[Fegasderty]

Virarajendra

A Brief Study on the Actual Age of the Sanskrit Raamaayana of Sage/Poet Vaalmiki

The Sanskrit Hindu Scripture the "Vayupurana" belonging to the period of Gupta dynasty (A.D.320-550) of North india states the Raamaayana War came to an end in the 24th Treta Yuga. Some Indian Scholars based on this reference computed the Year of this War using the fictitious "System of Yuga-Time Calculations" as found in Ancient Hindu Scriptures of the North India, concluded that this War actully took place more than 17 millions of years ago.

Further from the Astronomical Informations found in the Sanskrit Raamaayana of Sage/Poet Vaalmiki, the Indian Research Scholar Dr P.V.Vartak has concluded that the Raamaayana War came to an end in the year B.C.7292.

Also the modern Historical Scholars of India and the West have given the following dates as the "Vedic Period of North India" based on their own Research Studies:

(1) Dr Romila Thappar - B.C.1500-500
(2) Dr Radha Kumud Mookerjee - Period between B.C.1500-600.
(3) A.L.Basham - period between B.C.1500-700
(4) N.Jayapalan - B.C.2000-600
(5) Burton Stein - Period between B.C.1500-500

The above years of "Vedic period of North India" arrived at by these Scholars could be averaged as from B.C.1500 to B.C.600.

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However we will re-analyse the evidences available to us presently and arrive at the correct "Vedic Period of North India", and then determine the realistic period of the Sanskrit Epic Raamaayana of Sage/Poet Vaalmiki.

In the year B.C.1500 the Indo-Aryans migrated to the Sind region (the Punjab region of the present Pakistan and India) from the north-west through Kabul valley region, defeating the Dravidians of the Mohenjodaro & Harappa civilisations of the Sind valley along the river Sindu (Indus) which flourished between B.C.2500-1500, and settled along the river Saraswathi of this region running parallel to the river Sindu.

The fact the 'Rig Veda' was composed by them around B.C.1500 'from this region' is confirmed by the references to the river Sindu and many references to the river Saraswathi of this region - being the 'only two main rivers mentioned in the entire Rig Veda' (not the great rivers Gangai or Yamunai or even the Himalayan mountain range). The religious culture that was developed by the Indo-Aryans in this region after their migration was known as the "Vedic Culture". This Vedic Culture gradually spread to the other regions of North and North-East India over a period of time.

Around 900 year later there appeared two great Sages in North India namely Lord Mahavira (B.C.599-527) and Lord Buddha (B.C.623-567) spreading their respective religious doctrines namely the Jainism and Buddhism - in North India. The rise of the new waves of religious culture of these two faiths, lead to the gradual decline of Vedic Culture in the Sind region of North-West India around B.C.600.

During a little later period the emperor Darius - 1 (B.C.522-486) of the Achaemenid (Persia = present Iran) Empire conquered the Sind valley region of India and annexed it with his empire in the year B.C.520. Thus came the end of the 'cradle of the Vedic Culture' the Saraswathi and Sind valley region of Nort-West India. The Persians (Non-Islamic) of this period were referred to as "Yavanas" in the Sanskrit Ramaayana of Sage Vaalmiki.

This period of Vedic Culture from B.C.1500-600 was known as the "Vedic Period" of North India in history, and the Sanskrit language that was professed during this period as "Vedic Sanskrit". The literature that developed during this time was known as the "Vedic Literature".

No where in any Sanskrit Literature of the Vedic Period the Epic story of Raamaayana has been mentioned. However there are references to the Vedas in the Sanskrit Raamaayana of Sage Vaalmiki. Hence it is clear the Ramaayana episode took place after the end of the Vedic Period in B.C.600. The Sanskrit language that was in use as from B.C.600 was referred to as the "Classical Sanskrit".

Around B.C.600 the great Grammerian Panini wrote the first Sanskrit Grammer, followed by Kartiyaayana's commentry to this Grammer around the year B.C.400. The Kartiyaayana's commentry was the earliest Sanskrit literature which has made the first reference to the Sanskrit Epic Mahabhaaratha of Sage/Poet Viyaasa. Hence it is clear that Mahabhaaratha was earlier than the period of Kartiyaayana's commentry of around B.C.400. The Sanskrit Epic Mahabhaaratha of Sage/Poet Viyaasa 'inturn' mentions in one of it's Kaandas (chapter) briefly the story of Raamaayana.

Hence it is very clear that the period of the Sanskrit Epic Raamayana of Sage/Poet Vaalmiki could be tentatively fixed around B.C.500, (which was after the Persian invasion of Sind valley in North-West India in B.C.520)

Important Notes:

It appeas the term "Yavanas" was used by the Indians from the end of Vedic Period to mean "the white skinned Westerners who came to India through Kabul Valley". It seems this term was used first to indicate the Persians (Non-Islamic) who invaded North-West India under Darius - 1 around B.C.520. Thereafter it was used in Ramaayana around the period B.C.500 also to refer to the Persians who were present in the Sind Valley region. The Sanskrit "Manu Smiruthi" of the period around B.C.500 too refers to the Persians (Non-Islamic) as Yavanas. The Mahaabhaaratha of the period B.C.450 too makes reference to the term Yavanaas undoubtedly to the Persians, as after Darius - 1's invasion the Sind valley region were under the Persians for nearly 194 years until aroung B.C.326. It was in this year the Greek conquerer the 'Alexander the Great' invaded and occupied the Sind valley region. Since then the term "Yavanaas" were used by the Indians to indicate the Greeks - again being the "white skinned Westerners who came to India through Kabul valley". The Greek Settlements after Alexander's invasion of the Sind region of North-West India were also known as 'Yavanna Settlements' in Indian Literature and Inscriptions. The term "Yavanas" in Sanskrit language was referred to as "Yonakas" in Prakrit language and the Emperor Asoka's Edicts too refer to them both ways. With the Alexander's invasion, not only the Greeks but also the Romans too gradually came to India but not as conquerers but essentially as Explorers and Traders as far as the Muth-Tamil Nadu down extreme south of India of that period, namely to the regions of Chera, Chola and Pandiya countries.

The Tamil Literature of the Third Thamil Sangam period of Tamil Nadu too speaks very much about their trade and presence in the Tamil Countries from B.C.100 to around A.D.200. The Tamil Literature too refers to them as Yavanas - "the white skinned Westerners who came to India through Kabul valley". However with the discovery of the favourable wind of the Indian Ocean named "......" the Romans started coming to the southern region of India more by way of directly sailings from the port of Hormos to the ports of Western India including the Musiri in Chera Nadu.

Hence the refrence to "Yavanaas" in Raamaayana and Mahaabhaaratha doesnot indicate that they both belong to the period between B.C.100 - A.D.200 being the period of Greeks and Romans in the Southern countries of India namely the Chera, Chola and Paandiyar and referred to in the Third Tamil Sangam period Literature of Tamil Nadu (B.C.300-A.D.200).


Note: The foregoing will be reviewed frequently corrected where necessary, and added with additional informations with eviidence as and when they surface