Friends - This week i requested a Guest writer who recently undertook extensive visits to Pallava Caves. Our Saurabh writes this week's Post on Ramayana.
Over to Saurabh:....
We saw that Valmiki mentions Tamilnadu in Ramayana but did Tamils knew Valmiki. Yes of course. There is an inscriptional reference on Valmiki.
First Valmiki on Tamilnadu:
In this article we will see the references of Ramayana in ancient Indian kingdoms, specially the kingdoms in South India.
The first things which we will try to discuss is the references of South India in ancient Indian texts. It is many times stated that in earlier times, when these texts were supposed to be written, the people who wrote these texts were unaware of the geography of South India. In more specified statement, we can say that it is assumed that people of North India, of those times, were unaware of the places or geography of South of Vindhyachal mountain. We find a reference in Ramayana where Sugreeva detailed about the South Indian states. First let’s have a look at the reference, this reference is found in twelfth sloka of forty-first chapter of Kishkindha Kanda.
There is a river, called Godavari, looked all around this river to find Sita. After that go to the country of Andhras, Pundras, Cholas, Pandyas and Keralas.
Deduction – Andhra, Cholas and Pandyas are well known dynasties of South India. Keralas could be the Cheras, who ruled in Kerala region. Hence the mention of these South Indian dynasties in Ramayana clear proves that the people who wrote this texts were well aware of the region of this part of India.
Another reference we find in Raghuvamsham, a play composed by Kalidasa, one of the most ancient writer of India. Though there is no clarity over the period of Kalidasa, however most scholars put him to second century BC. Let’s have a look at the references,
दिशि मन्दायते तेजो दक्षिणस्यां रवेरपि |
तस्यामेव रघो: पाण्डया प्रतापं न विषेहिरे || ४९ ||
ताम्रपर्णीसमेतस्य मुक्तासारं महोदधे: |
ते निपत्य ददुस्तस्मै यश: स्वमिव संचितं || ५० || - Raghuvamsham – fourth chapter forty-ninth & fifty sloka
Translation - As the Sun gets dimmer when going towards south direction, in similar manner people of Pandya country were not able to control the victory march of Raghu. Like as kings of Pandya country collect and keep best of the pearls from Tamraparni river, they offered their pride in the feet of Raghu.
Deduction – This chapter of Raghuvamsha talks about the all India victory march of King Raghu. These two slokas are about one of the South Indian kingdom, Pandyas. Tamraparni river is a small river of South India, in Tamilnadu.
Another reference of Pandyas is seen in another chapter of the same play, Raghuvamsha.
आभाति बालातपरक्त्सानु:सनिर्झरोद्वार इवाद्रिराज: || ६० || - Raghuvamsha, Sixth chapter
Translation - Wearing a necklace which is hanging on the shoulders and body anointed with hari-chandan (sandal), this Pandya king is appearing such as Himalaya appears when water flows down from red colored, like sunrise, waterfall tops.
Deduction – This sloka is in the chapter which talks about svambara (self selection for marriage) of Indumati. Many kings from many kingdoms arrived to that svambara. Here we found a reference of a Pandya king.
The above three references were from literature where you can question the historicity of the statements. We are fortunate to have a historical record from one of the greatest king on India, Ashoka the Great. Ashoka was ruling India in second century BC, and his many rock edicts have survived. These are one of the oldest historical evidences we have about India and Buddhism. His thirteenth rock edicts’ translation is given below.
"The conquest by Dharma has been won here, on the borders, and even six hundred yojanas (5,400–9,600 km) away, where the Greek king Antiochos rules, beyond there where the four kings named Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas and Alexander rule, likewise in the south among the Cholas, the Pandyas, and as far as Tamraparni."
Now the Inscription on Valmiki.
Till now we have seen the references of South India in North Indian texts and kingdoms. Let’s try to find few references from South India where clear connection to Ramayana is made. We have one inscription of Pallava King Mahendravarman I (580-630 CE), which is found in Mamandur cave temple. The inscription is given below:
The last word in the third line is Valmikivarnita, which means ‘one who likes Valmiki’. Valmiki is the adi-kavi, first poet, of India and he is the one who composed Ramayana. Mahendravarman was a good composer himself, as we have two plays composed by him. Hence his interest in literature was quite evident. He probably compared himself to Valmiki and hence the mention in his inscription. As we see reference of Valmiki, so we can infer that Ramayana was known at that time in his kingdom and to him.
References:
1. Edicts of Ashoka by S. Dhammika
2. Ramayana by Geeta Press, Gorakhpur
3. Raghuvamsham by Kalidasa, Chaukhamba Prakashan, Varanasi Thanks Saurabh
Sankar - Thanks for this extraordinary perspective and correlated historical evidence. Enjoyed reading the connected and supported narratives. Regards, Raj Mutharasan
wonderful Saurabh and Sankar. Thanks for sharing this.
Valmiki Ramayanam mentions 'Cholas' - so cholas are as old a dynasty as contemporaries to Rama. And Chola's calim themselves to be from the Raghu vamsam, the same clan as that of Rama. There is backing evidence from both the sides and this seems to be true rather than just poetic verbiage used by the Cholas in their copper plates.
Thanks Satish, lots of credit to Sankar as his research is going on and will be completed soon Instead of saying that Cholas existed or contemporary of Rama, I would rather say that whoever wrote Ramayana (Valmiki composed this but when and who wrote this is not known probably) was aware of the south Indian dynasties.
Ra Ganapathy narrates a story of kalmashapada from Raghuvamsam. ( Not the one in Vishnupuranam) He says the name Karikalan is the Tamil equivalant of Kalmashapada.
Let me then thank Saurabh for enriching this forum with his careful research and thoughtful comments. Appreciate it very much, Saurabh for the additional dimension to you add to this discussion forum.