Tretha yuga in the Cholan inscriptions.

No Aryan – Dravidian divide. It was one Aryavartha (21)

The inscriptions on the copper plates excavated from Thiruvaalankaadu

reveal an important fact about Yugas.

There is mention about the end of Tretha yuga

sometime after Kavery was brought to the land of Cholas.

This shows that this period came to a close

at a measurable and a more recent time in the past.

If Tretha yuga had come to a close about 12 lakh years ago,

the details such as the ones found in the inscriptions

could not have been made.

After Mandhatha, the Chola lineage goes like this.

Muchukunda

Valabha

Prithulaksha

Parthivachudamani

Dirghabahu

Chandrajit

Sankriti

Panchapa

Satyavrata

Rudrajit

Sibi

Marutta

Dushyanta

Bharata

Cholavarman (Founder of Chola dynasty)

Rajakesarivarman

Parakesarin

Chitraratha

Chitrasva

Chitradhanvan (who brought Kavery river)

Suraguru (Mrityujit)

Chitraratha

Vyaghraketu (last king of Tretha yuga)

In the Ikshvaku dynasty of Rama,

the 9^th king after Mandhatha was Bhageeratha who brought the Ganga.

In the Chola lineage, 20th king after Mandhatha brought the Kavery.

But Rama was the 25^th King after Mandhatha!

From this

we can conclude that Kavery basin was

inhabited by the Cholas and his subjects

when Ram built Sethu to cross the oceans.

As found in the inscription,

the Cholan king was motivated by the feat of a cousin (Bhageeratha)

in the lineage in having brought the river.

If familial connection was not there or

if interaction between people of Bharatha varsha was not there,

this particular note could not have been made.

This is also proof to the contention that this land was one

and only one from ancient times.

“(V. 35.) Having come to know that king Bhagiratha engrossed in penance

brought down (from heaven) the river of gods (i.e., Ganga) (to earth),

this king (also) desirous to fame brought her (i.e., Ganga)

to his dominions under the name Kaverakanyaka (i.e., Kaveri)”

The tiger emblem was embraced by them

from the times of a descendant of Chithrartha in Tretha yuga.

After this king, the genealogy does not seem to give details

of every king who succeeded.

Again there is not much mention of kings in Dwapara yuga.

Peru narkilli is mentioned as a king in kaliyuga.

There are 3 Perunarkillis who have been praised in PuranaanUru.

We have to analyze deep into these verses.

Already two verses of PuranaanUru can be dated at around Mahabharatha war

that occurred before Kaliyuga started

-one on Cheran Perum Chotru udhian and

another on Pal yaaga shalai Mudukudumi peruvazhuthi.

We should look for clues on the Chozhan king of this period.

The most interesting one is on Karikaal Chozhan.

The inscription negates the popular opinion about him.

Contrary to popular belief that he had burnt his legs,

his name derivation is attributed to his valour

in overpowering elephants (kari)

and enemies and also the kali.

The inscription mentions the embankment he built on Kaveri.

“(V. 42.) In this (king’s) family was born he, the leader of all the lords

of the earth,

the foremost of the great on account of his virtues,

the king who renovated (the town of) Kanchi with gold,

who had established his glorious fame by constructing embankments

of the Kavery

(river) and whom (people) called Kalikala

because (he) was (the god of) death to the elephants (kari) (of his enemies)

as also to the Kali (-age).”

(to be continued)