‘conspiracy’ created by governments to mislead and hide truth.
US Troops Disappear in Afghanistan: The Mystery of the Vimana
In recent years, there have been various events and claims that challenge our understanding of history and science. One such mystery revolves around the disappearance of US troops in Afghanistan linked to a fascinating ancient artifact known as the Vimana. The Vimana is said to be a highly advanced flying machine mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. While some may view these stories as mere legends or myths, a deeper investigation reveals intriguing aspects that deserve attention.
The story begins when a team of US military scientists allegedly discovered a Vimana trapped inside a cave in Afghanistan. This discovery reportedly led to a series of perplexing events, including the disappearance of eight American soldiers who attempted to excavate the ancient aircraft. This incident caught the attention of world leaders, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy making unannounced visits to Afghanistan. Although Sarkozy’s visit was concealed, his rush to the war zone indicates the significance of the situation.
According to the Sanskrit epic, The Mahabharata, a Vimana was roughly twelve cubits in circumference and possessed powerful weapons, including blazing missiles. It is said to have operated with a circular reflector that emitted a shaft of light, capable of instantly disintegrating any target it focused on. The Vimana discovered in Afghanistan is estimated to be approximately 5,000 years old, adding a layer of historical significance to the mystery.
What makes the Vimana discovery even more intriguing is the connection to what the report refers to as a “Time Well,” an electromagnetic radiation-gravity field similar to the unified field theory postulated by Albert Einstein. Some speculate that this technology might be linked to the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, a World War II experiment in teleportation that allegedly caused the sudden disappearance of US soldiers. The energy barrier surrounding the Vimana prevents extraction attempts, further adding to the mystery and raising questions about the true nature of this ancient artifact.
The report also claims that the Vimana in Afghanistan belonged to Zoroaster, the ancient prophet and founder of the influential religion known as Zoroastrianism. This revelation hints at a fascinating historical connection between ancient civilizations, spanning beyond just the boundaries of India. It raises the possibility that advanced technologies were present throughout various ancient cultures, perhaps bridging the gaps between different civilizations.
As we ponder the implications of this mysterious discovery, it is worth considering the perspectives of both skeptics and believers. While skeptics might dismiss these accounts as mere fiction or coincidence, it is essential to approach the subject with an open mind. History has shown us that as our understanding of the world evolves, so does our knowledge of ancient civilizations and their technological capabilities. It is entirely possible that there are hidden truths waiting to be unraveled in the pages of history.
Ultimately, the mystery surrounding the Vimana discovered in Afghanistan raises profound questions about our past, the nature of ancient civilizations, and the limits of our current scientific understanding. It reminds us that there is still much to explore and discover in the world of archaeology, science, and ancient wisdom. As we continue our quest for knowledge and unraveling the mysteries of the past, we may find that our present state of civilization is built upon the advanced achievements of those who came before us. (;This information is by Jetpack AI.)
Scroll down for Video..this video has been removed in YouTube.
Video link seems to have been removed.
Check the one below.
I am posting another one here,hope it is not also removed.
The facts, events mentioned in the Vedas, Scriptures of the Hindus,The Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Great Epics sound so advanced as to make one dismiss them as figments of Imagination, and it is being dismissed as such by the so-called Elites.
Cave In Afghanisthan, where ancient Vimana was found.
What we speak of is about the events , some of them date back to thousands of years and the information found are,
Interstellar Travel,
Advanced Quantum Mechanics,
Organic and Inorganic Chemistry,
Advanced Mathematics,
Calculus,Anti Gravity Theory,
Advanced Surgery, Plastic Surgery,
Medicine,
Electricity,
Magnetism,
Atomic Theory,
Neutron Bombs,
Radar,
Stem Cell Research,
Prediction and measurement of Rain,
Movement of Stars,
Architecture,
Music,
Dance,
Planets,
Mental exercises,
Control of Consciousness….
I have posted articles on each of these and more.
Vimana, Ancient Indian Plane.
They can be found under Hinduism, Astrophysics,Science.
The description of aircrafts are found in Hindu Ancient texts, The Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Eighteen Puranas.
What is now Iran and Afghanistan were a part of indian Empire and Kandhari , Mother of the Kauravas and Sakuni were from Kandhahar, then called Kaandharra Kingdom.
Mahabharata mentions the use of Aircrafts, more specifically while speaking of Arjuna when he conquered Kandhaara and beyond.
He is reported to have fought with Aliens who came in Vimanas and Arjuna had one of his own granted by his father Indra.
It transpires that the troops of the US in Afghanistan found the remains of a Vimana and eight soldiers disappeared.
This caused all European leaders to Afghanistan.
The information was prepared by the Intelligence Arm of Russia, SVR, and placed before to Vladimir Putin.
Read the story.
‘
A peculiar report prepared for Prime Minister Putin by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) circulating in the Kremlin today states that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has become the latest in a growing line of Western leaders to make a ‘surprise’ visit to Afghanistan this month and follows visits by United States President Obama (December 3rd), British Prime Minister David Cameron (December 7th) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy (December 8th).
Only Sarkozy’s trip, this report says, was concealed as he was already in India on a state visit when ‘rushed’ by a US Military aircraft to the Afghan war zone.
What caused the sudden rush of these most powerful leaders of the Western World to go to Afghanistan, this report continues, was to directly view the discovery by US Military scientists of what is described as a “Vimāna” entrapped in a “Time Well” that has already caused the “disappearance” of at least 8 American Soldiers trying to remove it from the cave it has been hidden in for the past estimated 5,000 years.
From the ancient accounts found in the Sanskrit epic The Mahabharata, we know that a Vimāna [photo bottom left] measured twelve cubits in circumference, with four strong wheels. Apart from its ‘blazing missiles’, The Mahabharata records the use of its other deadly weapons that operated via a circular ‘reflector’. When switched on, it produced a ‘shaft of light’ which, when focused on any target, immediately ‘consumed it with its power’.
To the “Time Well” encasing the Vimāna, this report continues, it appears to be an electromagnetic radiation-gravity field first postulated by Albert Einstein as theUnified Field Theory and long rumored to be behind the infamous American World War II experiment in teleportation called the Philadelphia Experiment that in 1943, like the events occurring in Afghanistan today, likewise, caused the sudden “disappearance” of US Soldiers….
The seemingly “perpetual” power source to this mysterious “Time Well”, this SVR report says, appears to be based on the technology of Edward Leedskalnin, who claimed to have discovered the “Secret Knowledge of the Ancients” and from 1923-1951 “single-handedly and secretly” carved over 1,100 tons of coral rock by an unknown process that created one of the World’s most mysterious accomplishments known as the Coral Castle.
Most intriguing of all about this report is its stating that not just any Vimāna has been discovered, but from the ancient writings contained in the cave where it was discovered, it claims that its “rightful owner” is the ancient prophet Zoroaster,who was the founder of arguably one of the most important religions of all time called Zoroastrianism….
The vimana found in Afghanistan is reported to be an estimated 5,000 years old. It is said to be protected by a strange energy barrier that is preventing troops from extracting the vimana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7NXsT_5J6A
From the ancient accounts found in the Sanskrit epic The Mahabharata, we know that a Vimana measured twelve cubits in circumference, with four strong wheels. Apart from its ‘blazing missiles’, The Mahabharata records the use of its other deadly weapons that operated via a circular ‘reflector’. When switched on, it produced a ‘shaft of light’ which, when focused on any target, immediately ‘consumed it with its power’.
వేడి, ఆగనిస్థానంలో ప్రాచీన విమానం దొరికిన విషయం గురించి భాగస్వామి ప్రచారం చేశారు. అల్విద్య సభ్యులు ఇంట్లో ఇతర అపారధ నిర్ణయాలతో కలిగే ఆ సమస్త ఘటనలను ఒంటరిగా చూసేమో లేదని అర్థం కాకూడా విచారించాల్సినది, కానీ వీటిని తప్పక అలాగే ఉంచవలసిన కొన్ని పింఛనాలను చూస్తూ మరోకొండ సత్యాలను దమ్మించగలిగా తెలుసుకోలంటున్నాయి. ఈ వ్యాసం ద్వారా, ఉన్నత రాష్ట్రాల నాయకులు ఆఫ్ఘానిస్థాన్కు చర్యలూ తీసుకునే ఇటంలో కూడా మూడు ఆనందకర ద్రవ్యాధారి భారతీయ అంచనలను పువ్వుతూ కన్నుముందుకు రాంచండ్రన్ (గర్మనీ), ఒబామా (అమెరికా ప్రేసిడెంట్), క్యామరన్ (బ్రిటన్ ప్రైమ్మినిస్టర్), సార్కోజీ (ఫ్రాన్స్ ప్రేసిడెంట్) ఆఫ్ఘానిస్తాన్ను కల్గిన సూచనలకు డంకని వేడాలంటున్నారు. ఇది మాత్రమే అలాగే అమెరికాన జనసేనానికి గుర్తింపు పెట్టిన 8 సైనికుల గురించి కూడా లభించాయి. ఇది ఆఫ్ఘానిస్తాన్లో దొరికిన విమానంపై పెట్టుబడులను గురించి కూడా ప్రస్తుతం జరిగిన క్షేత్రాన్ని ప్రదర్శించడంపై జగత్ప్రముఖ నాయకులు ఆఫ్ఘానిస్తాన్లోకి ద్విర్యామమైన సందర్భంలో అమరికాన సైనికుల ప్రయత్నాలతో కూడిన ప్రజ్వలించిన ఉన్నతత గురించి అర్హత కూడా మరియు ఆ ప్రచారం నటించేవారికై గురించి ఆవగాహనలను నమ్మంచేయండి. Translation by AI jetpack.Please let me know the inaccuracies.
As I write about the spread of Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, I wondered about two points.
There is no doubt that the Sanatana dharma of Hindus spread far and wide throughout the world is indisputable considering the archeological finds found throughout the world indicating the presence of Sanatana Dharma.
Two questions remain.
How did people travel so far?
Secondly how did they fight the wars with the foreign invaders when it happened?
Though Puranas and Ithihasa speak of what appears to be beyond the Human capacity of crossing the ocean by flying, there are references that the ancient knew about Ships and warfare.
While one may question how Hanuman could fly over the Ocean to Lanka, Valmiki in the same breath talks of ships!
When Hanuman was crossing the ocean to Lanka, he was compared to a ship tossed by winds on the high seas. Sugriva speaks of Sumatra, Java and even the Red Sea, when sending forth his monkey hosts in the quest of Sita.
This only means that though the people during Ramayana knew of ships, yet Hanuman chose to fly.
Ships Landing of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka – 543 BC from Ajanta Frescos. Ajanta painting of a later date depict horses and elephants aboard the ship which carried Prince Vijaya to Sri Lanka. (source: India Through the ages – By K. M. Panikkar).
The Rig Veda mentions “merchants who crowd the great waters with ships”.
The Ramayana speaks of merchants who crossed the sea and bought gifts for the king of Ayodhya.
Manu legislates for safe carriage and freight by river and sea.
In some of the earliest Buddhist literature we read of voyages ‘out of sight’ of land, some lasting six months or so.
“There was also extensive intercourse of India with foreign countries, including the Mediterranean lands and the African continent, naturally led to piracy on the waters. There then arose the need for the protection of sea-borne trade, and we are told that “at the outset the merchant vessels of India carried a small body of trained archers armed with bows and arrows to repulse the attacks of the pirates, but later they employed guns, cannon and other more deadly weapons of warfare with a few wonderful and delusive contrivances.”
–William Vincent pp. 457). These are probably the beginnings of the ancient Indian navy. in The Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients In the Indian Ocean.
‘ The navy is one of the angas (part) of the complete army. Examples of ships being used for military purposes are not lacking. When Vidura scented danger to Kunti’s five sons, he made them escape to the forest with their mother, crossing the Ganges in a boat equipped with weapons having the power of withstanding wind and wave.(Mahabharata Shanti Parva 59,41)
Darius launched a maritime expedition under Skylax of Caryanda to the Indus Delta, and during Alexander’s time, again, we read of the people of the Punjab fitting out a fleet. We have the testimony of Arrian to show that the Xathroi (Kshatri), one of the Punjab tribes, supplied Alexander during his return voyage with thirty oared galleys and transport vessels which were built by them.
-Herodotus 517 BC, India and Its Invasion by Alexander p. 156.
By regular practice one becomes an adept in fighting from chariot, horses, elephants and boats, and a past-master in archery.”
-Kamandaka (XVI, 50)
“Boats should be employed for military purposes when the theatre of hostilities abounded in water.
(Manu Samhita Vii 192)
‘The Admiralty as a department of the State may have been a creation of Chandragupta but there is evidence to show that the use of ships and boats was known to the people of the Rg Veda. ”
Early History of India, Vincent Smith P.133.
This exploit you achieved, Asvins in the ocean, where there is nothing to give support, nothing to rest upon, nothing to cling to, that you brought Bhujya, sailing in a hundred oared ship, to his father’s house.
Further on in the Veda, this same vessel is described as a plava which was storm-proof and which presented a pleasing appearance and had wings on its sides. Another reference informs us that Tugra dispatched a fleet of four vessels (Catasro navah) among which was the one referred to above. We may infer from these passages that the Asvins were a great commercial people having their home in a far-off island, and that their ruler Tugra maintained a fleet in the interests of his State. There are also other references in the Rg Veda to show that the ancient Indians were acquainted with the art of navigation. For instance, Varuna is credited with a knowledge of the ocean routes along which vessels sailed.
The Baudhayana Dharmasastra speaks of Samudrasamyanam and interprets it as nava dvipantaragamanam, i.e. sailing to other lands by ships. This very term occurs in the navadhyaksa section of the Kautaliya Arthasastra.
The Puranas have several references to the use of ships and boats. The Markandeya Purana speaks of vessels tossing about on the sea. The Varahapurana refers to the people who sailed far into the ocean in search of pearls and oysters. The ships floated daily on the shoreless, deep and fearful waters of the ocean. We are on firmer ground when we see in the Andhra period their coins marked with ships. The ship building activities were great on the east coast, and the Coromandel coast in particular. From this period to about 15th century A.D. there was a regular intercourse with the islands of the Archipelago most of which were colonized and also with ancient America right across the Pacific as testified to us by the archaeological finds and inscriptions in those parts.
The Pali books of Sri Lanka like the Mahavamsa refers to ocean going vessels carrying 700 passengers. Such frequent intercourse and colonization through the ages could not have been effected without a powerful fleet.
“Turning to the history of South India, we have evidence to show that the country had trade and culture contacts with foreign countries like Rome in the west and Malay Archipelago and South east Asia in the east. Yavana ships laden with articles of merchandise visited the west coast frequently. There was active foreign trade between Tamil Indian and the outer world at least from the time of Soloman, i.e. about 1000 B.C. Roman historians refer to the commercial intercourse that existed between Rome and South India. In the first century before Christ we hear of a Pandyan embassy to Augustus Caesar. (refer to Periplus translated by Schoff p. 46).
The Sangam classics point to the profession of pearl-diving and sea-fisheries on a large scale. We hear of shipwrecks of the early Tamils saved now and then by Manimekhalai, the goddess of the sea.
(Note: ancient Tamil tradition traces its origins to a submerged island or continent, Kumari Kandam, situated to the south of India. The Tamil epics Shilappadikaram and Manimekhalai provide glorious descriptions of the legendary city and port of Puhar, which the second text says was swallowed by the sea.
As in the case of Dwaraka, (please refer to chapter on Dwaraka and Aryan Invasion Theory), initial findings at and off Poompuhar, at the mouth of the Cauvery, show that there may well be a historical basis to this legend: apart from several structures excavated near the shore, such as brick walls, water reservoirs, even a wharf (all dated 200-300 B.C.), a few years ago a structure tantalizingly described as a “U-shaped stone structure” was found five kilometers offshore, at a depth of twenty-three meters; it is about forty meters long and twenty wide, and fishermen traditionally believed that a submerged temple existed at that exact spot. If the structure is confirmed to be man-made (and not a natural formation), its great depth would certainly push back the antiquity of Puhar.
Only more systematic explorations along Tamil Nadu’s coast, especially at Poompuhar, Mahabalipuram, and around Kanyakumari (where fishermen have long reported submerged structures too) can throw more light on the lost cities, and on the traditions of Kumari Kandam, which some have sought to identify with the mythical Lemuria… We have the account of a Cera King conquering the Kadamba in the midst of sea waters. The Cera King Senguttuvan had a fleet with which he defeated the Yavanas who were punished with their hands being tied behind their backs and the pouring of oil on their heads. The Cholas also maintained a strong fleet with which they not only invaded and subjugated Lanka but also undertook overseas expeditions. Among the conquests of Rajaraja, Lanka was one, and his invasion of that island finds expression in the Tiruvalangadu plates, where it is described as follows:
“Rama built, with the aid of the monkeys, a causeway over the sea and then slew with great difficulty the king of Lanka by means of sharp-edged arrows. But Rama was excelled by this (king) whose powerful army crossed the ocean in ships and burnt the king of Lanka.”
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