Where was Kishkinda according to Ramayana ?
By
P.R.Ramachander
People in the Kerala believe that the
Rishyamooka and Kishkinda
mountains were near the Pampa
river on the way to Sabari Mala. Many of the on line references
believe it as a place some where
near present day Hampi .Let us examine
where was Kishkinda
according to Ramayana
.Fortunately this can be easily answered
because when the four monkey groups are formed
for search of Sita . In
Valmiki Ramayana Sugreeva instructs each group at Kishkinda
as to what are rivers , places and
mountains which they may find on their
way . Though I am not an expert of the geography of the
ancient India of Rama’s time , Sugreeva does mention many
places which we are all familiar . However in Kamba Ramayanam the instructions
of the way to South only is give,
.Below is the list those familiar places/rivers/mountains which
we are familiar according to Valmiki Ramayana and Kamba Ramayana. From this it is
clear that Kishkinda is
north to Vindhya mountains
according to both Ramayanams .The
Indications of Valmiki Ramayana is that Kishkinda is a
place somewhere the middle of present day Madhya Pradesh , possibly on the far western
side of the state .This location agrees
with indications given in Kamba
Ramayana also.
A.Valmiki Ramayana
1.East of Kishkinda
Rivers :
Ganges , Sarayu and Yamuna, Sindhu
Countries .Videha(mithila) , Malwa, Kasi
, KOsala, Magadha, Bengal
2. South of Kishkinda
Rivers
:Krishna , Godavari and Cauvery
Countries; Avanthi , Vidarbha , Andhra
, Pandya, chola and Lanka
3.West of
KIshkinda
Rivers :Several small
rivers which flow to the western ocean enmeshed by mountains (looks like India’s west coast)
Countries
SAurashtra, Avanthi
4.North of
Kishkinda
Countries Countries of Mlechas, Yavanas , Kurus ,
and Khambhoja
Mountain Himalayas , Mainaka
B:Kamba Ramayana
South of Kishkinda:-
Mountain Vindhya,THirupathi mountain, Podigai
Rivers Narmada , Pennai, Godavari , Cauvery, Tamravarni
Countries
Vidharbha , Konkana , CHozha
4 comments:
Yudha Kanda, Ch 126- I suggest you go through the entire chapter:
Under Rama’s command, that aerial chariot harnessed to swans flew through the air with a great noise, and Rama, the delight of the Raghus, letting fall his glance on every side, said to the Princess of Mithila, Sita, whose face resembled the moon:—
“See how Lanka has been constructed by Vishvakarma on the summit of the Trikuta Mountain, which resembles the peak of Mount Kailasha. Behold the battlefield covered with a mire of flesh and blood; there, O Sita, a great carnage of monkeys and titans took place. There lies the ferocious King of the Titans, Ravana, who, despite the boons he had received, was slain by me on thine account, O Large-eyed Lady.
“Here Kumbhakarna was struck down as also another ranger of the night; Prahasta and Dhumraksha perished here under the blows of the monkey, Hanuman. Vidyunmalin was put to death at this spot by the great-souled Sushena, and in another, Lakshmana overcame Indrajita, the son of Ravana. Angada struck down the Titans named Vikata and Virupaksha, hideous to look upon, as also Mahaparshva and Mahodara. Akampana succumbed, as also other valiant warriors, Trishiras, Atikaya, Devantaka and Narantaka, Yuddhonmatta and Matta, both great heroes, Nikumbha and Kumbha, the two sons of Kumbhakama, who were full of courage; Vajradamshtra, Damshtra and innumerable other titans perished here and the invincible Maharaksha whom I slew in combat; and Akampana was slain and the powerful Shonitaksha whilst Yupaksha and Prajangha also succumbed in the great struggle. Vidyujjihva, a titan of fearful aspect fell there and Yajnashatru died also; the mighty Suptaghna too, as also Suryashatru, were slain with Brahma-shatru, who had no equal, and here Mandodari’s consort, for whom she wept surrounded by her companions to the number of a thousand or more.
“Here is the place where the ocean was traversed, O Lady of Lovely Looks, and, having passed over the sea, there is the spot where the night was spent. There the bridge that I had thrown over the ocean of salty waves on thine account, O Large-eyed Lady, that causeway, difficult of construction, was built by Nala. Behold the ocean, 0 Vaidehi, that indestructible abode of Varuna’s that seems without bourne, whose thundering waters abound in conch shells and pearls. O Maithili, behold that golden mountain, which, cleaving the waves, rose out of the bosom of the deep in order to allow Hanuman to rest. And here, our headquarters were established; here, formerly the Lord Mahadeva granted me a boon and there is the sacred and purifying spot known as Setubandha where even the greatest sins are washed away. Here Vibishana, King of the Titans, first came to me. Now we have reached Kishkindha with its beautiful woods, it is Sugriva’s capital where I slew Bali.”
Then Sita, seeing the Qty of Kishkindha of which Bali was formerly the support, said to Rama in gentle, loving and wistful tones:—
“I desire to enter your royal capital, Ayodhya, O Prince, with the beloved consorts of Sugriva, Tara at their head, as also the wives of the other leaders of the monkeys!”
Thus spoke Vaidehi and Raghava answered, ‘So be it!’, thereafter reaching the heights of Kishkindha, he caused the aerial chariot to halt and said to Sugriva:—
“O Lion among Monkeys, command all the Plavamgamas, accompanied by their wives, to come to Ayodhya with Sita and myself. Let all come, 0 King, and make haste to depart, O Sugriva!”
Hearing Rama’s command, he whose energy was immeasurable, Sugriva, the illustrious monarch of the monkeys, attended by his ministers entered the inner apartments and, seeing Tara, said to her:—
“O Dear One, at the command of Raghava, who wishes to gratify Vaidehi, do you speedily assemble the consorts of the magnanimous monkeys so that they may leave for Ayodhya to visit the wives of King Dasaratha.”
Hearing Sugriva’s words, Tara, of beautiful limbs, gathered all the female monkeys together and said to them:—
“Sugriva commands us to leave for Ayodhya; do me the favour of accompanying me and witness the entry of Rama in the midst of the people from town and country and the splendour of the wives of Dasaratha.”
Thus commanded by Tara, the female monkeys, having first adorned themselves and circumambulated her, ascended the car, anxious to behold Sita, and that aerial chariot at once rose into the air with them.
Then Raghava, gazing down on all sides, having reached the vicinity of Rishyamuka, once more addressed Vaidehi, saying:—
“O Sita, here is a great mountain resembling a cloud rent by lightning, abounding in gold and other metals. It is here that I met that Indra among Monkeys, Sugriva, and entered into an agreement with him to slay Bah. Here is the Pampa Lake with its marvellous fields of blue lotuses and here separated from you, out of the depth of mine affliction, I wept 1 It was on its banks that beheld the virtuous Shabari.
“Here I slew Kabandha, whose arms extended for four miles! O Sita, in Janasthana, I came upon that magnificent tree, the Ashvatta, near which Jatayu, the renowned and valiant Monarch of Birds perished under Ravana’s blows on thine account, O Lovely One. And there is our hermitage, O Lady of Brilliant Complexion, where our enchanting leafy hut may be seen. It is there that you were borne away by force by the King of the Titans.
“There is the ravishing Godavari of transparent waters and there, the retreat of Agastya can be seen, that is covered with palms, as also Sharabhanga’s hermitage where the God of a Thousand Eyes, the Destroyer of Cities, entered in secret. O Goddess of slender waist, behold the ascetics with Atri at their head, the equal of Surya and Vaishnava; in that place the Giant Viradha fell under my blows and there, O Sita, you didst visit the virtuous Sage. See, O Lady of beautiful form, the King of Mountains, Cittrakuta, appears; it is there that the son of Kaikeya came to crave my forgiveness. Here is the enchanting Yamuna with its ravishing woods and here the retreat of Bharadvaja looms into view, O Maithili. Now we are in sight of the Ganges, that three-branched sacred river. There is the City of Shringavera where my friend, Guha, dwells, and there, the River Sarayu with rows of stone pillars on its banks commemorating the Kings of the House of Ikshvaku! Behold there the royal abode of my Sire! O Vaidehi, bow down to Ayodhya, we have returned!”
During this time the monkeys and the titans were leaping about in delight on seeing that city and, with the palaces with which it abounded, its wide spaces and the elephants and horses that filled it, Ayodhya appeared to the monkeys and titans to resemble Amaravati, the city of the mighty Indra."
I'll give you a gist, in this chapter Rama is reiterating the path they have traversed as they travel in Pushpaka vimana but in reverse order. That is from Lanka to Ayodhya.
The important places mentioned are in the order as follows:
A) LANKA
B) SETUBANDHA(NALA SETU)
C) KISHKINDHA
D) RISHYMUKHA
E) PAMPA SAROVARA
F) SHABARI ASHRAMA
G) JANASTHANA
H) RIVER GODAVARI and AGASTYASHRAMA
I) ATRI ASHRAMA
J) CHITRAKOOTA
K) RIVER YAMUNA
L) RIVER SARAYU
M) AYODHYA
Kishkindha was located south of Godavari.
When sugriva is mentioning north , south, east and west, it's from the perspective of India as a whole L, as in the northern quarter of India or souther quarter of India, not south of kishkindha. This is clarified from the above statement of Rama directly where kishkindha is clearly south of Godavari.
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