Compiled BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN
Post No. 10,506
Date uploaded in London – – 30 DECEMBER 2021
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
Hindu epic Ramayana has spread to all countries in Southeast Asia. In India and Sri Lanka we have lot of places associated with Rama.
Here is the first part of pictures from a 1988 book:-
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on December 30, 2021
https://tamilandvedas.com/2021/12/30/ramayana-line-drawing-sketches-part-1-post-no-10506/
Written by LONDON SWAMINATHAN
Date: 31 JULY 2018
Time uploaded in London – 13-46 (British Summer Time)
Post No. 5275
Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Wikipedia, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.
Famous Tamil poet Kamban in his epic work Kamba Ramayana explodes several Dravidian myths; Dravidian politicians and half- baked Dravidian ‘scholars’ are fooling the Tamil community for long by projecting the womaniser Ravana as a Dravidian. They say Aryan Rama killed Dravidian Ravana; They even celebrate Ravana Jayanti on Rama Navami day or Desersa Festival. But according to the famous poet Kamban, who wrote Ramayana in Tamil, Ravana was a Brahmin!
My mum wants Rama’s Skull for Tarpana!
Here is the proof from Tamil verses of Kamban:-
When Ravana lost his important commanders in the battle against Rama, Karan’s son came forward and said to Ravana:
“How is it my father (Ravana), you didn’t send me
Against who killed my father (Karan)?
Did you not know I am available
Alas, that you should have that sorrow!”
“My tearful mother, plunged in sorrow
Will not part with her wedding-string
Before offering obsequies to her husband
In the skull of the one who killed him!
You whom the vultures love as their feeder
Be pleased, said he, to send me to the fight.”
Wedding string= Mangala sutra, Thaali in Tamil.
The message is clear: Demons also do Tarpana and Tithi to the departed soul. So Karan’s wife was waiting to do using Rama’s skull as a vessel!
In another place, when Vibhishana asked his brother Kumbakarna to come to Rama’s side, he refused to join Rama’s army because he did eat Ravana’s food all through his life and he did not want to see Ravana dying before his eyes. He added, “My dear brother Vibhishana! You continue to be in Rama’s side, so that you can do Tarpana (water offering to departed soul) to all your brothers including me”.
So they all believed in the funeral tites like other Hindus.
Rama encourages Karan’s son to fight him saying,
“The hero (rama) heard what the sinner (karan’s son) said
Are you Khara’s son come here
To avenge your long-standing grievance?
That indeed is a son’s duty
You spoke well, Sir”, he said,
His shoulders well fitted for fame”
–Yuddha Kanda, Kamba Ramayana
Here also Rama appreciates son’s duty to demon Khara.
Here is another proof:
“Such is the strength of these men.
I will tell you now what I know of Ravana
He is the son of the son of Brahma
And raised himself through penance
By the boons he obtained from Brahma and Siva”
-Yuddha Kanda
Kamban repeats three facts in hundreds of places:
This is confirmed in several Tamil sthala puranas, where Rama was said to have got rid of his sins of killing Brahmins (Ravana and his son’s).
All these explode the Dravidian propaganda about Ravana.
Kamban lived 1000 years before our time. What Kamban said was already said by Valmiki and others.
One more verse from the chapter of ‘Vibhishana takes refuge’ in Yuddha Kanda:
“The son of Brahma’s grandson
A good soul, truthful and virtuous,
has come here to take refuge
With the scion of solar race
The Lord of the world, and so live:
This is about Ravana’s brother Vibhishana.
Any one reading Kamba Ramayana or other scriptures will find umpteen references to Ravana and his brothers as Brahmins.
Then how come they are called demons?
They did not follow a disciplined life and more over violated all the rules laid for Brahmins. They got all the benefits and powers of penance, but abused them!
Even today we see people who abuse religious powers even when they are at the top posts.
–Subham–
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on July 31, 2018
https://tamilandvedas.com/2018/07/31/tamil-poet-explodes-dravidian-myth-post-no-5275/
WRITTEN by London Swaminathan
Date: 31 MARCH 2018
Time uploaded in London – 20-24 (British Summer Time)
Post No. 4869
Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.
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Ravana, the king of Lanka and the villain in the Ramayana did lot of penance ruled as an unconquerable man. But his inherent weakness was that he thought men can never kill him. He was suffering from superiority complex and so he ignored human beings from the list of potential threats. He always ridiculed men He thought he was a big mountain and the human beings are mosquitoes.
Apart from this wrong notion he had three big curses on him:
Curse 1
At one time Ravana waged a war against Anaranya. He did lot of atrocities against him and received a curse from him. From my race of Ikshwaku kings, a man will be born named Rama and he will kill you in battle. Ravana remembers the curse as he does many other curses he reived in his life (Vi-60-8/10)
Curse 2
I once ravished a woman, Vedavati, and she said, “some how I am going to be your end. I think she has been born as Sita and I have brought this danger into my palace and all this trouble upon me in consequence.@ Then he recalls some of the other curses he had received. VI-60-10-11
Curse 3
Uma nad Nandi cursed him as well. Once he went to Kailasa and tried to lift the sacred Hill and displeased Mahadeva himself. At that time he was stopped by Nandi when he went in. Ravana turned round, and looking at his oddface he laughed loudly. Nandi was very angry, but not liking to do battle in the palace of Shiva, that too without his permission. So Nandhi cursed Ravana.
“As you have set up this laughter as loud as thunder, there will born in the world, a race of monkeys having my look and also having my strength, in order to kill you and your whole family. As big as hills they will be, and they will fight with nails and teeth.”
–subham-
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on March 31, 2018
https://tamilandvedas.com/2018/03/31/three-curses-on-ravana-post-no-4869/
Written by S NAGARAJAN
Date: 20 December 2015
Post No. 2407
Time uploaded in London :– காலை 6-23
( Thanks for the Pictures )
DON’T REBLOG IT AT LEAST FOR A WEEK! DON’T USE THE PICTURES; THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED BY SOMEONE.
சம்ஸ்கிருதச் செல்வம்
இராவணனைப் பற்றிய இரு சுவையான பாடல்கள்!
ச.நாகராஜன்
சம்ஸ்கிருதம் அகன்ற, ஆழ்ந்த ஒரு பெருங்கடல். அதில் மூழ்கி கோடானு கோடி நல்முத்துக்களை எடுக்கலாம். இராவணனைப் பற்றிய சுவையான இரண்டு கவிதைகளைப் பார்க்கலாம்.
இராவணனின் இருபது கண்கள்
இராவணனுக்கு பத்துத் தலைகள். ஆகவே இருபது கண்கள் உண்டு என்பதை அறிவோம்.
அந்த இருபது கண்கள் என்ன செய்கின்றன – ஒரே சமயத்தில்? கவிஞர் தன் கற்பனைக் குதிரையைத் தட்டி விட்டார். பிறந்தது பாடல்.
இராவணனின் இருபது கண்களில் ஒன்று வளைந்து இருக்கிறது. இன்னொன்று குறுகி இருக்கிறது. அடுத்தது ஆவலுடையதாக இருக்கிறது. நான்காவது புன்சிரிப்புடன் இருக்கிறது. அடுத்ததோ ஏதோ அர்த்தத்துடன் ஒன்றைப் பிரதானமாகக் கொண்டுள்ளது. அடுத்ததோ அரைக் கண்ணாக முடியிருக்கிறது. அடுத்தது கறுப்பாக ஆகியுள்ளது ,அடுத்தது எதையோ தூரத்தில் பார்க்கிறது. ஒன்பதாவது கண்ணோ மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் திகழ்கிறது. பத்தாவது அரும்பு போல மூடியிருக்கிறது. அடுத்தது நடுங்குகிறது. பன்னிரெண்டாவது கண்ணோ நிலையாக நேர் பார்வையைக் கொண்டுள்ளது. அடுத்தது சுழல்கிறது. பதிநான்காவது கண்ணோ இமையோரத்தில் நகர்ந்துள்ளது; அடுத்தது நீர்த்துள்ளது பதினாறாவது கண்ணோ சோர்வைக் காண்பிக்கிறது. அடுத்தது அலை போன்ற இயக்கத்தைக் காண்பிக்கிறது. கடைசி மூன்று கண்களும் கண்ணீரால் நிரம்பியிருக்கிறது.
இப்படி ஒவ்வொரு கண்ணும் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நிலைக்குத் தக்கபடி ஒவ்வொரு வித்தியாசமான விதத்தில் தன் நிலையைக் காண்பிக்கிறது!
கவிஞர் ஸ்வபாவோக்தி என்ற அலங்காரத்தைக் காட்டுமாறு இதை அமைத்துள்ளார்.
இதற்கான ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பை – ரஸிக்லால் சி.பரீக் (Rasiklal C Parikh) செய்துள்ளதையும் – கீழே காணலாம்:
One of the twenty eyes of Ravana is bent,another is contracted, a third is eager, a fourth is smiling, the fifth is full of significance: the sixth is half-closed, the seventh is turned back; the eighth is having a long-range; the ninth is full of joy; the tenth is contracted like a bud; the eleventh is trembling; the twelfth is steady; the thirteenth is rolling’ the fourteenth is moving to its corner; the fifteenth is diluted; the sixteenth is drooping; the seventeenth is full of wave-like movements; the last three are full of tears.
(Thus owing to some particular condition every eye is working in a different way!)
An Indian girl watches as a man displays effigies of ten-headed demon king Ravana for the upcoming Dussehra festival in Hyderabad, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. The Hindu festival of Dussehra commemorates the triumph of Hindu God Rama over Ravana, marking the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
குபேரபுரியில் கொண்டாட்டம்
மஹா வீரனான இராவணன் இறந்து விட்டான். உடனே விழா எடுக்கப்பட்டு விட்டது.
வானர சேனைகள் இருந்த இலங்கைக் கடற்கரையிலா? இல்லை! சுக்ரீவனின் கிஷ்கிந்தையிலா, அங்கும் இல்லை!
குபேர புரியில் கொண்டாட்டம்!
குபேரனின் அளகாபுரியில் ஒரே கொண்டாட்டமாம். யட்சர்கள் வசிக்கும் நகரில் மாதர்களுக்கு ஒரே மகிழ்ச்சி!
பாடலைப் பார்ப்போம்:
கைலாஸாசகர்ணிகேயமளாகா நேத்ரைகபேயா புரோ
தேவஸ்ய த்ரவிணப்ரபோ: கிமபரம் ஸ்ருங்காரஸாரஸ்யம்: I
அஸ்யாமஸ்தமிதே ஹி ராக்ஷஸபதௌ யக்ஷாங்கநாநாமமீ
வர்தந்தே ப்ரதிசத்வரம் ப்ரதிக்ருஹம் ப்ரத்யாபணம் சோத்ஸதா: II
இதன் பொருள் :- கண்களுக்கு விருந்தளிக்கும் அளகாபுரி, செல்வத்திற்கு அதிபதியான குபேரனின் தலைநகர், மேலும் காமக்களியாட்டங்களின் மொத்த சாரத்தைக் கொண்டுள்ள நகர், கைலாஸத்தின் செவியில் உள்ள ஆபரணமாய் அமைந்துள்ளது. ராக்ஷஸர்களின் அதிபனான ராவணன் இறந்து விட்டான் என்று தெரிந்தவுட யட்ச பெண்மணிகள் ஒவ்வொரு நாற்சந்தியிலும் கூடிக் கொன்ண்டாடினர்.ஒவ்வொரு வீதியிலும் ஒவ்வொரு வீட்டிலும் கொண்டாட்டம் தான்!
குபேரனின் புஷ்பக விமானத்தை அபகரித்ததிலிருந்து ராவணனின் ஒவ்வொரு செய்கையும் பாதித்தது அளகாபுரி மக்களைத் தான்! அவன் ஒழிந்தான் என்றவுடன் இன்ப புரியில் இன்ப லோகக் கொண்டாட்டம் தான்! குறிப்பாக மாதர்கள் ஸ்த்ரீலோலன் ஒழிந்தான் என்று மகிழ்ந்தனர்.
பெரும் வாழ்நாள் கொண்டிருந்தாலும், வேத விற்பன்னனாக இருந்தாலும், சிவ பக்தனாக இருந்தாலும் அடுத்தவர் மனைவி மீது ஆசைப்பட்டு அநியாயமாகத் தூக்கிக் கொண்டு வந்தவந் ஒழிவது தானே தர்மம்!
கவிஞரின் கற்பனையை நாம் கொண்டாட வேண்டியது தான்.சார்த்தூலவிக்ரிதித சந்தத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள இதை பகதத்த ஜலஹணர் என்பவர் தொகுத்த சுக்திமுக்தாவளியில் காணலாம்.
ராவணனைப் பற்றி இப்படி ஏராளமான தனிப் பாடல்கள் உண்டு. ஒவ்வொன்றும் மிகச் சுவையானது!
******
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on December 20, 2015
https://tamilandvedas.com/2015/12/20/%e0%ae%87%e0%ae%b0%e0%ae%be%e0%ae%b5%e0%ae%a3%e0%ae%a9%e0%af%88%e0%ae%aa%e0%af%8d-%e0%ae%aa%e0%ae%b1%e0%af%8d%e0%ae%b1%e0%ae%bf%e0%ae%af-%e0%ae%87%e0%ae%b0%e0%af%81-%e0%ae%9a%e0%af%81%e0%ae%b5/
Written by London swaminathan
Research Article No.1848; Date: 6 May 2015
Uploaded at London time: 8-43 am
Sanskrit was spoken by all the well educated people in ancient India. Sanskrit was the language used as official language in all the Royal courts. Dance, Drama and Music used Sanskrit. All the Tamil dictionaries and ancient Tamil Nighandus give Sanskrit words as Tamil words!!! In short there is no ancient Tamil literature without Sanskrit words. They treated both Tamil and Sanskrit as their two eyes. The oldest Tamil book Tolkappiam has a lot of Sanskrit words. He even formulated rules to use Sanskrit words in Tamil literature. His book was certified and approved by the Acharya of Tiruvithankodu who had mastered the four Vedas. All these details are documented in literature.
Sanskrit was the link language throughout India. Ravana and Hanuman were great Sanskrit scholars. Ravana mastered Sama Veda as well. Tamil poets were well versed in Sanskrit. Kapila taught Tamil to a North Indian King named Brahma Dutta who ridiculed Tamil and made him to write poems in Tamil. His poems are included in 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature. Kovalan, hero of Tamil epic Silappadikaram, helped a Brahmin woman who was crying in the street holding a letter written in Sanskrit by her husband. Kamban who adapted Valmiki Ramayana in Tamil was a great Sanskrit scholar.
Hanuman’s Hesitation!
Hanuman hesitated to speak Sanskrit thinking that Sita would mistake him for Ravana (Ramayana, canto 30)
Ravana and his spies spoke in Sanskrit. So when Hanuman went to Asokavana, he thinks:
“Shall I, a puny Vanar, chose
The Sanskrit men delight to use?
If, as a man of Brahman kind,
I speak the tongue by rules refined.
The lady, yielding to her fears,
Will think’ it’s Ravana’s voice she hears.
I must assume my only plan-
The language of a common man”
—Translated by T H Griffith
The language of the common man in those days was Prakrit. In Sanskrit dramas women (even queens), children, court jester spoke Prakrit. Kings, ministers and Brahmins spoke Sanskrit. Low characters (in dramas) like fishermen, policemen spoke in dialect.
In Sudraka’s Mrccakatika, the comedian (jester) says,“ I hate a woman speaking Sanskrit and a man singing”. It is followed until this day in Tamil and Hindi films. Kings or high officers or heroes speak a chaste language and low characters like village folk, comedians speak in dialect or colloquial language. We also speak a dialect or colloquial language at home but when we go to a stage and speak in front of a huge crowd we speak literal, posh language. So Hanuman also wanted to be very careful in choosing his language.
Aryaputra Ravana!
In the Ramayana Ravana and Vali were addressed as Arya while Kaikeyi was addressed as Anarya ( Non-Arya i.e. uncultured, uncivilized)
Door Keepers of Ravana’s palace addressed him Aryaputra (Yuddha Kanda, Sarga32, Sloka 35)
Vijayasvaryaputreti soabivadhya prasadya cha
Nyavaidayadanuprasam prahastam vaahiniipatim
In the following sloka of Kiskindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, Vali was addressed as Aryaputra by his wife Tara
Supteva punaruththaaya aaryaputreti vaadinii
Ruroda saa patim drstvaa samviitam ptrunyudamabih
In the Sloka 14 of Sarga 36 of Ayodhya kanda, Kaikeyi was addressed as Anarya by King Dasaratha
Vahantam kim tudasi maam niyujya dhuri maahite
Anaarye krtyamaarangam kim purvamupaarudhah
Writing during Ramayana Days
We know that Hanuman was well versed in Nava vyakarana. All the monkeys wrote Ram on the stones and they started floating in water. Rama gave his ring to Hanuman as a token to be shown to Sita. His name was engraved on it. Hindus used scripts, but sparsely.
T H Griffith’s translation of relevant Valmiki verse is as follows:
He gave the ring that bore his name,
A token for the captive dame,
That the sad lady in her woe
The missive of her lord might know.
‘This ring’, he said, ‘my wife will see,
Nor fear an envoy sent by me…’
Since writing was prevalent in ancient India, Asoka installed hundreds of rock edicts in Brahmi script from Afghanistan to Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu (Most of the edicts including Kanchi’s) were destroyed by the Muslim invaders and the monsoon weather. Brahmi inscriptions were available up to the Southern Sri Lanka 2600 years ago!!
Pictures are taken from various websites; thanks.
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on May 6, 2015
https://tamilandvedas.com/2015/05/06/arya-putra-ravana-spoke-sanskrit-hanuman-spoke-prakrta/
Flags of the Pandyas
Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 1128; dated 24th June 2014.
N.B. If you want to reproduce this article, please email me for permission. You must get written permission from me for each and every article separately. swami_48@yahoo.com
A ninth century Pandya copper plate said that Ravana, King of Sri Lanka made a peace agreement with a Pandya king. Most famous Tamil commentator of 13th century also said an interesting story about this treaty in his commentary on Maduraikanchi, part of 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature. Many people were wondering whether it is just a story or an actual historical treaty. But Kalidasa, the greatest of the Indian poets, solved the problem by referring to the peace treaty in his Raghuvamsam (6-61 and 6-62).
Pathupattu in Tamil (Ten long poems) has ten books and one of them is Maduraikanchi. This very long poem has a reference to Ravana (lines 40-42). Nachinarkiniar, a Tamil commentator, was a prolific writer and well respected by one and all. He gives us an interesting story:-
Statues of Agastya are found throughout South East Asian countries (Picture from Wikipedia)
Ravana was giving troubles in the southern part of the country. One day Agastya watched Ravana sitting in a part of Pothya hills (art of Tamil Nadu). Ravana was in deep contemplation. Agastya sensed some trouble from him. Immediately he started playing on his Veena. ((Both Ravana and Agastya were great instrumentalists. Ravana’s flag had Veena emblem)). As soon as Agastya played on the Veena, the rock melted and Ravana was stuck to the melting Rocks. He did not even notice it. Only when Agastya stopped and the rocks became solid again, he realised he was stuck to the rocks. He begged to Agastya to release him. Agastya put a condition that he should never ever do any mischief in the Pandya country. He agreed to the condition and “a peace treaty was signed between India and Sri Lanka”! He was released immediately.
We had this message repeated by Nachinarkiniar in his commentary on the oldest Tamil book Tolkappiam. But there was no secondary confirmation from any other source except Kalidasa. Not many scholars knew about this reference. Kalidasa says,
“Pandya wore pearl garlands and sandal paste. He was soaked in Avabrutha Snanam during Asvamedha yajna. Ravana was so scared that Pandya may attack and capture his Janasthana (in Dandakaranya), so he made a peace treaty with the Pandya king and then went to win Indraloka. Pandya was praised for receiving a weapon (Brahmsiras) from Lord Shiva.
Ravana lifting Kailash, Ellora Cave Sculptures
Kalidasa’s details are corroborated by some archaeological finds. A coin with Asvamedha horse was found and it had Peruvazuthi inscribed on it. Pandya king Mudukudumi Peruvazuthi did lot of Yagas and his country was full of Yupa poles, says the oldest part of Sangam literature.
I have written several articles in this blog to establish the date of Kalidasa as first century BCE. Tamil poets used 200 plus similes from Kalidasa’s 1000+ similes. I have followed several Sanskrit scholars and a Tamil scholar GU Pope in supporting this date. As soon as GU Pope (1828- 1920) read Tamil Kurinjipattu of Kabilar, he wrote, 100 years ago, that Kurinipattu, echoed Kalidasa. In fact Kabilar, a Brahmin poet, well versed in Sanskrit, composed Kurinjipattu just to show the greatness of Tamil to a North Indian King who ridiculed the Tamil language. Later that king became a Tamil enthusiast and wrote Tamil poems which were included in the Sangam corpus.
Kalidasa was the first tourist guide and travel writer in the world (better than Ulysseus). His Meghadutam is like a tourist guide. All the important places between the Vindhyas and the Himalayas are described. His knowledge about the geography is also amazing. He described the places and customs in countries from Iran to Indonesia. His remark about the Pandyas in six slokas (verses) in the sixth chapter of Raghuvamsam shows how much he knew about the Tamil history. Kalidasa also described the close relationship between Agastya and the Pandyas. All the Tamil inscriptions praise Agastya as the Kula Guru of Pandyas who play main part in the coronation ceremonies. Probably he met the Pandya king at one time. He even said that he was dark and drenched with the Avabrutha snanam (ritual bathing) during Asvamedha Yagas. Earlier in the fourth chapter of Raghuvamsam also he referred to Pandya and Agastya in consecutive verses.
Pandy acoin found inSri Lanka, 1st Century CE
Other Tamil books and Tamil inscriptions say that Agastya was sent to the South by Lord Shiva to solve the population problem in the North ( I have already written a post about it describing the first population explosion in the world). Agastya was the one who codified a grammar to Tamil language. It was said that he brought Yadava tribes from Gujarat (Dwaraka).
Conclusion: Kalidasa and Nachinarkniar believed that Pandya kings ruled from time immemorial and the Pandya king who ruled during Ramayana period was a powerful king. Even Ravana was afraid of the mighty Pandya Empire. Pandyas were great Hindus who did Yagas a lot. Oldest section of Tamil Sangam poems corroborated it. Coins also confirmed it.
Mighty Pandya Empire.
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Posted by Tamil and Vedas on June 24, 2014
https://tamilandvedas.com/2014/06/24/ravana-pandya-peace-treaty-kalidasa-solves-a-tamil-puzzle/
Sita is the name in India for everything that is good, pure and holy; everything that in women we call women. The women in India must grow and develop in the foot prints of Sita, that is the only way.
–Swami Vivekananda
Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara ,Manodari thatha
Pancha kanya smaren nithyam sarva papa vinashanam
_Prathasmaranam
(All the sins of those who think about the five great women Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara and Mandodari will be destroyed).
The very thought of Sita Devi, wife of the epic hero Sri Rama purifies a person. No woman can come even closer to Sita in greatness. We read about the great qualities of Sita Devi in the words of Valmiki in Ramayana. No good women would have undergone so many problems. In spite of her miserable life, she never lost her balance. She held her husband Rama in high esteem till the last minute.
Sita’s death is miserable and mysterious. Miserable in the sense, she had a tragic end. But she herself chose it. She asked Mother Earth to take her back where from she came. If we read, between the lines, we may see that Sita Devi died in an earth quake. The Ramayana sloka clearly speaks of big tremors through the ‘world’ when she went down the earth. The wonder of wonders is that she knew that there is going to be an earth quake. Hindu scriptures say that chaste women can control five elements- any aspects of nature. Earlier also she did fire walking at the command of her husband and came pure when a washer man suspected her chastity.
Sita was born and brought up in an earth quake prone area comprising modern Bihar bordering Nepal. Bihar was notorious for biggest earth quakes of India. Valmiki described her descent in to earth as a miracle. He said in the Ramayana that a marvellous throne supported on the heads of Nagas came from down the earth and when Sita took the seat it went down when the entire world was watching. At that moment a great tremor passed through the whole world, he added.
Modern science shows that animals can sense earth quakes several days before it actually happens. No wonder Sita came to know about it days before it happened and prepared herself . Valmiki who stood by her side though out her trials and tribulations was a Trikala Jnani. He can foretell anything. Hindus go beyond Einstein in understanding and explaining Time. They see it from the top of a mountain as a running stream of past, present and future. They can see all the three stages at the same time like we see the buses moving along the roads far down below a hill.
We also witnessed a sad earth quake event in our own life time. On 26th January 2001, the Republic Day of India, there was a big earth quake in Gujarat which killed thousands of people. Students who were attending the Republic Day parade went down the earth and disappeared while people were watching the parade. Though it is rare, it could happen. We may believe that something like it happened on the last day of Sita’s life.
Bible narrated seven catastrophes happening on seven days during Moses’ struggle against the Pharaoh. Modern research shows that it did not happen on consecutive days ,but over a considerable time. Passage of time and myth making make strange stories (Please read my article Did Agastya drink the ocean in Is Brahmastra a Nuclear Weapon? ).
RAVANA TRAPPED
There is an anecdote about Ravana in our epics and mythologies. That also happened during an earth quake in the Himalayas. Ravana was ‘punished ‘ by Lord Siva for his arrogance. The Saivite saints sang about it in every Pathikam (Ten Hymns) in Thevaram. The legend is that Ravana tried to lift the Kailash hills, the abode of Shiva, and Siva pressed it down and Ravana’s hands got crushed. Then Ravana fled the area. Gnana Sambandhar made it a point to refer to this anecdote in every ninth hymn in his Thevaram.
It looks like there was an earthquake when Ravana visited the Himalayas and got trapped there. After his prayers to Shiva everything went alright, but his arrogance was subdued. This gave place for this episode of Ravana getting crushed under Kailash.
There are lots of references in Sangam Literature and Sanskrit literature about earth quakes. The translation of the Tamil word Nilam Putai Peyarthal (Purananuru 34 by Alathur Kizar) is land moving or dislocating. They knew very well about such earth quakes.
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on January 22, 2012
https://tamilandvedas.com/2012/01/22/ravana-trapped-sita-devi-died-in-earth-quake/
Lord Shri Rama
Valmiki praised the way Sri Rama spoke to people. The way Valmiki described him showed Sri Rama was the best PR Man. The best company would have hired him as a Public Relations Officer with the highest pay. Why? He was Srutha Bhashi, Hitha Bhashi, Mitha Bhashi and Purva Bhashi according the Adi Kavi Valmiki.
Let us analyse it for a minute. Many a times we speak the truth and get caught in a trap. Why? Though we spoke truth, it was bitter. One example is a wife’s cooking. Under the pressures of work and modern living a man may shout at her saying that she put too much salt in the dishes. It may be true – but the way we spoke was wrong.
If we were Rama we would have passed the message in the gentlest way with the kindest words. Rama would probably have said “Darling, your cooking is usually wonderful. What happened to you today? Aren’t you feeling well? The food you prepared was a bit salty today which is unusual.” Speaking truth is good but it should not harm or upset any one. That is why Valmiki called him a Srutha Bhashi and Hitha Bhashi.
When people attend weddings or birthday parties they often wait for others to come and talk to them. Their arrogance and ego stop them going up to others, who they consider their rivals, to enquire about their welfare. They pretend to look at other people and wait for their ‘rivals’ to approach them. When they go home they boast to their friends that they snubbed those arrogant rivals. The other people would probably have told their friends the same thing. But look at Rama. He was the son of a great emperor and crown prince of a kingdom. He went up to people and voluntarily spoke to them and enquired about their welfare. He was called a Purva Bhashi.
Mitha Bhashi: Many people suffer from verbal diarrhoea. They can never stop blabbering. We meet them with their mobile phones on 24/7 – on the bus, in the office and of course, at our political meetings! Rama spoke only very little, but made everyone happy. When he met a hunter Guhan he declared him as the fifth brother. When Ravana lost all his weapons in the final phase of the war he told him: “Go home today. Come back tomorrow” and gave him a last chance for survival. These words were meaningful and powerful. (Guhan and Ravana references are from a version of the Ramayana written by Kamban in Tamil).
If you were running a business today, wouldn’t you hire Rama as your PRO with the highest pay?
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Posted by Tamil and Vedas on November 17, 2011
https://tamilandvedas.com/2011/11/17/lord-shri-rama-the-worlds-best-pr-man/
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