That Sanatana Dharma was practiced in the South is indisputable.
The truth got muddled by the British to divide the country so that they might rule over the Bharatavarsha.
Valmiki Maharishi
Unlike the other Nations they conquered,they found it difficult to make a headway in subjugating the people and spread Christianity.
The stumbling block?
Sanatana Dharma and its strong rooted Culture.
So strong was this, Lord Macaulay, in his speech in the British Parliament, while stressing the necessity of making English as The Language of India, said,
“If we want to rule India, it is possible only with the introduction English in India.
And it is necessary to make the Hindus lose their respect for their religion and culture, which is so deep-rooted that it does not allow other cultures to permeate.
Destroy their pride in their cultural values and religion.
And this is possible only with the introduction English in India.”
The quote is not verbatim, but the essence.Readers may refer Macaulay’s’ speech in the web.
That they have achieved it 100 %, through the good offices of self-styled Indian Anglophiles later.
We do have them even today among us under the garb of Liberals and Intelligentsia.
The illegitimate offspring of the British, the Justice party of Tamil Nadu and their successors the DK and DMK still sing the song of separate Tamil Race, Identity, fueled by the devious Max Mueller and earlier Missionaries under the Garb of Tamil Scholars.
I have posts on this.
Their concocted Aryan Invasion theory has been debunked for quite some time now.
I have posted articles that Rama’s ancestor Satyavrata Manu was in Dravida Desa and migrated to Ayodhya to establish the Ayodhya Kingdom.
More evidence has been provided in this site.
There is something more.
Ancient Tamil Sangam Poets had Sanskrit names and in some cases they have Tamilicized it.
Agastya is the founder of Tamil from Lord Shiva.
He wrote the first Grammar of Tamil, Agathiyam.
Tholkappiyar wrote another ancient grammar in Tamil.
The name Tholkapiyar is the Tamil version of Adi Kavi, which is the name to Vallmiki who composed the Ramayana.
And there are 358 verses in the Purananuru a Sangam literature, written by Vanmikar(Valmiki?)
And one finds the name Valmiki in many a temple in Tail Nadu.
Sanskrit names in Tamil Literature, Poets.
”
Damodaran, Kesavan, Vishnu Dasan (Vinnanthayan), Kamakshi (Kamak Kanni), Maha Devan (Maathevanar), Kausika (Kosikan), Kapila (very pouplar Rishi’s name), Parana (Parana is a Gotra name),Nagaraja (Mudinaagaraayar),Maha Sastha (Maasaaththan), Lochana(ulochanar), Bhutapandya, Krishna (Kannan), Arudra (Aththirai), Kumara (kumaranar), Gauthama (Gothamanar), Sanga Varunan, Rudra (Nalluruththiranar), Nagas (at least 20 names with Naga as surname)Brahma (piramanar), Brahma Dutt ( Yaz piramathaththan), Uthra (Uththiraiyar), Maha Chitra (perumsiththiranar), Maha Padma (perumpathumanar), Atreya, Kavya (kappiynaar) Yagna Acharya (Velaasaan), Beri Sastha.
Tamil kings performed Rajasuya, Asvamedha and Soamyaga (Avvaiyar attended the Rajasuya Yagna and praised the Tamil unity which was very rare. Kalidasa praised Pandyan king’s (probably Mudukudumi Peru Vazuthi’s ) Asvamedha Yangna indirectly by referring to Avabrudha Snana. Peruvazuthi coins have been discovered with Yupa pillar and horse/Asva.”
Vanmikam in Sanskrit means ant hill. This robber turned saint did penance for a long time and ant hill grew over him and he got the name Valmiki. His original name was Prachedas. We have this name associated with several saints with the same experience of long penance and ants building a hill over them. Gods in several Shiva temples had his name in Tamil Nadu. Vanmeekanathar is found in Tiruvarur, Sankarankoil, Kudavasal, Kancheepuram, Thiruvetriyur and Valmiki Samadhi (grave) in Ettukkudi. Every temple had its own story of that particular Valmiki. Slowly priests and tourist guides or Sthala Puranas (Local Temple History) identified them with the most famous Valmiki.
Valmiki seems to be a Gothra, like Kasyapa, Bharatwaja.
”
The following note was copied by me on 5th May 2002 from the book ‘’Retrieval of History from Puranic Myths’’ by P.L.Bhargava (available at SOAS Library, University of London):
“Pravaradhyaya of the ancient Baudhayana Srauta Sutra (800 to 400 BC) mentions Valmiki as a Gotra in the Vatsa Paksha of the family of Bhrgu. This name thus could be borne by other persons of this gotra and this is proved by the fact that we learn from the Taitriya Pratisakhya of a Phoenician Valmiki who was different from the famous poet Valmiki.’’
More to follow on this topic.
I am handicapped by my ignorance of other Indian Languages.
Readers may send in their information on this subject, from their languages, which I am sure must exist in them.
It will be an internal contradiction to have Ramayana quoted in the Rig Veda as Ramayana was later to Vedas.
Even if we accept the view that the Ramayana happened during the closing years of the Vedas, then what about yajur Veda which was practised in the Ramayana.
This can be resolved only if all the Vedas were grasped at the same time..
However there is reference to Ramayana and Rama in the Rig Veda.
There is a Rama Rahasya Upanishad in the Vedas.
Please read my post on this.
There is also a verse in the Rig Veda on the name Rama.
“14 This to Duḥśīma Pṛthavāna have I sung, to Vena, Rama, to the nobles, and the King.
They yoked five hundred, and their love of us was famed upon their way.
15 Besides, they showed us seven-and-seventy horses here.
Tānva at once displayed his gift, Pārthya at once displayed his gift; and straightway Māyava showed his.” XCIII Visvedevas.
Vena is the ancestor of Rama.
In the absence of Dasaratha reference, some dispute the name Rama as the Rama of Ramayana.
There is an interesting note found in the Bala Kanda of Ramayana.
Valmiki wrote that he wrote the Ramayana to expound The Vedas.
The princes, the brothers, Kusha and Lava, were knowledgeable about Dharma and were glorious. Their voices were melodious and they lived in the hermitage of (vAlmIki). He (vAlmIki), established in good deeds, observed those two extremely intelligent (princes), skilled in the Vedas, and for the sake of expounding the Vedas, he composed and made them study the poem sampUrNa-rAmAyaNa (the entire rAmAyaNa) (containing) the great story of sItA and the slaying of rAvaNa.
These verses from the vAlmIki-rAmAyaNa clearly show that the sage vAlmIki composed the rAmAyaNa to expound the meaning of the Vedas.
Since rAmAyaNa is based on the Vedas, there must be mantras in the Vedas that correspond to the immortal story of rAma. It is with this objective that nIlakaNTha, the great commentator on the mahAbhArata, has presented, with his own wonderful commentary, the mantra-rAmAyaNa. The mantra-rAmAyaNa is a compilation of Riks from the R^ig Veda that narrate the story of rAma or the rAmAyaNa.”…
For this reason, vAlmIki bases the twenty-four thousand verses of the rAmAyaNa on the twenty-four akshhara’s (syllables) of the gAyatrI mantra (of the Vedas).
nIlakaNTha quotes from the agastya-saMhitA to further support the fact that the rAmAyaNa story is drawn from the Vedas:
vedavedaye pare puMsi jAte dasharathAtmaje |
vedaH prAchetasAdAsIt.h sAxAdrAmAyaNAtmanA |
tasmAdrAmAyaNaM devi veda eva na saMshayaH ||…
Valmiki himself is reported to have written more than one version, Adhyatma ramayana, AdbudaRamaya, among otheres.
One has to read Valmiki in the original to know how modern his story telling skilling technics are , with crisp or elaborate narration as required by the scene,descriptions of people and places, Imagery, most modern Flash back technics in story telling.
Some of the Sargas are the best screen plays ever conceived.
There is one verse which summarises the entire story of Ramayana of 24’000 couplets in one verse!
This also must have been by Valmiki himself, as I am of he opinion, given his skills, none other than Valmiki could have even conceived this Sloka.
As I have been going through the Original Texts of Indian Epics, especially the Ramayana, I have across some facts which I am unable to reconcile with geographical locations.
Valmiki states clearly that Hanuman jumped from Mahenra Parvatha.
( I found an answer relating to the place from where Hanuman jumped for Lanka, here the answer was Hanuman did not jump but walked over!
This information is incorrect.
Valmiki states in Sundara Kanda,
”
niilalohitamaaJNjishhThapatravarNaiH sitaasitaiH |
svabhaavavihitaishchitrairdhaatubhiH samalaMkR^itam ||5-1-5
kaamaruupibhiraavishhTamabhiikshNaM saparichchhidaiH |
yakshakinnaragandharvairdevaklpaishcha pannagaiH ||5-1-6
sa tasya girivaryasya tale naagavaraayute |
tishhThan kapivarastatra hrade naaga ivaababhau ||5-1-7
5,6,7. saH= that, kapivaraH= great monkey, babhau= shone, naagaH iva= like an elephant, hrade= in a lake, tishhThan= being located, tasya girivarasya= on that great mountain’s, tale= foot, naagavaraayute= which had best of elephants, tatra= there, samalaMkR^itam= was decorated by, svabhaavavihitaiH= naturally formed, dhaatubhiH= mineral rocks, chitraiH= of varied hues, sitaasitaiH= (like) black and white, niilalohitamaaJNjishhThapatravarNaiH= blue, red, yellow, leaf color (green), abhiikshNam aavishhTam= surrounded to a great extent by, yakshakinnaragandharvaiH= Yakshas- Kinnaras-Gandharvas, kaamaruupibhiH= who could assume desired form, saparichchhadaiH= together with their families, cha deva kalpaiH pannagaiH= and godly serpents.
That great monkey Hanuma shone like an elephant in a lake, standing on the foot of that great mountain by the name of Mahendra, where many elephants of good breed resided, which was beautifully decorated with many naturally formed mineral rocks of varied hue like black, white, red, blue, yellow and green and which was surrounded by godly serpents and Yakshas, Kinnaras, Gandharvas who were capable of assuming desired form, together with their families.(Verse 8,Sundara Kanda, Sarga 1)
The problem is that Iam unable to find the Mountain in India, save for a refernce to Tirukurungudi in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, South India. The taluk of Thirukurungudi isNanguneri and it belongs to Nanguneri Assembly. At the foothills of the Western Ghats and 40 km to the North of Cape Comerin.
This is reported to be the place from Hanuman jumped for Lanka.
Another one is near Rameswaram, where Rama’feet, Ramar Padam, are found with Sugreeva’s Temple.
Both these refernces do not seem to meet with the description of Valmiki.
There is yet another mahendragiri found in Odisha.
There is also the theory that there was an island off the Narmada River.
This could be the Lankaof Ramayana!
“n an article “The Antiquity of Rama’s Era”, in the journal Prachya Pratibha
(published by Prachya Niketan, a Birla sponsored institution in Bhopal),
Vol. 11-1, 1982[?], the author, R.L. Gupta, a retired engineer and
government secretary, says, that for India’s geography to match that
described in the Ramayana, particularly the existence of the ‘hundred yojana
sea’, the Ramayana era must have been at that time in the geological past
when a lake, large enough to be described by that phrase and abutting the
Vindhyan mountain range where it is described in the Ramayana and is
accepted by geologists as having existed… in the Narmada valley. He
identifies Lanka as an Island in that Narmada lake, now Bagra hill. He also
re-identifies several other places in the the Ramayana by correlating
geographical features and present place names; Chitrakuta, Panchvati (where
Sita was abducted), the Pampawati river, Kishkindha, Mahendra Parvata,
Trikuta Parvata, Rameshwaram, Pampa lake, Kishyamuka, Pravarsan, Mynaka and
Suvela Parvatas, Dhawalgiri and the Setu (bridge) built by Rama… all in
locations in present Madhya Pradesh.
According to the author of the article, Reva Khanda of Skandha Purana speaks
of a big lake or sea in the Narmada valley and that modern fossil finds in
the area substantiate this. He refers to the Madhya Pradesh Chronicle of May
23, 1982 and to an article in the Times of India, June 20, 1982. Geologists
believe in the existence of an ancient lake existing till the middle or late
Pleistocene extending from about the town of Harda, District Hoshangabad in
the west to about the town of Jabalpur M.P. in the east, a distance of over
320 km. At places it was over 300 meters deep and 65 km wide — enough to
appear as a ‘sagar’.
He refers to a book ‘Lanka ki khoj’ which lists many past attempts by
various authors to identifiy the ‘true’ location of Lanka (including,
outside India: Sumatra, the Maldives, Lakshadwip, Liggadwip, 800 miles into
the Indian ocean, Lanka (the present Sri Lanka) and Australia (!), and
within the boundaries of India: Assam, Rekanpalli, between the Godavari and
Krishna rivers, near Maheshwar, near Jabalpur, Amarkantak and near Pendra in
Bilaspur district, M.P. The book’s author (Hiralal Shukla), himself suggests
the Godavari delta as the location of Lanka.
According to Ramayana, Lanka was located on Trikuti Parvata close to
Dhawlagiri surrounded by the hundred yojana sea and in a area where Sal
trees grew (the trees used both by both Hanuman and his followers and Ravana
and company in the Ramaa-Ravana battle). The article describes Bagra hill as
close to and a little west of Pachmarhi Hill, district Hoshangabad, Madhya
Pradesh. Pachmarhi hill is identified in the respected reference book
‘Castes and Tribes of the Central Provinces’ as Dhawlagiri. The article’s
author refers to Survey of India (SOI) topographical map 55 F/14 showing
three hill tops on Bagra Hill at longitude 78° E. It marks the beginning of
a region extending east to Chota Nagpur and south almost to Bhadrachalam on
the Godavari. It also is in a Sal area.
The author says (plausibly), that the phrase “hundred yojana sea” has more
than one interpretation: that it was only a general expression to create the
impression of ‘large size’. In at least one Bhagavatam verse (5.16.23)
‘hundred yojanas’ appears to be used in this way.
It is long ago that I read the complete Ramayan (and would not have
remembered such details in any case) but according to the article, the
Ramayan indicates the sagar as lying along the Vindhya mountain range,
citing that Swanyaprabha, while escorting Hanuman and other Vanaras out of
the tunnel in those mountains, pointed out that they were on Mahendragiri
and that the expanse of water below was the Sagara. Jatayu’s brother Sampati
also indicated the Sagara as the location of the island of Trikuta parvata
with Lanka on it.
The article claims that the geography described in the Ramayana establishes
the antiquity of Rama’s era. The Mynaka Parvata which Hanuman used in his
leap — in geological terms the ‘Vindhyan geosyncline’ (‘uplifted trough’),
came up from the sea. In Rama’s ancestor Bhagtratha’s time, Bhagiratha had
to work hard to bring the Ganga river to the plains. In his father Dilip’s
time, it was confined to the mountains. The Ramayana, also shows that in
Bhagiratha’s ancestor Sagar’s time the river Saryu, which at present flows
southwards, flowed northwards. These changes and events had their causes in
the rise of land masses and the last such land rise of any magnitude in
India is reported by the geologists to have been associated with the
uplifting of the Himalayas in late pleistocene to early recent times. The
drying up of the Saraswati River is another instance… attributed to the
rising up of the Sivalik Himalaya foothills.
Regarding the Setu, causeway, the “bridge”, the topography map of the once
Narmada lake bed shows a formation compatible with its having once been a
setu from near the present town of Hosangabad to about the town of Itarsi
and to the Bagra hill, just where the lake is narrowest. The level of this
formation is fifty metres higher than those of the neighbouring areas.
Furthermore, based on bore hole drillings, the rock in this formation is
different from surrounding rock: It is black basalt, as compared to anything
but black basalt for many kilometres on either side. The floating stone,
presumably pumice, used by Hanuman and the monkeys has the same origin as
black basalt, namely lava flows and is formed by the solidifying froth on
the surface of glassy lava. There is the significant description in Ramayan
that the sea started boiling as soon as Rama but an arrow to his bow. This
could be due to submarine volcanic activity. Furthermore, there is a place
presently known as Bandrabhan which the author points out sounds very much
like “Vänara Bandh”, or the “Bandh (Setu) built by the Vanaras”. The author
says that there is no basalt south of Bombay (Panaji region) except an
isolated flow at Rajamundry, A.P.
According to the Ramayana Hanuman crossed the Sagara by jumping from
Mahendra Parvata north of Lanka. Lord Caitanya visited a Mahendra Parvata
after visiting Madurai and before visiting Setubandha, Dhanus-tirtha,
Ramesvara, the Tamraparni River, Sri Vaikuntham and Kanya-kumari — all in
South India. But Lord Balaram, “after finishing His bathing and ritualistic
ceremonies at Gangasagara, proceeded toward the mountain known as Mahendra
Parvata. After this He turned toward southern India and visited the banks of
the river Godavari” indicating this Mahendra Parvat to be in North India.
The author of the article refers to a hill Mahendra shown on governemt maps
today in the Vindhyan range in the Ken river basin at latitude 23° N, 79° E
and suggests, based on the time Lord Rama took to travel between the places
He visited, that it is the Mahendra parvat of the Ramayana — north of the
Bagra hill and almost at the edge of the Narmada lake.
Ramayana describes the rising of Mynaka parvata from the sagar to assist
Hanuman in his jump over it. The Vindhyas arose from the ocean over 500
million years ago. The author suggests the likelihood that the rise of the
Vindhyan trough coincided with Hanuman’s jump. The uplifted trough has a
break where Hanuman crossed it.
There is anotherview.
The Mahedra Pavatha city is found in, of all places, Cambodia.
And to add to this confusion, the Trikuta Parvatha from where Hanuman is reported to have jumped from Lanka to India is found in Kashmir.
Please read my post Hanuman to Lanka, distance controversy.
”
A lost city that thrived on a mist-shrouded Cambodian mountain 1,200 years ago has been discovered by archaeologists using airborne laser technology, Sydney Morning Herald reported on Saturday in a world exclusive.
Over two dozen temple sites have been discovered on the site, which is thought to have been built around 802 AD when the Angor Empire was founded.
It is believed to be the lost city of Mahendraparvata, located on a misty mountain called Phnom Kulen deep in the hinterland of Cambodia. It was thought to be built 350 years before the famed Angor Wat. A journalist and photographer from the newspaper accompanied the expedition, led by a French-born archaeologist, through the landmine-strewn jungle in the Siem Reap region where Angkor Wat is located.
This might b news to people who may not be aware of the many versions of Ramayana, some of them by Valimiki himself.
It is said that there are Sata Koti, 100 Crore Ramayanas, probably meaning innumerable-I am not confident of stating this, there might be even this number as many!
Valmiki, not being satisfied with The Ramayana we know he had written wrote some more Ramayan where he narrated more incidents from the Ramayana and about the character of Rama.
Ananda Ramayanam (12,252 slokas),
Adyatma Ramayana is said to be part of the Satakoti Ramayanam.
Ananda Ramayanam was written by Sri Valmiki himself.
It is believed that Sri Valmiki felt sad that he left out some important details of Sri Rama's
life in his original work, and wrote Ananda Ramayanam to get peace
of mind.
There are 9 kandams in Ananda Ramayanam:
1. SAra KAndam (has the sAram or the juice of Rama charitam)
2. YAtrA KAndam (Sri Rama's yAtras after His pattAbhishekam)
3. YAga KAndam (Sri Rama's asvamedha yAgam)
4. VilAsa KAndam (Sri Rama's and Sita's daily life)
5. Janma KAndam (Birth of Lava and Kusa)
6. VivAha KAndam (Weddings of Sri Rama's and his brothers' sons)
7. RAjya KAndam (fights with other asuras, expansion of kingdom, rajya pari-
palanam)
8. ManOhara KAndam (slokas, Rama nama mahima etc.)
9. Poorna KAndam (Sri Rama and others leaving for Sri Vaikuntam).
Here is the narration about Kausalya, Rama's mother being abducted by Ravana.
This reminds of the indent involving Kamsa, Devaki and Vasudeva, when kamsa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva, to ensure that Lord Krishna was not born!
The narration by Valimiki about Kausalya does not contradict or affect the Ramayana as we know.
Stories from Sara Kandam - Chapter 1:
1.1 Story about Dasaratha and Kausalya:
Valmiki's original Ramayana starts with Dasaratha ruling Ayodhya as a great
king and desiring to do asvamedha yaga with his wives (Balakandam 5-8 sargas).
Ananda Ramayanam goes many years prior to that and starts with Dasaratha and
Kausalya's marriage.
It is the time when Dasaratha's marriage with Kausalya is being fixed.
Dasaratha is enjoying himself on the Sarayu river in a boat.
Ravana calls for Brahma and asks Him who will cause his (Ravana's)
death. Brahma tells him that Lord Narayana will be born to Dasaratha
and Kausalya as Rama and will kill Ravana. He also tells him
that Dasaratha and Kausalya are going to be married in 5 days.
Ravana gets on his pushpaka vimana with several asuras and goes to Ayodhya,
fights with Dasaratha and breaks the boat Dasaratha is in. Dasaratha and
Sumantra somehow escape holding on to a piece of the boat and float down
the Sarayu river, reach the Ganges and eventually the ocean.
Ravana proceeds to fight Kausalya's father (the Kosala king) and abducts
Kausalya. On the way to Lanka, he decides to hide Kausalya in a safe
place and leaves her in the custody of a shark, after placing her in a
box. The shark carries the box in its mouth. Sometime later, the
shark happens to encounter another shark. It places the box in a nearby
island and starts fighting. In the meantime, Dasaratha and Sumantra, who
are floating in the ocean, discover this box and open it. They are
surprised to see Kausalya. Dasaratha marries Kausalya immediately in
gandharva vivaha fashion and all the three stay put in the box, exchanging
stories. The shark carries the box again into the ocean.
Ravana calls Brahma and boasts that he has killed Dasaratha and abducted
Kausalya. Brahma laughs and tells him that they have already been married.
The angered Ravana calls for the shark and opens the box; out come the
three people. The scared Ravana tries to kill them with his sword. Brahma tries
to console him saying, " You put only one girl in the box and now she has
become three. Is it not possible that many more will be coming out of the box?
Rama could be one of them. Just close the box and send it to Ayodhya".
So, Ravana asks his servants to leave the box near Ayodhya. The box is
discovered by the people of Ayodhya. The Kosala king gives his daughter,
Kausalya, in marriage to Dasaratha in a formal ceremony.
Thus ends this episode with a happy ending, as will be the characteristic of
most events in Ananda Ramayanam.
1.2 Story behind the two boons given to Kaikeyi:
Valmiki's original Ramayanam version:
Once, Dasaratha helps the Devas in their fight with asuras. Dasaratha
takes Kaikeyi with him. Valmiki Ramayanam - Ayodhya Kandam -
9th sargam sloka 16 states that Kaikeyi takes Dasaratha away from the
battlefield when he becomes tired and swoons in his chariot. She attends to
him and gets him back to good health. Dasaratha subsequently wins the war
with the asuras. The pleased Dasaratha grants her two boons, which she
chooses to use later.
Ananda Ramayanam gives a different story.
During the Deva-asura fight, the stick or support that holds the wheel to
the chariot, breaks in Dasaratha's chariot and the chariot is about to
collapse. Kaikeyi places her left hand in the place of the wheel-holder,
in order to help her husband proceed without interruption. Finally, Dasaratha
is victorious and being pleased with Kaikeyi's help, grants her two boons.Connected to this story is the following anecdote about Kaikeyi:Once, Kaikeyi, when she is very young, makes a paste out of coal and applies
it on the face of a sage, for fun. He curses her saying "later in life,
you will be put to shame - no one would like to see your face even". Kaikeyi
gets scared and brings a stick to him, so he can punish her. The pleased
sage grants a boon - " you left hand will be as strong as iron and will
never fail in any instance". "
Citation.
http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/apr97/0052.html
Image Credit.shirdisaibaba100.blogspot.com
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