Lanka of the Valmiki Ramayana by Potluri Rao In Seattle ...raoinseattle.com/11 Lanka.pdf · The road from Damoh to Majholi cities, near Katangi, is exactly the way the Valmiki described

Lanka of the Valmiki Ramayana by Potluri Rao In Seattle ©2018 (CC BY 4.0)

In the epic Ramayana, Lanka (island) was the abode of Ravana the antagonist. In Indianfolklore Lanka is Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The Uttara Ramayana composed around 500 CE by the Vishnu sect promoted Ceylon as Lanka to spread their religion to South India and Ceylon. The Valmiki Ramayana (Valmiki) described a Lanka and its surroundings in great detail. It’s description of Lanka does not match Ceylon.

Lanka in the Valmiki is a river island in Central India, 20 miles to the north of Jabalpur city in Madhya Pradesh State. It is near Katangi city in the flood basin of the Hiran river, a tributary of the Narmada river. It is a hill in dry season and a Lanka in wet season. The flood basin looks like an Ocean during wet season.

The ancient Lanka episode of Ravana abducting Sita was composed around 2000 BCE, the time of migration of the Agni Cult from the Yamuna basin to the Kalinga region along the north bank of the Narmada river over the Vindhya mountain range. The Lankaepisode was invented as a travel guide to traverse a difficult section of the migration trail. Sabari in Pampa, Jatayu’s death, the Rsyamuka hill of Hanuman, jewels in the Kishkinda, Jatayu’s brother in the Mahendra Giri Dvar, and Ravana in the Lanka were significant landmarks, signposts, on the trail. Both Ravana and Rama used the same trail following the signposts. Ravana used it in both directions. The path of abduction of Sita was a critical segment of the migration trail. It was impossible to locate the trail without following the clues in the episode. All migrating Agni people were required to memorize the Lanka episode as a survival kit. They traced the abduction path exactly asdescribed in the Lanka episode stopping at significant signposts and recounting the story. Over time the old migration trail was abandoned and significance of the Lanka episode was lost. It survived in the folklore and nursery rhymes.

There were at least two versions of the ancient Ramayana story. The North (Benaras) version was the Buddha Ramayana (jataka 461) and the South (Kalinga) version which was used by Rishi Valmiki. Unlike the Valmiki, the Buddha version does not contain theLanka episode. The Lanka episode was of relevance only to those who traveled on the trail to Kalinga. In the Buddha version Rama sent his shoes (paduka), Lakshmana, and Sita back to Benaras escorted by Bharata. Rama returned after completing his term in the forest and became the king.

The road from Damoh to Majholi cities, near Katangi, is exactly the way the Valmiki described the abduction path of Sita. It was the difficult part of the old migration trail.

www.RaoInSeattle.com Lanka.pdf page 1

It was impossible to navigate without the help of the Lanka episode. Most likely abduction of Sita along the trail was grafted to the familiar Buddha Ramayana to make iteasy to memorize the vital directions required for migration. The same old story with a different ending that existed only in Kalinga. Rishi Valmiki constructed his Ramayana from the Kalinga version which included the Lanka episode. The Valmiki was the first full length story. The other stories before it were folktales or short stories. It was popular and most people believe that it was the original version.

The entire Lanka episode took place on a stage of 20 by 20 miles. It was the Janastan. The stage and its landmarks are still here today exactly as described in the Valmiki. The stage was described in minute detail with precise measurements.

Some significant landmarks of the Vindhya mountain range near Katangi and how they were used in the Valmiki are listed below. Topographical maps of the area are at the end. It becomes obvious as we locate the landmarks on the map why the Lanka episode was a required reading on the trail. Navigation of the Katangi area without the help of the Lanka episode was unthinkable. A slight deviation from the script would result in certain death on the trail. The path of abduction is the story.

Mahendra Giri Dvar (gorge)

When Ravana abducted Sita he was attacked by Jatayu, a vulture, who recognized Sita. Jatayu’s brother, who was old and immobile, lived in a Mahendra Giri Dvar (gorge). When he learned of Jatayu’s death he told the monkeys searching for Sita that Ravana went through the gorge (4.59.22) with a woman on a mule cart.

The gorge is a part of the Kaimur ridge (Mahendra Giri) and the only place to cross the ridge. The ridge is 500’ high with 1500’ base, stretching 10 miles to the south and 15 miles to the north from the gorge. Actual Kaimur ridge starts near Katangi and goes north hundreds of miles with occasional breaks.

The gorge was barely wide enough for a mule cart to pass. Ravana had to ask for permission to cross the gorge because it was narrow and there were people living in it. There were many witnesses to Ravana passing through the gorge on a mule cart with a woman. They let Ravana pass because they did not want to face the fate of Jatayu.

Trikuta (three peak) Mountain

To the south of the gorge is a steep horse shoe shaped mountain that rises vertically 1000’ with summit at 2450’. It is the local Mt Everest and can be spotted miles away


from all directions. It has three ridges facing north and one to the south. The three ridges produce the peaks, hence the name.

Foothills to the north of the Trikuta are flat at an elevation of 1400’. This is the path of abduction of Sita that leads to the gorge. The mule cart path of Ravana is now a highway. When Sugriva escaped from Vali he took refuge on a hilltop at 1800’, current Singhorgarh fort, where he met Hanuman. The hill was called Rsyamuka. Sugriva saw Ravana’s mule cart below from high above. He did not know that Sita was with him. Sita dropped her jewels between Rsyamuka and the gorge.

On the east side of the Trikuta mountain, up to the Kaimur ridge, is a mountain pass rising from Katangi (1200’) to Singrampur (1400’) city. Bears lived in the caves of the ridge. Bears and Monkeys (Vanara) were the army of Rama. Vanara searched this area for Sita. The Valmiki described the pass and the ridge in minute detail with precise measurements. Details of this area were critical to navigate from Rsyamuka to the gorge. The gorge is very narrow and invisible. Vanara people lived near the gorge (Kishkinda) and did not know of its existence until Jatayu’s brother told them about it. Finding the gorge without the precise measurements was impossible. The narrow gorge of 5’ width, 400’ drop, and 1500’ long is the only place to cross the ridge within 25 miles. It was dark and invisible. Lost trail is the same as lost life.

On the west side of the Trikuta is a huge Jaber basin with many lakes. It is a part of Janastan, the base camp of Rama. Janastan is just below the Yamuna basin, home of the Agni Cult. The Chitrakoota mountains separate the Yamuna basin from Janastan.

Pampa

The Jaber basin, or some part of it, was called Pampa. It has many lakes. Rama bathed in a lake of Pampa. He met Sabari, Matanga, and other holy people on the west bank of the lake. He described a steep mountain (Singhorgarh) on the east bank where he met Sugriva. The lake is still there at the base of Rsyamuka.

The Ocean

As seen from the foothills the Kaimur ridge is a 25 mile long 500’ high wall of rock. People had no idea of what was on the other side. No one climbed over it because it has razor edge. No one knew about the gorge until Jatayu’s brother told them about it. Vultures in the gorge who make a meal of anything passing through were afraid of Ravana because he killed Jatayu and gave him permission to pass. The gorge was a well


guarded military secret. When Ravana was told that the monkeys discovered the gorge he felt that his days were numbered and took immediate defense actions.

Everyone searched for Sita on the west side of the Kaimur ridge. No one knew the whereabouts of Ravana or Lanka. When Hanuman entered the gorge all he saw on the other side of the ridge was an Ocean. There was no trace of Ravana, mule cart track, or human habitation, just plain water of 30 mile radius.

It was the flood basin of the Hiran river, a tributary of the Narmada river. The basin is flat as a saucer at an elevation of 1200’ and stretches as far as eye can see. During the dry season it is like a river bed of sand and gravel with a tiny creek. During the wet season water level rises above 50’. Average rainfall is 5’. That is why nobody lived there. Flood basins are naturally flat because of still water. The flood basin is huge and feeds both the Narmada (Hiran) and the Ganges (Sone).

Seasonal variation, topography, and weather patterns were critical factors in navigation. Ravana abducted Sita during the dry season, or ankle deep water, so he could take her ona mule cart to Lanka. Rama waited for four months (4.27.48) to let the water level drop before start search for Sita. The gorge and the surrounding area was closed for all trafficfor four months. Water level rises by more than 50’ cresting at 100’.

The Indrana hill (Lanka) on the east side of the ridge has peaks as high as 1800’, the only visible peaks in the Ocean (flood basin). The logical conclusion was that it must bewhere Sita was to be found.

To people going from east to west on the migration trail the Kaimur ridge is a giant wall blocking their path. There is an invisible gorge somewhere, the only way to cross the ridge. Locating the gorge is critical for survival.

The Indrana lanka in the Ocean with its 1800’ peaks is about ten miles to the south of theinvisible gorge. It is a vital focal point to locate the invisible gorge. How do you make people remember its significance in locating the gorge? Make it the Lanka where Ravana lived and kept Sita imprisoned. The small islands between the Lanka and the gorge are the places where Hanuman rested on his way to the Lanka. Play the story in reverse and Hanuman will take you to the gorge. The story was crafted to fit the geography to make it unforgettable. Locating the invisible gorge in the giant Ocean is the essence of the Lanka episode. Most likely, around 2000 BCE Indrana was a Lanka and the flood basin was an Ocean all the time. It was 4000 years ago.


No one ever lived on Indrana Lanka, it was not habitable. No one ever visited it, it was not accessible. Everyone saw it from a distance. In the poetic imagination the fictional Ravana lived in luxury on Lanka with sky high diamond studded palaces.

Trikuta and Suvela Lanka

Indrana is actually two hills connected at the base. Rishi Valmiki assigned the one on the Trikuta mountain side to Ravana, called Trikuta Lanka. He assigned the other to Rama, called Suvela Lanka. To west bound travelers on the migration trail first they look like one hill and separate into two as they approach the gorge with the Suvela and the landing site of Rama’s army at 1350’ clearly visible. Imagine Rama and Ravana fighting on the connecting base, the battleground. It is a significant signpost on the trail.The story was crafted to fit the geography so well that it is unforgettable. One can visualize the entire episode unfolding in front their eyes on a live stage. It makes any one believe that the story must be true because the stage is true.

On the map the distance between the Lanka and the gorge is 12 miles. Valmiki called it 100 Yojana, which yields 210 yards to a Yojana. According to the Arthashastra, a contemporary of Rishi Valmiki, 0.7 inches = angula, 108 angula = Dhanush, and 100 Dhanush = 210 yards. (Furlong = 220 yards and Mile = 8 furlong.) Apparently Dhanush Sata (100), a standard measure of distance of the Arthashastra, equates to Valmiki’s Yojana. Other distances expressed in Yojana in the Valmiki also yield 210 yards (Dhanush Sata) on the map. Valmiki used “Dhanush Sata” (4.11.72) to mean Yojana. There are many other definitions of Yojana, of recent origin, but the map does not agree with any of them. Apparently Rishi Valmiki was a native and knew the geography intimately. He gave precise locations of lakes, rivers, caves, and clefts. Theyare easily identifiable on the map.

The Narmada River

The Valmiki mentioned casually that the Narmada river is nearby. It was not included inthe story. It was not on the stage. The gorge is 30 miles to the north of the Narmada. The river of the stage is Hiran and it becomes an ocean during the wet season. The Narmada does not help in locating the gorge. Rishi Valmiki was faithful.

Conclusion

The Indrana hill of the Hiran flood basin is the Lanka of Ravana in every detail. The story was a fairy tale but the Lanka was real: as real as Rsyamuka, Trikuta, Mahendra Giri Dvar, and flood basin. The Rsyamuka on the west side and the Lanka on the east


side of the ridge were critical focal points to locate the invisible gorge. Retention of directions from the focal points to the invisible gorge was the goal. The story was skillfully crafted to suit the terrain to make it unforgettable. It was born of necessity.

The invisible gorge was the gateway to Kalinga settlements. The abduction path was a critical part of the trail to cross the 25 mile ridge blocking the path. Most likely the trail was a military route kept secret with false trails to mislead the enemy. Ravana and abduction of Sita was a fairy tale. The Lanka was never habitable and had no military value. Lanka was the means and safe passage on the trail was the end. The Lanka episode was a work of a genius composed around 2000 BCE. It worked. The Agni Cult was successfully established in Kalinga.

After the end of Buddhism and Gupta empire (500 CE) there was Hindu revival. They wanted to start fresh with a brand new God. Rama was popular in the Jain and Budda religions and they had their own versions of Ramayana. The Valmiki was the Hindu version of the same story and a natural flag-bearer for revival. Rama was secular and accepted by all religions. Rama was elected as the new God unopposed.

The Uttara Ramayana (500 CE) was composed to bestow divinity on Rama as an incarnation of Vishnu God to qualify him for God status. After 500 CE Rama was synonymous with Vishnu.

Each religion promoted its version of Ramayana as the true story. Unlike the other Gods, Rama was a Universal God for all people and religions. Rama gave a new identity to all people of India. Rama had his own temples independent of Vishnu.

Everyone claimed Rama as their own. Rama visited holy places (punya kshetra) on his way to Lanka. Religious tourism became more important than rescuing Sita. Jain Ramavisited Jain holy places; Buddha Rama visited Buddha holy places; Vishnu Rama visitedVishnu holy places; and Shiva Rama visited Shiva holy places. They all agreed on one thing, Lanka should be as faraway as possible to cover their holy places. Ceylon was theunanimous choice. All Ramayanas were rewritten with Ceylon as Lanka to promote their religions. They twisted the story to match Ceylon. They invented unbelievable rationalizations to justify Ceylon. None of them are empirically verifiable.

Ramayana is popular in many countries with no Rama temples. In South East Asia palaces and temples have sculptures and paintings of Ramayana on walls and ceilings, but no Rama temples. Map of Rama temples, by age, reveals that Rama became God only recently. There is no archeological evidence of Rama worship before 500 CE, the end of Gupta empire.


After 500 CE the Valmiki Ramayana was revised several times to conform to the story in the Uttara. It was corrupted with Vishnu and Brahmin prejudices. As a result there are many extant versions of the Valmiki with conflicting information. The Original Valmiki Ramayana is lost. There is considerable amount of corruption in all extant versions. Still it is possible to excavate good archeological material from it.

Hypothesis

The Agni Cult crossed the Vindhya mountain range from Janastan to Kalinga along the north bank of the Narmada river.

Archeological information contained in the Valmiki corresponds to the area around Katangi of the Vindhya, near Jabalpur city. The Agni people lived in the Jaber basin area, the Vanara people lived in the Kaimur pass area around the gorge, and the Rakshasa people lived on a plateau to the south of the Trikuta mountain. At least three different races lived around Katangi at that time. The Vanara and Bear people voluntarily converted to Agni. Ravana did not approve of the Agni, but his brother Vibhishana was converted and granted passage right to the gorge.

The gorge was the gateway to the eastern settlements of the Agni. The gorge was invisible. Locating the gorge from both directions was essential. The Lanka episode was grafted to an Ancient Ramayana (Buddha) story and everyone traveling through the gorge was required to memorize it. Rsyamuka (Hanuman) on the west and Lanka (Ravana) on the east of the ridge were clearly visible from miles away with their 1800’ peaks. They were vital focal points to locate the invisible gorge. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita were familiar characters in the Buddha Ramayana. Fictional Ravana (Lanka) and Hanuman (Rsyamuka) were invented to complete the story of abduction of Sita.

Travel season was limited to the interval of monsoon and scorching summer heat. Floodbasin looked like an Ocean. The Ocean had only shallow waters.

Agni expansion started near the gorge. They moved South-East on the north bank of theNarmada, on the north bank of the flood basin, to reach the Mahanadi river basin. Kui speaking people lived in the Mahanadi area, present day Orissa (Odisha) state. Kalinga (Godavari delta) has high concentration of the Agni people. Proportion of Sanskrit words in spoken dialects (non-literary) is very high in that region suggesting long tenure of Agni settlements. Use of Prakrit in Orissa and Sanskrit in Kalinga suggests two waves of Agni migration, one of pioneers (Prakrit) and the other of gentry (Sanskrit).


Orissa was occupied before Kalinga. Oriya is a hybrid of Kui and Prakrit. Andhra is a hybrid of Telugu and Sanskrit.

Density map of proportion of Sanskrit words used by rural population draws boundary lines of Agni area and duration of occupation. Agni occupied the prime agricultural lands. People were pushed out of their native land to make room for Agni.

Agni was after the fertile lands of Kalinga, not converting people to their religion. They expanded by importing Agni people from the Yamuna basin along the trail. Converted locals were treated as second class citizen. Vanara and Bear who converted to Agni became extinct. The trail was abandoned after a critical mass was reached in Kalinga.

The two endpoints of the old Agni trail were Janastan (Damoh) and Mahanadi (Amarkantak). The hypothesis does not seem possible because of the 25 mile long ridgeblocking the path. The Valmiki talks of a hidden gorge through a ridge used by Ravana. A detailed map of the ridge confirms that a gorge exists, an ideal location for vultures who depend on wind currents for lift. It is narrow and invisible. The Valmiki listed precise locations of nearby drinking water. It told not to drink flood basin water. It told not to go south along the ridge, there is no exit. It said, it takes several days on a mule cart to travel from Janastan; the gorge is barely wide enough for a mule cart. Map area near Katangi matches Valmiki’s description exactly. We have verifiable evidence of how Agni managed to cross the blocking ridge; it supports the hypothesis.

In the Strict Scientific Method, Knowledge (Brahman) is intersection of Achit (fact) and Chit (Mind). Achit is verifiable facts of Perception class. Agni in Yamuna basin, Janastan, Jaber basin, Rsyamuka, Trikuta, Mahendra gorge, flood basin, Lanka, Kui people in Mahanadi, Prakrit in Orissa, Sanskrit in Godavari, and Agni settlements in Kalinga are verifiable facts. They are consistent with the hypothesis of Agni migration.

The difficult part of the Agni trail over the Vindhya was from Damoh (23.8 N, 79.4 E) toMahendra gorge (23.5 N, 79.8 E) to Amarkantak (22.6 N, 82 E), a total of 200 miles of mountain terrain. Damoh (Janastan) and Amarkantak (Mahanadi) were the base camps with settlements, supported by archeological evidence. The Lanka episode was a 20 by 20 mile stage around the gorge. From Chitrakoota to Hirakud was 500 miles. From Hirakud to Kalinga was a cakewalk. Agni was in search of fertile lands to cultivate, not to spread the religion, and found Kalinga. The Lanka episode of 2000 BCE was essential for survival on the trail. It was invented by a genius to match the terrain.

Most likely in 2000 BCE monkeys, bears, and vultures were the only occupants of the stage. They were woven into the fairy tale along with fictional Ravana on Lanka. By


400 BCE the stage was well populated with Munda and Kui tribes. It was no longer used as a migration trail. Rishi Valmiki used the same stage and fairy tale to tell us about social values of his time. His description of Munda and Kui tribes of the stage is authentic Anthropology. Unfortunately the Original Ramayana is lost.

Hypothesis

The Agni Cult was split into two around 2000 BCE.

Evidence of the Mahendra gorge, the Rsyamuka, and the Lanka side by side supports thehypothesis that there were two separate migration paths of the Agni Cult: (1) From the Yamuna basin to the Ganges river (Mithila) in the north and (2) Along the north bank of the Narmada to Kalinga in the east. The split took place around 2000 BCE. These two branches were disconnected by unfavorable terrain and evolved into two distinct species adapting to their respective natural habitat.

Kalinga was the old orthodox, whereas Mithila was the new liberal. The Kalinga Agni came from the Yamuna basin along the migration trail, not from the Ganges. Communication between Kalinga and Mithila was established only after Ashoka (250 BCE) annexed Kalinga.

The Law Books Gautama Sutra of Mithila and Apasthamba Sutra of Kalinga do not agree. Apasthamba reflects Kalinga traditions and Gautama was unaware of them. Black Yajur Veda (old) of Kalinga and White Yajur Veda (new) of Mithila are different. Kalinga did not have Kshatriya to pay for the new exotic and expensive Yajna added to the White Yajur Veda. Rakshasa in Kalinga hated Yajna. Atharva Veda is missing in Kalinga. In Atharva a student collected firewood and alms for his teacher as payment for his education. It was not practical in Kalinga settlements.

The extant Rig Veda was a Kalinga version. Dasyu people of the Rig Veda match the Kui people expelled from the Mahanadi area to make room for Agni. The Kui people were pushed westwards (7.6.3) to die on mountains (8.59.11) and their property was given to Agni (1.176.4).

Kshatriya existed only in North. The word Kshatriya is missing in the Rig Veda. Varna of four classes was in North. Kalinga had only Agni and non-Agni. Indra escorted Agnito reach Kalinga along the trail. Indra provided protection to Kalinga settlements and safe passage on the trail. They were paid thugs, not a standing army. Agni in the south did not expand beyond the settlements in Kalinga. They had no reason or means. Agni was after fertile lands, not invasion or religious conversion.


Indra was a military rank, not name of a person. In the words Gajendra, Manavendra, and Devendra the suffix Indra means rank. In Kalinga Indra meant a skilled archer warrior rank, like Rama, who was on Agni payroll. One or two high paid Indra traveled with Agni along the trail to provide protection. It was a hostile environment. Indra, alone (1.33.4), pushed Kui people (Dasyu) westwards to die on the mountains and distributed their property to Agni. Kalinga Agni had only Indra for protection.

North Agni earned their living by offering services of dubious merit to fleece Kshatriya. They were the only nonproductive segment of society. Kalinga Agni tilled the soil and paid Indra for protection. They had no Kshatriya to fleece. The hardship of trail, remotesettlements, and hostile climate made Kalinga Agni distinct. They were self selected to endure hard work. Kalinga Agni and Mithila Agni were the exact opposites.

The Valmiki Ramayana is Kalinga. The Uttara is Mithila. They reflect different value systems. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita do not exhibit the same righteousness in the Uttara as they do in the Valmiki. Kalinga Sita was educated, independent, outspoken, commanding, and demanded equal rights. Mithila Sita was an obedient housewife.

The Lanka episode was an allegorical play of Indra (Rama and Lakshmana) escorting Agni through the Mahendra gorge to protect women and property. Ravana and Surpanaka represented the hostile climate. By then Agni managed up to Jaber basin on their own but could not go beyond without the escort of Indra. In the extant Kalinga version of the Rig Veda, Agni and Indra were inseparable. Kalinga and Mithila interpreted Indra in different ways because their value systems were opposites.

The Lanka episode was composed originally in 2000 BCE as a required reading for survival on the migration trail to Kalinga. Migration stopped after Kalinga reached critical mass and the trail was abandoned. The Lanka episode survived as a fairy tale in folklore and its historic significance was lost.

The story was a fairy tale skillfully crafted by a genius to fit the terrain to make it unforgettable. Rsyamuka of Hanuman, Mahendra Giri Dvar of Jatayu, and Lanka of Ravana are real. They are near Katangi for a good reason. Click here for a detailed slide show of the stage.

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General area of the Vindhya mountain range


Route of Ravana’s abduction of Sita on a Mule Cart


Kaimur Ridge and Mahendra Giri Dvar (gorge) Topography


Indrana Hill Topography


Trikuta Mountain Topography


Agni trail (2000 BCE) from Janastan to Mahanadi (Kalinga)


Documents

Lanka of the Valmiki Ramayana by Potluri Rao In Seattle ...raoinseattle.com/11 Lanka.pdf · The road from Damoh to Majholi cities, near Katangi, is exactly the way the Valmiki described