All posts tagged jataka tales

TAMIL GODDESS MANIMEGALAI AND MANIBHADRA (Post No.5078)

Yaksha Manibhadra

Written by London Swaminathan

Date: 5 JUNE 2018

Time uploaded in London – 16-42

Post No. 5078

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Tamils have five epics and two of them, Silappadikaram and Manimegalai are called twin epics. Manimegalai followed the story of Silappadikaram. The heroine of Manimegalai was named after the goddess of sea travellers, particularly the business community. Her counter part in Northern India was Manibhadra, a male deity.

There is a very interesting conversation of Manimeghala and a shipwrecked traveller in the Mahajanaka Jataka. These Jataka stories are at least 2300 years old.

Those who travelled together on ships were known as Saamyaatrikaa. In the Maha Janaka Jataka story, Mahajanaka was swimming for his life after a shipwreck. He was addressed by the goddess Manimekhalaa. The dialogue between the two proves the indomitable courage and power of ancient Hindu sailors.

Mani:

“Who is the fellow who in the vast ocean is ineffectively beating his hands. Depending upon whom you are making this effort?

Sailor Janaka:

“O Goddess! It is my firm belief that in life one should exert as far as possible, and, therefore, even though the shore is not visible, I am continuing my effort to reach it.

M:- “It is useless to show your courage in the sea. You are bound to perish before reaching the shore.

S:- “O Goddess, why do you say like this? Even if I perish making effort then I will be saved at least from calumny. One who exerts like me has not to repent afterwards.

M:_But an effort which is destined not to succeed, of which there is no end in sight, what is the use of such an effort when death is inevitable?”

Sailor Janaka:-

“The fellow taking it for granted that he will not be able to cross the ocean ceases his efforts then it is due to his own weakness. Whether success accrues or not a man who draws up his programme and tries for its success then he is sure to succeed. It is evident from the fact that all my comrades have drowned but I am still swimming and alive. So far as any energy is left in me I shall certainly make efforts to cross the ocean”—Mahajanaka Jataka

North Indian merchants had Yaksha Manibhadra as the presiding deity of caravan leaders (saarthavaahana). All over North India they had temples for Manibhadra. The colossal statue of Yaksha discovered in Parkham in Mathura district represented him. Padmavati in Gwalior district was a great centre of Manibhadra cult.

Story of Caravan Leaders

Saarthavahanas were the source of travellers’ tales. Seamen had stories of Yakshas, Nagas, Spirits, demons and aquatic animals. Samudra Vanija Jataka story has one such story.

“Once upon a time carpenters borrowed money from some people to make some furniture. But they could not finish the work on time. The creditors pestered them for their money. When the carpenters realised that they could not do it on time, they decided to migrate to some foreign land. After constructing a large ship they sailed to a far off place. Favourable winds helped them to reach a beautiful island with coconut trees and fruit trees. Even before they went to the island, there was already a sailor from a wrecked ship, who sang joyously, ‘they are simpletons who eke out their living by farming and the sweat of labour. They are not required in my domain. This land is far better my mother land”.

This island was like the island described by Homer in his Odyssey. Lazy men who were known as lotus eaters lived there on honey. When they invited Odyssus to live that kind of lazy life, he refused to join them. The jataka tale referred to the same kind of life.

Indian Ship in Indonesia (Borobudur, Java)

From the 2300 year old Jataka stories, we come to know a lot about the land and sea merchants of ancient India.

–subham–

Agastya in Jataka Tales and Kalidasa

Agastya Statue from Prambanan, Indonesia.

Written by London Swaminathan
Post No.1105; Dated 13th June,2014.

The Jataka Tales is a collection of tales of the numerous births of Bodhisatva, who later became the Buddha. It is a record of very old folk tales adapted by the Buddhists to suit their needs. They were current among Indians from time immemorial. Buddhists did not hesitate to distort and twist all the old tales including the popular Hindu stories for their purpose. They even used Ramayana, Mahabharata , Puranas and Panchatantra stories and ‘’Buddhaized’’ the stories. One of such stories is the story of great Agastya whom the Tamil poets celebrated as the first patron of Tamil language. Tamil language came to Agastya through Shiva and his son Lord Skanda (Muruga in Tamil).

In the Akitti (Agastya) Jataka, Bodhisattva was born as Akitti as a son of a Brahmana mahasala (Brahmin scholar) Later he became an ascetic with his sister Yasavati. He went to Damila (Tamil country) from Kasi. Agastya lived in a garden in Kaveripattana. The reason for Agastya’s southward movement was the nuisance from his admirers. But he was pestered by his admirers in the South as well. Then he went to Karadipa also called Ahidipa (May be Nagadwipa; Ahi=snake, Naga). Nagadwipa was used for Sri Lanka as well as South East Asia. Agastya attained Moksha there.

Puranas say that Agastya drank ocean to convey the message symbolically that he crossed the ocean to go to South East Asia. His statues are found in different South East Asian countries. He was worshipped throughout South East Asia.

Kalidasa who lived in the first century BCE gives us very interesting details:-

Agastya Statue i London V&A Museum

Kalidasa’s Amazing knowledge about South India
Kalidasa in his Raghuvamsa Kavya confirmed that Agastya was closer to the Pandyas of the South. According to Tamil literature Agastya lived in the Podiya Hills ( a part of the Western Ghats inside the Tamil territory). Kalidasa’s knowledge about India was amazing. He was the first poet to give a clear and complete picture of India. Though Arjuna’s travel in the Mahabharata and Rama’s travel in the Ramayana described South India, a lot of things were vague—mixed with myths.

Kalidasa was the first Tourist guide in the world and he was the first Travel write in the world. Kalidasa’s Meghaduta described India from the Vindhya Hills up to the Northern Himalayas. His Raghu Vamsa Kavya described a vast area from Iran to South India.

During Indumati’s Swayamvara kings from different parts of India assembled to marry Indumati. Pandya king was also there. Kalidasa never mentioned other Tamil kings Choza or Chera. Pandyas were the oldest of the three kingdoms. Chozas came from North West India where Sibi ruled (Please read my article ‘’Sibi Story in Tamil literature’’ for more details)

The Agastya story shows that the contact between South India and North India existed even before Buddha. According to the Puranas, Agastya was sent to the South by Lord Shiva to solve the population explosion in the north. Tamil commentators on a Purananuru verse (201 by Kabilar) also confirmed that he came with the Velir tribes to South India.

Following slokas from the Raghuvamsa are noteworthy:–
Raghuvamsa-4-21, 4-44,4-49; 6-60,6-61/65

4-44 South is the direction of Agastya
4-46 Malaya (Pothiya) hills, Pepper plants, Parrots
4-47- Sandal wood
4-49 even sun shines less bright because of the might of the Pandyas
4-50 pearl fisheries where River Tambraparni meets the sea
4-53, 4-59 Parasurama land between Sahya hills and the sea (Kerala)
4-54 Beautiful Kerala girls and Cosmetics
6-61 Agastya –Pandya connection, Aswamedha yagna of Pandya
6-62 Ravana- Pandya peace treaty
6-64 Malaya hills (Podiya Hills)
6-65 Pandyas are black skinned
4-21 Agastya Star (Canopus)

Pandya kings copper plates, Purananuru verse 201 by Kapilar, Pura. 2 and commentaries on several other verses confirm the link between the Pandyas and Agastya, Podiya and Himalayas, Yagas performed by the Pandyas and Agastya.

Sage Agastya was inseparable from Tamil Nadu as Parasurama was
Inseparable from Kerala.

Also read my earlier posts:
Is Brahmastra a Nuclear Weapon? Sept.7, 2011

Great Engineers of Ancient India Sep.10, 2011

Did Agastya drink Ocean? (Post No.931, Dated 25-3-14)

Largest Story Collection in the World

By S.Swaminathan

(Ancient India gave us the largest story book in the world! That too in poetry, not prose.22,000 verses, that means 44,000 lines. Even if we do a rough calculation at the rate of five words per line it would add up to 220,000 words in Sanskrit! And it is not about religion!!)

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of a wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Since the release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on 30 June 1997, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. Eight films have been made out of seven books. They were all box office hits.

As of June 2011, the book series has sold about 450 million copies, making it the best-selling books series in history and has been translated into 67 languages, and the last four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.

Rowling has led a “rags to riches” life story, in which she progressed from living on social security to multi-millionaire status within five years. As of March 2011, when its latest world billionaires list was published, Forbes estimated Rowling’s net worth to be US$1 billion.

(Above matter about Harry Potter is lifted from Wikipedia)

Indians are very familiar with these types of story plots and themes from their younger days. They would have read them in Chandamama monthly magazines (Ambulimama in Tamil). But Ms Rowling’s luck and the way she wrote it in English brought her billions of pounds.

India is the country which supplied the story themes to the world from the earliest days. Even foreign authors acknowledge that Aesop got the ideas from the Panchatantra stories and the 1001 Arabian Nights got the ideas from Brhat Katha/ Katha Sarit Sagara, Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron got the idea from the Dasakumara Charitha. La Fontaine’s Fables and The Canterbury Stories got the ideas from the Panchatantra. Upanishads simple parables served as models for Jesus’ parables in the Bible.

(Please read S.Swaminathan’s other article How Jonathan Swift got the idea for his Gulliver’s Travels in “Valakhilyas-60,000 thumb sized ascetics protecting humanity”)

Whether it is ghost or animals, Gods or Angels, mountains or rivers all the themes went from India. Take any modern short story. You will find something similar in the old Sanskrit literature.

I will give you some facts instead of making sweeping statements:

One thousand years ago India produced the largest story book in the world. The Katha Sarit Sagara (Ocean of Stories) written by Soma deva contained over 400 stories. It was written in Sanskrit in 11^th century CE (AD)

Somadeva was the court poet of king Ananta of Kashmir. He wrote it to amuse queen Suryavaty. It was translated from Brhatkatha. The earliest and largest collection of stories, perhaps in the world contains 18 books divided into 124 tarangas/ waves with a total of 22000 verses.

Tales of wondrous maidens, fearless lovers, kings and cities, statecraft and intrigues, magic and spells, treachery, trickery, war, vampires, devils, ascetics, gamblers and beggars.

Though Jataka Tales (Second Century BC) has 550 stories in Pali language they were all adapted into Buddhist literature from various sources to say that Buddha had 550 previous incarnations as animals and human beings. It is not secular literature. A lot of secular matter was copied from Sanskrit sources and converted into religious literature. Even Ramayana and Mahabharata characters were turned into Buddha’s incarnations.

The Panchatantra Stories written by Vishnusarman, were the earliest Sanskrit stories that travelled to different parts of the world. By fifth century it reached four corners of the earth. Divided into five chapters it has woven stories within story. It has more than 81 stories.

Hitopadesa followed Panchatantra in style and contents.

Vedala Pancha Vimsati –25 stories (Twenty Five Tales of the Ghost/Vetala)

Dasa Kumara Charitham –10 stories (Ten Stories of Dasakumara)

Simhasana Dwattrimsika–32 stories (Thirty Two Stories of the Lion Throne)

Suka Sapatati–70 stories (Seventy Stories of a parrot)

The number of stories given indicate only main stories. We see lot of stories within stories. The actual number will be many more hundreds.

Jataka Tales (in Pali language) –550 stories (Incarnations of Buddha)

Hundreds of stories and anecdotes are in Mahabharata

Hundreds of Stories are in The Vedas and Parables in Upanishads.

In fact the world’s oldest short stories are from India. Stories such as Gilgamesh in Sumerian literature are of religious type.

The earliest of Sanskrit stories has moral themes. But later writings such as Katha saritsagara haven’t got such moral teachings. They were written just for pleasure. Katha saritsagara is unique and it was written in verse.

(Article was written by S.Swaminathan. Contact: swami_48@yahoo.com or swaminathan.santanam@gmail.com )

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Tamil and Vedas

All posts tagged jataka tales

TAMIL GODDESS MANIMEGALAI AND MANIBHADRA (Post No.5078)

Agastya in Jataka Tales and Kalidasa

Largest Story Collection in the World

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