Now we have started to discuss valmiki, i will also sligtly deviate.
Let us see the verses referring tamilnadu in Valmiki Ramayana. How much Valmiki knew about Tamilnadu.
1. Thiruvenkadu (a ) Swetharanya
Rama killed Kara like the way Lord Siva killed Andakasura in Swetharanya. ( many people referwrongly as Ramayan mentioningas Siva Killing Yama in Thiruvenkadu)
27. shara agninaa dahyamaanaH= by arrow's, radiation, being burnt; saH kharaH= that, Khara; shveta araNye= in White, forest; rudreNa vinirdagdhaH [vi nir dagdhaH]= by Rudra, very, completely, burnt; andhakaH yathaa= Andhaka, as with; bhuumau papaata= on earth, fell down. Khara fell down on to earth and on being burnt by the radiation of that arrow he is like demon Andhaka, who once was very completely burnt by Rudra in Shveta-araNya, the White-forest. [3-30-27] Andhaka is the son of Danu, the wife of Kashyapa Prajaapati, and her progeny is termed as daanava-s, demons. Shiva burns this Andhaka with his Third-eye in Shveta-forest, which is said to be at the confluence point of River Kauvery in ocean.
According to Tamilnadu legends it happened in Thiruvirkudi which is around 50 Kms away.( ashta veeram)
We saw Yama being refered as Antaka. We thought that since Thirukkadayur and Thiruvenkadu are nearby, Valmiki referred Thirukkadayur as Swetaranya.But Mu. Raghava Iyengar refers the following Sambandar Padigam and says the Yama legend is referred to Thiruvenkadu also. ( In general Thirukkadayur is mentioned as Veerattam where Lord killed Yama)
வேலைமலி தண்கானல் வெண்காட்டான் திருவடிக்கீழ்
மாலைமலி வண்சாந்தால் வழிபடுநன் மறையவன்றன்
மேலடர்வெங் காலனுயிர் விண்டபினை நமன்தூதர்
ஆலமிடற் றான்அடியார் என்றடர அஞ்சுவரே. ( 2-48)
1. Thiruvenkadu (a ) Swetharanya
Rama killed Kara like the way Lord Siva killed Andakasura in Swetharanya.
27. shara agninaa dahyamaanaH= by arrow's, radiation, being burnt; saH kharaH= that, Khara; shveta araNye= in White, forest; rudreNa vinirdagdhaH [vi nir dagdhaH]= by Rudra, very, completely, burnt; andhakaH yathaa= Andhaka, as with; bhuumau papaata= on earth, fell down. Khara fell down on to earth and on being burnt by the radiation of that arrow he is like demon Andhaka, who once was very completely burnt by Rudra in Shveta-araNya, the White-forest. [3-30-27]