Indic Past Series 5: Skanda, the progenitor of Vedic culture

The series so far:

Part 1: Solving Yayati mystery and Rama’s connection to Chola.

Part 2: Decipherment of Skanda- legends (Vishakha, Deva Senapati and Shura Samhara)

Part 3: Time period of Skanda deduced from climatic descriptions.

Part 4: Zodiac re-designed by Skanda.

Part 5: Skanda, the progenitor of Vedic culture

Part 6: Skanda’s time before Holocene, established through Tamil sources.

Part 7: Mārtānda: The Sun of Younger Dryas and decipherment of the story of Saṃjñā and Chāyā

Part 8: Understanding the application of the Yuga concept.

Part 9: Ancient past until Skanda decoded from the Manvantaras

The 5^th part of the ‘Indic Past’ series focuses on the next part of Markandeya’s narration on Skanda’s life that brings to the fore the until-now-unrecognized fact that the first ever Vedic Homa was conducted by none other than Skanda. This was encapsulated in story form of Svaha approaching Skanda to conduct her marriage with Hutashana, the Agni Deva.

After pointing out the finer differences between Hutashana and Adbhuta, the video describes the union of Svaha with Hutashana which is nothing but the first ever Vedic Homa. With the help of a verse from Taittriya Brahmana on the meaning of Svaha and from Valmiki Ramayana on wife as the Atman of the husband, it is explained why the Homa was regarded as the marriage of Svaha with Hutashana (Agni).

‘Havyam’ and ‘Kavyam’ were the first Homas done by Skanda as per Markandeya. They were Ahavaniya and Garhapatya respectively. From the Tamil tradition of Skanda having taught Pranava mantra to Shiva it is deduced that Aum-Upasana transformed into Aupasana, the first Homa to be done twice every day following one’s marriage and throughout one’s life. Skanda had initiated this soon after his marriage with Devasena and with the intention of bringing peace in Nature by mutual help (Paraspara Bhava) of give and take between Devas and human beings. It is likely that Skanda had initiated Agnihotra too.

Of the three sons of Agni and Svaha outlined by Vayu Purana, Pavamana (Kavyam) and Suci (Havyam) were ‘born’ in Skanda’s times. Pavaka (Dakshinagni) was born later.

The present practice of singing Samans at the time of creating Agni for Kavyam using Arani sticks must have started at Skanda’s time, when the cool climate of Younger Drayas must have made making Agni a difficult and laborious task.

Similarly the taking over of the Ahavaniya rituals by Yajur Vedic Adhvaryu must have been there at Skanda’s time indicating the presence of Saman and Yujur verses even at that time.

In support of these views, it is pointed out that this society had continued from even before Skanda though the Homa culture started with Skanda. Four other Vedas were there at that time – which will be discussed in a future episode – personalities like Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada had existed before Skanda, in Cakshusha Manvantra (Little Manvantra) and the idea of 27 star zodiac had already existed before Skanda. There is every possibility that singing Samans and uttering Yajur mantras in worship could have existed then though those verses may no longer be in existence now.

Further proof of Skanda as progenitor of Vedic Homa is drawn from the Tamil Sangam text called Tirumurugatru-p-padai that describes the 6 faces of Skanda as representative of six works that Skanda was known for. Among the 6 works, the 3^rd one represented by the middle face of Skanda is that of watching and guiding the Vedic Homa.

A comparison with this is drawn from Markandeya’s version on the middle face of Skanda as that of a goat, always watched by his mother Shakti. In this context of explaining why Skanda’s head was that of a goat, it is also made out why he came to have too many mothers – Ganga, Agni, Krittika, the six rishi patni-s and Svaha.

The goat face is also linked with Homa ritual – of Agni deva riding on a goat or a ram. Ultimately for the purposes of granting longevity and progeny, the Homa culture was started by Skanda who as Shanmukha is always watching over the proper performance of Homa through his middle face.

The final question is where the first Homa was done. The regions around Tiruchendur are discussed. Further fine tuning is done by picking out the places on the basis of Last Glacial refugial rice growth since 20k years ago, since rice is essential for Aupasana and Agnihotra.  

Triuchendur scores in this regard besides the regions of SE Asia. Rice growth is conspicuously absent in North West India where Sarasvati and Sindhu were flowing. The upper limit of this (rice) date is 9k BP found south of Gujarat where marine archaeological finds are available since 9k years ago, but this evidence is absent in Sarasvati and also Gangetic region. So the spread of the Vedic culture in these regions have happened since or after 9k years ago and not before. Further discussion on this will be in future episodes.

Indic Past Series 2: Decipherment of Skanda- legends (Vishakha, Deva Senapati and Shura Samhara)

The series so far:

Part 1: Solving Yayati mystery and Rama’s connection to Chola.

Part 2: Decipherment of Skanda- legends (Vishakha, Deva Senapati and Shura Samhara)

Part 3: Time period of Skanda deduced from climatic descriptions.

Part 4: Zodiac re-designed by Skanda.

Part 5: Skanda, the progenitor of Vedic culture

Part 6: Skanda’s time before Holocene, established through Tamil sources.

Part 7: Mārtānda: The Sun of Younger Dryas and decipherment of the story of Saṃjñā and Chāyā

Part 8: Understanding the application of the Yuga concept.

Part 9: Ancient past until Skanda decoded from the Manvantaras

                                                                                       

In the 2^nd part of the Indic series, the legends of Skanda are being analyzed. The video can be watched here.

Since Skanda antedated Vaivasvata Manu, as known from the mantra of Indradvaja given by Vaivasvata Manu, it is necessary to investigate the legends of Skanda to get a proper understanding of what happened before Vaivasvata Manu came into being. From the Tamil literary sources it is known that Skanda was a real- life character who ruled from a place called Southern Madurai and inaugurated the Tamil Sangam Literary Assembly.

From a verse of Brahmanda Purana it is known that Vivasvan, the sun in whose name Vaivasvata Manu is identified, was born in the constellation of Vishakha in Cakshusha Manvantra. The interesting part of this reference is that the name Vishakha was identified with Skanda in one of the legends. That legend begins with the description of a fire called ‘Adbhuta’ – a reference to naturally occurring forest fires caused by the sun’s heat. But there was a time the fire was about to die – which is a reference to lack of solar heat  - corresponding to the time of Ice Age.

Skanda was born to Adbhuta and Svaha who impersonated the wives of six of the seven ‘Sapta rishis’. That was the time the unchanging positional alignment of the star Arundhati with the star Vasishtha was recognized. That was the time the star Abhijit was removed from the 27-star count of the zodiac and was replaced by the star Krittika. This redesign of the zodiac was done by Skanda! The legend also conveys that at any point of time the zodiac had only 27 stars with a total of 108 Pada-s.

The legend continues that Devendra who felt threatened by the growing strength of Skanda attacked him with his Vajrayudha. It split Skanda into two parts, known as Vishakha (divided). But what was split also became Skanda himself which started spewing fire. This frightened Devendra even more that he conceded defeat and accepted the supremacy of Skanda. He anointed him as the Commander in Chief of the Devas.

This legend sounds symbolic of a fierce lightning strike on the ground which simultaneously witnessed a fissure on the ground or burst of a volcano spewing fire. Skanda must have lived at that time. The cataclysm caused widespread damage to life and property that people had started thinking the ‘Vishakha’s children’ were tormenting them. Skanda had successfully managed to bring succor to the people then.

Vaivasvata Manu had carried the memory of the calamity and the succor given by Vishakha (Skanda) that his progeny (Ikshvaku) started regarding Vishakha as their family star. 

Further on I am discussing the legend of Shura Samhara which was found to be the case of a volcano tormenting the people. A chain of volcanoes had burst around the time – with the probable location along the Sunda trench where Mt Krakatoa, Mt Samalas, Mt Tarakan and Mt Agung are found. The people had run into safety from the bursting volcanoes with the nearest place of refuge being South East India – in the region in and around Tiruchendur.

Mt Agung in Bali is known as Mt Meru - an important location of the temple Pura Besakih. My investigation takes me to the conclusion that Besakih was the probable location of Vishakha – of the Skanda legend. Further legends are to be discussed in the next episode.

Kumbha Mela: Not just the largest but the oldest religious practice of the world supported by State.

Published in Ind Samachar

A recent article in The New York Times lamented about the excellent arrangements made for the Kumbha Mela at Prayagraj as something abominable and done with the aim of catching votes! Even the development of amenities, construction of roads and flyovers and ban on letting out tannery effluents into the Ganga were commented upon by this newspaper as agenda-driven to keep the Hindu vote bank in good humour. While this is nothing but an expression of a sick mind, one accusation needs to be cleared to set the record straight and also to keep the Hindus informed of how this event was managed in the past.

The report has termed this Kumbha Mela as ‘State sponsorship’ of the religion of the Hindus. It ‘justifies’ this criticism by quoting a figure of $600 million as having gone into the making of a number of bridges, roads, flyovers, trashcans, toilets etc for the visiting population. While this is nothing but long term investment benefiting the entire region, what the newspaper had failed to understand is that this event was not just Paraygraj-centric, but is celebrated all over India wherever there are temples. And in all those temples, this event was sponsored by the kings or/ and by the community living around the temple in olden days. Temple inscriptions stand as evidence for ‘State sponsorship’ of this event in those temples.

This event is a yearly affair even now in the temples of Tamilnadu and celebrated on the Full Moon of the month of Kumbha (Aquarius) by the name “Maasi Magham”. Gods themselves are taken out in a procession and given bath in the sea, or river or confluence of rivers or in a nearby tank, in the absence of access to other water bodies. In the very heart of the capital city Chennai, in the temple of Adhipureeswarar in Tiruvottriyur, there stands a pillar inscription on the gift of money by an assembly of members for conducting this festival which we call as Kumbh Mela today.

(Source: Inscriptions Of The Madras Presidency Vol.I by Rangacharya.V.)

An inscription found in the Devanatha Perumal temple of Tiruvaheendipuram in Cuddalore conveys about the grant of land and tax exemption for generating money for conducting this festival. The mention of tax exemption makes it clear that the grant was ‘State- sponsored’.

Maasi Magham, the annual celebration of Kumbha Mela celebrated even now in the temples of Tamilnadu had been continuing from an undated past if we look at a verse of Sangam text called ‘Pattinappalai’. This text, presumably written before the start of the Common Era refers to a temple on the shore of Pumpukar, known as ‘Magha viṇmeen kottam’ (temple of Magha star).

By the name of it, this temple was exclusively meant for Magha festival when Moon becomes full in Magha star in the month of Maasi (Sun in Aquarius). Today this temple is not there – perhaps lost into the sea due to successive inundation experienced in Pumpukar in the past. But the reference to this in southern most part of India makes Kumbha festival a pan-Indian festival and the oldest one in recorded history, with the Sangam text testifying its antiquity.

The text continues to mention about two lakes associated with it and named as ‘material desire of present birth’ and ‘desire of future birth’ (Ulagiyal immai-k kaamam, Marumai-k kaamam). These names being self- descriptive, it is obvious that people had taken sacred bath in these lakes on Maasi Magham for material gains in this birth and future birth. The entire community – who were all Hindus and none else – have considered this occasion as sacred and worthy of a dip in the waters.

This concept must have been there in temples of North India too and supported by the kings of yore. But with temples becoming the target of the invaders of alien faith that culture had vanished in north India, and Kumbh Mela revived in later centuries. The Wikipedia article giving a recent genesis for Kumbha Mela is an evidence of the revival of this festival by a beleaguered civilization limping back to normalcy. What is wrong in keeping up this ancient practice in its glory? Is it not the duty of the State to preserve this culture that has been continuing for more than 2000 years, going by the reference found in the Tamil Sangam text? The mischievous article in The New York Times is against humanity in having cast aspersions on the conduction of a heritage practice that a civilised society is expected to cherish. 

Before ending, let us know about the uniqueness the holy dip at Prayagraj which is considered supreme. The reason, as told in Mahabharata (13-25) is that ten thousand tirthas and thirty crores of other tirthas are supposed to come to Prayagraj in the month of Magha. Therefore a dip at Prayagraj in the month of Magha and on the day of Full moon is supposed to be equal to taking dips at all the tirthas of Bharat. The one who takes the dip is cleansed of his sins and attains heaven, says Bhishma to Yudhsithira. The description in this chapter doesn’t restrict the event to once in 12 years or 6 years but to every year. Sacredness is attached to the astronomical combination occurring every year.

The 12 year and the like are related to the movement of Jupiter reckoned in the calendar of Jupiter Era or Barhaspatya-mana at the height of Vedic culture. The calendar system was different then with five years making a yuga and 7 yugas making a 35 year cycle. The location of Jupiter during different yugas of this cycle was immortalised into Kumbh Mela years later, when Vedic culture was on the wane. The continuity without losing the advantage of the astronomical combination of the day makes Kumbha Mela the oldest continuing practice – something not found in any other part of the world. Let us celebrate this fact on this sacred month of Kumbh Mela. 

Pongal – Tamilnadu’s Makara Samkaranti getting stripped off its Hindu identity.

Published in Ind Samachar

What is Makara Samkaranti for the rest of India is the day of ‘Pongal’ festival in Tamilnadu. Catching up with the difference in the name, the late Karunanidhi found an opportunity to rid this festival of its Hindu identity and chose to call it ‘Egalitarian Pongal’ (Samatthuva Pongal) that can be celebrated by everyone including those of the Abrahamic religions. A decade is gone since then, and Karunanidhi also found his rest but times are such that we are seeing now what he had sown.

Turn on any channel in the TV, you are seeing only ‘Samatthuva Pongal’ – not just ‘Pongal’ celebrated by Muslims, Christians and atheistic politicians. “Samatthuva Pongal” has gained an infectious spread across the State particularly among churches and educational institutions run by the minorities. The Churches are hitting many birds with a single event of this celebration by projecting themselves as the saviours of farmers and as being open-minded and use this as a tool of inculturation of the converted and the future converts.

At Santhome Church: Source HERE

The only sense of satisfaction for an informed Hindu is that it is better for these once-upon-a-time Hindus to celebrate Pongal than to be made to dance for the Thanks Giving Day which is becoming a yearly celebration in Tamilnadu!

 Not to be left behind are the Muslims who have also taken the hint from Karunanidhi and made Samatthuva Pongal a yearly event in their educational institutions. Initially many thought that Muslims would not show interest but what makes them embrace this is known from a report published by The Hindu in 2015 on the event of Samatthuva Pongal organised by the management of a Muslim minority college at Kilakarai. The principal of the college was reported to have said that Samatthuva Pongal helps in burying the religious and communal differences. The only commonality between Pongal of the Hindus and Samatthuva Pongal being the Pongal dish, one is at a loss to understand in what way this dish helps in burying the communal and religious differences!

The actual game plan behind this Samatthuva Pongal became palpable this year on seeing a news report in a TV channel that showed a small group of tribes, not familiar with Pongal in their culture, being made to celebrate this Samatthuva Pongal as a community celebration of three religions! These tribes known as “Paligar” were warrior class who were once employed by Vijayanagara kings to defend the frontiers of their kingdom, says R.V.Russell in volume I of the book ‘The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India’. Their Hindu root is more than obvious by Vijayanagara connection. They were earlier found in the Western Ghats but brought and settled in Nellai district in Tamilnadu in 2001. Easy prey for religious poachers, they are being cosied by the two religions by means of ‘Pongal’, projecting an image that it is being celebrated by all the three religions!

What Hindus had not cared to thrust on these tribes, their handlers had done and made it useful for the two Abrahamic religions – whoever among them is skilful would help the tribes find salvation through Pongal!! Very soon those tribes can be expected to celebrate this festival in their newly found avatars as Christians and Muslims.

Appropriation of Hindu symbols is not new, but hijacking a Hindu festival wholesome is what is being witnessed in Pongal. Cooking the Pongal dish in the open and sharing it with everyone is not a festival – but we have been made to believe it to be so. Karunanidhi’s original plan was to make the day of Pongal the New Year for Tamils and help in combining it with Christmas and New Year. His daughter Kanimozhi worked for it through a Government sponsored festival named “Sangamam” that was started on Christmas day and ended on Pongal day. It is not difficult to know what kind of Sangama she and her father had in mind. Their brainchild is coming off age now with every Hindu being made to pass through Samatthuva Pongal during their study years – the years they are most vulnerable for tall talks on equality, but Pongal has nothing to do with equality. It is unfortunate that even the Hindus-managed educational institutes have fallen for this craze of ‘egalitarianism’ and celebrate Samatthuva Pongal in their premises. Why don’t they celebrate it as just ‘Pongal’ with its Hindu components?

Is Pongal a Tamil festival? 

The brazen truth behind Pongal is that it is not a “Tamil” festival. There exists no record of Pongal festival anytime from Sangam age to later day Tamil dynasties.  The only record comes from the Madras Journal of Literature and Science, 1833-34 edition, which describes the way Pongal was celebrated in Tamil lands. It was the same as how it is celebrated by Hindus now in their homes. It was a two day festival then, with Pongal being the first day followed by Māttu Pongal (Pongal of the cows) the next day. On the evening of Māttu Pongal, the temple deity was taken out in a procession on horse-back in hunting posture. On the same day, the Brahmins would foretell the fortunes and mis-fortunes brought by the deity of “Samkaranti” (Samkaranti Purusha) using astrological calculations!

This shows that Pongal was basically Samkaranti festival in the Tamil lands too, with only the name having come into vogue from the popular dish of the day. Cooking Pongal dish is part of any celebration and not Pongal-festival specific. There are proofs to substantiate this from old Tamil texts such as Silappadhikaram. An inscription of Rajaraja Chola I refers to 34 festivals of which 12 are Samkaranti festivals celebrated every month. So Samkaranti is not unknown to Tamil lands.

Pongal festival cannot be called as harvest festival too, as epigraphic evidences show harvest a month earlier, in Karthigai itself. References to ‘Kaarthigai Kāsu’ and ‘Chithirai Kāsu’ in medieval inscriptions do indicate that harvest-payments were made much before the date of Pongal.

What was Pongal festival in Tamil lands?

The current name for the festival and the festival of ‘Māttu Pongal (Pongal for cows) are indicative of their origins from cow-herds of Krishna cult! The previous day celebration of “Bhogi” not finding mention anywhere in literature or epigraphy in Tamil lands and even in the Madras Journal quoted earlier, it is obvious that it had a pan-Indian influence. A Tamil astrological text called “Varushadhi nool” which is the guide book for writing almanacs says that Bhogi is celebrated in honour of Indra - the festival in whose honour was stopped by Krishna. Indra retaliated by heavy downpour but Krishna protected his folks by holding Govardhana hill as an umbrella.  Subdued by this act Indra sought forgivance and the result was introduction of Bhogi festival in his honour, on the day before Makara Samkaranti.

The beating of drums and bonfire on that day was a remembrance of the sport of Krishna dancing on the snake Kāliya. Young Krishna suffered some snake bites in that event and was kept awake by beating the drums while he was being treated for poisonous wounds.

Māttu Pongal is a proof by itself of its origins in Krishna cult. These festivals are a replica of the Annakut and Govardhan Puja in Dwaraka and regions associated with Krishna. Only the time of the festivals had changed.

This kind of worship must have been confined to cattle breeders only (people of Mullai / Aayars) initially and that may be the reason it was not wide spread among others to have found a place in scriptures or inscriptions. In fact there is an opinion that Pongal was the culmination of the month-long Vaishnavite vrat in Margazhi. In course of time, all the people had started following it along with Samkaranti – with Samkaranti having had longer presence and patronage from kings. 

Karunanidhi has given it greater importance thinking that he is de-Hinduising it. Poor chaps – the Christians, Muslims and anti-Hindu Tamil speakers – they are clamouring after Krishna–cult that was once confined to a section of people of Tamilnadu. 

It is time Hindus wake up to the reality of the long standing festival of Samkaranti fused into Pongal of Krishna cult and not fall into the trap of Samatthuva Pongal.

Did 'Mohan Dera' become Mohenjo-Daro where Kartik Purnima was celebrated?

Published in Ind Samachar

Kartik Purnima, the day of full moon in the month of Kartik is an important occasion in Somnath temple in Saurashtra. The very name Somnath evokes strong emotions in the Hindus for the numerous assaults struck on Somnath temple in the past. But what many had forgotten in the din is the silent sojourn of Soma, the Moon across the temple of Somnath on every Kartik Purnima, in a gesture of paying his obeisance to his lord Somnathji. The Full Moon crosses the temple exactly overhead only in the month of Kartik!  

The etymology of Somnath being ‘lord of the Moon’ and the legend of Moon being cursed by Daksha Prajapati  to lose lustre and regain it by the grace of Lord Shiva, it is perfectly fine that the Full Moon crosses the temple once a year. But how this happened has only one answer that the original and the olden builders of this temple had planned it to be so and carefully selected the site for the temple. One can only deduce that the legend had already existed and people had celebrated it by aptly choosing a site for Lord Somnath so that Soma in full glow can cross the temple in the month of Kartik.

A surprising parallel to this temple exists in Mohenjo-Daro, of all the places in India or anywhere in the world! One may be aware of a temple like structure along with a tank - what researchers call as the Great Bath, in Mohenjo-Daro. But the unnoticed fact is that both Somnath and Mohenjo-Daro are situated more or less along the same longitude. Somnath is situated at 70.4090° E while Mohenjo-Daro is at 68.1375° E, within 2 degrees apart. This means when the Full Moon crosses Somnath in the month of Kartik, it will also be seen crossing the temple like structure of Mohenjo-Daro!

To be more precise, exactly 8 minutes after the Kartik Full Moon touches the top of Somnath, it pays its obeisance at the temple of Mohenjo-Daro. Mohenjo-Daro being a planned city, this locational feature also seems to be a planned one, much like Somnath. The legend of Soma with his 27 wives also seems to have been recreated in this temple of Mohenjo-Daro as one can see an arrangement of 27 formations in Mohenjo-Daro close to the Great Bath.

Temple-like structure in Mohenjo-Daro

In the picture below, the water tank excavated in Mohenjo-Daro is seen in the forefront with a massive brick structure having 27 parts at the background.

On closer examination one can see 27 distinct parts arranged in 3 rows of 9 each. Each one of these 27 structures has separate foundations and arranged in East – West direction in 3 rows. It is also found that there were sockets for wooden super structure and doorways. This shows that this was originally a building having 27 distinct enclosures or partitions.  Initially it was thought (by western researchers) that this structure could have been a granary! But this structure was too close to the water-outlet of the Great Bath tank! How could a granary exist so close to a water outlet? 

Further examination shows that water had flowed around the 27- part structure. This shows that the 27-part structure was surrounded by a kind of moat filled with water. The water was drawn from the Great Bath tank nearby. 

First of all, the number 27 sounds interesting. Why is it not 28 or 26 or 25? Why they made only 27 structures and arranged them in groups of 9? This sounds familiar with the number associated with 27 stars of the zodiac. The stars also are arranged in groups of 9! Huge column of water (huge because the size of the outlet is quite unusual and would allow heavy rush of water from the tank) surrounding this structure reminds one of the concept of "Akash Ganga" – the Milky way in which the 27 stars of the zodiac are swimming! 

In a striking resemblance, wells numbering 27 were dug in Chennai in the year 1818. An inscription found in a well in the temple of Goddess Periya Pāḷayatthamman in Royapettah in Chennai says that this well was one among 27 wells constructed by the then Madras Collector, Mr Ellis in 1818. He did not just do this donation as a charity. He had followed the rituals and inaugurated them at an auspicious time. 

Here also why the specific number 27 was followed is a question. Was there a practice to offer water to the 27 stars or star lords? Or was it a symbolism for keeping the stars floating in the celestial waters? Was that the reason the tank was constructed in Mohenjo-Daro too close to the 27 part structure so that water could be let out on auspicious occasions? 

27-part structure in Mohenjo-Daro

In Mohenjo-Daro the length of the 27-part structure shows a unique connection to the zodiac. Lengthwise there are 3 rows in east – west direction with a uniform length of 4.5 metres. The breadth varies for each row as 8 m, 4.5 m and 6 metres. The uniform length of all the formations gives an impression of equal length of the star- span in the zodiac. The span of a star is 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Converted into minutes it is 13 x60 = 780 minutes + 20 minutes = 800 minutes. If we divide the zodiac of 360 degrees by the length of a part of the 27 part structure (360 / 4.5) it gives 80 parts. This is one tenth of the actual span of the star in the sky! Is this a just a coincidence or a calculated one? 

To show that the entire complex housing the tank and the 27-part structure are part of a temple, let me make a comparison with a famous temple –a functioning temple – the temple of Meenakshi at Madurai!

Similarities between Mohenjo-Daro and Meenakshi temple.

Let us first take a look at the Mohenjo-Daro plan.

In the aerial view shown above, the front structure named Buddha Vihar was formed 2000 years ago. That was not originally the Indus structure. The almost square shaped structure in our right side was the original structure built at about 2600 BCE.

The directions, the tank and the 27 part structure are highlighted in the picture below.

The area shown as Main structure must have housed a main building which is now lost. What looks strange is that the tank is not in the expected Vāstu direction of North East but in South East. Almost all olden temples of South India have the temple tank in the North East. The only exception is the Meenakshi temple of Madurai! This temple was supposed to have been built soon after the Pandyas settled down after the 3^rd and last deluge which coincided with the deluge at Byt Dwaraka at the end of Indus civilisation. The famous tank of this temple is in the south east direction!

A comparison of the temple plan of Meenakshi Amman and the temple like structure in Mohenjo-daro is shown below.

One can notice the similarities in the 3 main structures – the tank is placed in the same region of South East in Meenakshi temple and in Mohenjo-Daro as well. The shrine of Meenaskhi corresponds to the 27 part structure of Mohenjo-Daro.  The main shrine of Shiva corresponds to that part which is now vacant but looks suggestive of a lost structure in Mohenjo-Daro.  This comparison is shown here to drive home the point that the 27 –part structure could have been a place of worship! The similarities also offer proof for similar school of architecture present in wider Bharat in the 2^nd millennium BCE.

Mohenjo-Daro, a temple for Krishna?

The worship of 27 Nakshatras as Nakshatra Purusha vrata was vogue in olden times. The last chapter of Brihad samhita explains how the 27 nakshatras were worshiped as the body of the Nakshatra purusha starting from Moola as the feet of Nakshatra Purusha in Sagittarius. Even today, Sagittarius is called as "Nakshatra māsa" in Dwaraka. 

The Nakshtra Purusha is identified as Lakshmi Narayana in a narration that involves Rudra and Narada. The worship of Narayana in Mohenjo-Daro is not odd given the fact that the very name Mohenjo-Daro is identified as “Mound of Mohan” Only Krishna was known as Mohan among all deities.

Incidentally Dera and Deri are the names for temples in Gujarati language and continue to be in use in rural Gujarat. The word Dera has wider presence beyond Gujarat as known from the name Dehradun. Dehra in Dehradun refers to ‘camp’.

The reference to Dera or Deri as a temple and also a tent seems to have its origins to the times of Krishna as Krishna kept changing places before finally settling down in the newly built Dvārakā.

The same name Dera or Deri appearing in the names many Harappan sites raises the possibility of those sites being camps for workshops, though some of them may have acquired the name from later day personalities. Among them Mohenjo-Daro has a unique position by virtue of the name Mohan. It was Dera or Deru of Mohan which later became ‘daro of Mohan’. In Pāli language ‘of Mohan’ is spoken as ‘Mohanasa’. This seems to have become Mohanja, in course of time. The wider presence of Pāli for millennia before the Common Era could have brought out this change to the name of this site.

Associating Kartik Purnima with Krishna is still in vogue today. Krishna and Radha were supposed to have danced Rasa on this day. Perhaps in times soon after Krishna, people had retained that memory and Mohan Dera (Mohenjo-Daro) was built to glory him as Nakshatra Purusha. The locational preference around the same longitude of Somnath, popularly known as Prabhas where Krishna laid down his life could have been a cause for building Mohan Dera in more or less the same longitude.

One cannot ignore the fact that Mohenjo-Daro is dated around 2500 BCE, a few centuries after the death of Krishna which marked the start of Kali Yuga. The memory of Krishna worshiping Somnathji on Kartik Purnima seems to have been taken over to Mohan Dera where Krishna himself was worshiped as Nakshatra Purusha on Kartik Purnima. The 27 part structure has no other plausible justification than this. 

Hinduism’s long history deciphered from the legends of Diwali. Part 2

Published in Ind Samachar

Part 1 HERE

Deciphering Narakasura story

Aditi was mother earth that had risen from waters (attributed to Varaha avatara). The one who rises from her and torments people must have been a volcano. That was Narakasura. Naraka means tormenter. Because he was a tormenter he was identified as Naraka! The location name Prāgjyothisha also has a relevance to volcano. Prāg means summit and the Prāgjyothisha refers to a light at summit, which is but a reference to volcano. (The same name appears in Valmiki Ramayana as a product of Varaha, but in the western side of India. It could refer to Mount Vesuvius) 

The continuous flowing down of the lava had caused series of rings (nooses) in the surroundings that looked like the handiwork of Muru (Muru means kind of dance). The spreading lava started blocking access to the surrounding regions. Krishna broke off the lava sediments and paved a way. He had even caused the volcano to crumble or implode and become extinguished. This resulted in access to two jewelled items held by the earth. Further decipherment of these ideas and the location of Narakasura can be made from two clues given in the narration itself.

1. Krishna brought the tree of Parijata after this episode from the land of Indra.

2. Indra’s elephant Iravata was saved from Narakasura who was threatening to take it away.

First clue shows that the land of Indra was Indra Dweepa, a name for the combined lands of Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The flower Parijata (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis ) is native to these regions (South East Asia) and the Indian sub continent also. But it was not growing in India until this episode means that it was originally found in South East Asia (Indra Dweepa) from where it was brought to India. Krishna had brought it to India (Dwaraka) at the insistence of Satyabhama. From this we can locate Prāgjyothisha of Narakasura in Indra Dweepa.

Parijata flower.

The second clue shows that the volcanic flow of Naraka had gone closer to river Iravati of Indra Dweepa.

We can locate a volcano named Mt Popa (Pali equivalent of Pushpa) in the region of Mynamar 60 km away from river Iravati! Interestingly this volcano had collapsed in its north and North West side – in the direction of anyone coming from India. One can see a deep caldera in that part signalling the death of the volcano. By not growing further, the lava had not reached the river Iravati.

Mount Popa in Mynamar with fissures in the North-western slope

Once this volcano had stopped tormenting the people, the road to further south became clear where two gem mines are located. In places like Chanthaburi and Kanchanaburi in today’s Thailand are located the famous mines of two gems namely sapphire and ruby. The path taken by Krishna to these mines after crossing (slaying) Naraka (Mt Popa) looks as follows:

The recovery of the two jewelled ear studs of Aditi could mean access to these mines and starting the work of mining those gems. This could also mean that Krishna and his clan had access to the wealth of Kubera or Lakshmi! Krishna’s visit to this place could have had the motive of gaining control over the mines. Or why else should he take his wife on this journey if it was meant only for destroying Narakasura?

The ultimate success of the trip by gaining wealth for his clan was celebrated as Dhanteras (Dhana- Trayodasi). Further variation as Dhanvantari Trayodasi must have been added later for the fact that health is the greatest wealth.

The collapse of the volcano must have happened on Chaturdasi day. For the faithfuls, Krishna had caused the collapse by his discus, for others it was a natural phenomenon that could have coincided with Krishna’s arrival. The event happening in the traditional Trivikrama New Year day coinciding with the end of Mahabali must have made it a new repetition of the olden belief. But the event occurring in Krishna’s presence or by the grace of Krishna, the people would have started glorifying it as Deepa Dāna day that removes darkness from the lives of people – of that region and also of Dvārakā as new wealth had started pouring into Dvārakā.

The next day, that is., the Amavasya day was therefore a thanksgiving day to Lakshmi. As an extension, the wealth of cow is recognised after that – on the day that was originally the beginning of the New Year in Mahabali’s location. And the day after that was celebration time among the siblings. Thus we find the 5-day celebration of Diwali of current times having evolved from Krishna’s times with different regions focusing on one or more of them as time went by. Any different version in a region, say of Kali worship in Bengal is aligned with the basic concept of destruction followed by Light. 

Further support to the supposition from Krishna’s life comes from the archaeological findings in Myanmar and Thailand. A vast region covering places like Kanchanaburi where the gem-mines are located was known as DVARAVATI since ancient times.

Dvaravati was originally the name of Dvārakā of Krishna. This name appearing in regions as far as Laos could only reiterate the Krishna-legend of visit to Prāgjyothisha. It also raises the possibility of movement of people between Indra Dweepa and India (Dvaraka in particular). One cannot dismiss the fact that both Gujarat and Bangkok (along with Kanchanaburi) are well known for gem cutting and polishing even today – an occupation that could have evolved at the time of Krishna whose primary objective of the trip to Prāgjyothisha could have been to gain control over the gem producing mines. Or why else he should lay the road to Prāgjyothisha?   

Though Dvaravati culture started appearing from 4^th to 5^th century onwards, researchers are of the opinion that a proto-Dvaravati culture must have existed much before that as it would have taken a long time for the sophisticated culture to have come into place in the 4^th century. There are Chinese and Buddhist sources to attest to the presence of this culture, but this culture was not Buddhist, but pre-Buddhist according to researchers.

Another interesting confirmation of Krishna’s connection to this place comes from a Khmer inscription dated at 937 CE that gives a list of princes of Chanasapura starting from one Bhagadatta. Bhagadatta is the name of the king of Prāgjyothisha in Krishna’s times. Even before Krishna went to Prāgjyothisha to ‘slay’ Naraka, Bhagadatta had left for the western frontiers of India for fear of Jarāsandha. But his name had remained, perhaps along with his descendants in Mynamar and someone with that name had started a new dynasty.

All this goes to show that the stories on Krishna’s life are not myths; that evidence of Hindu culture, names and temples in Myanmar and Thailad are not of recent origin but as old as Krishna’s times; that Diwali contains in itself more secrets than what we can imagine. All talk of diversity and variation in Diwali are of recent origin perhaps due to disconnect with our past caused by continuous onslaught of invaders. The celebration of Diwali in any part of India bears some connection with Krishna’s journey to Prāgjyothisha while the core concept remains the same ever since Mahabali was lost to the seas!