‘Gunung Padang’ megalithic structure an observation platform for Mt. Pushpitaka described in Vālmīki Rāmāyana (Part 1)

 Many would have watched the 8-part series on "Ancient Apocalypse" presented by Graham Hancock in his search for Pre-history dating back to the Ice Age. Though interesting, it disappointed me that the well recorded inputs of Pre-history from Indic texts were ignored by him. Perhaps he, like many mainstream archaeologists was conditioned to rely only on physical existence of evidence in stone, but times are such that even oral traditions such as the flood legends of Australian aborigines are accepted nowadays for understanding past and pre-history. The Indic evidences are far ahead of the oral traditions in that they are written records preserved safely for ages. One such important evidence from an Indic text unravels the mystery of Gunung Padang, the oldest of all the eight structures that Hancock had passionately brought out.

Incidentally the Gunung Padang mystery seems to offer the best answer to other structures discussed by him, particularly those built with huge boulders such as the pyramid of Cholula, the megalithic structures of Malta and the under-water Bimini rock formation. Only Indic texts, particularly Tamil texts bear information on the first ever masonry work done by inventing tools and methods to cut the rocky slopes of mountains during pre-Holocene.

Pre-History traced to Skanda’s Kumari country / Shāka Dwīpa  

The celebrated deity, Skanda who lived in a place called Southern Madurai in the Indian Ocean region (in the southern hemisphere) was known to have broken a mountain called “Krauncha” using a tool called “Chendu”. His country was known as Kanni Nādu or Kumari country (கன்னி நாடன் மேருவில் செண்டு எறிந்து வைப்பு எடுத்த Tiruvilaiyādal Puranam: 1-1112).

This Kanni country is recognised as one among nine Khandas (sub divisions) of Bharata varsha along with the present-day India (Siddhanta Shiromani: 3-41,42). Known as Kumarikā Khanda (in Siddhanta Shiromani) this place was earlier known as Shāka Dwīpa known for the growth of Shāka tree.

Shāka Flower (click to enlarge)

The location of Shāka Dwīpa  is deduced from Brahmānda Purana (Ch: 21- 73,74) which says as follows:

Śravana (Altair) and Uttarāṣāḍhā (Nunki) being the stars in the sign of Capricorn and Sagittarius, it is deduced that this refers to the movement of the sun on the Tropic Capricorn on the globe and slightly north of it. That locates Shāka Dwīpa  close to Australia. During Ice Age, i.e., before 12,000 years ago many parts around Australia, particularly in the north of Australia were above the sea level. Somewhere there and perhaps in the now sunken parts of Sundaland, Skanda’s Shāka Dwīpa  alias Kumari Khanda had existed.

At different times in the past this place was known as Raivataka after the fall of a comet that disturbed the moon from its orbit near the star Revati (zita Piscium) and later as Kumuda and Kaumara taking the name of Skanda as Kumara.

From the narration given in Mārkaṇḍeya Purana, it is possible to deduce the time period of the comet-fall in Raivataka. This happened during the Last Glacial Minimum, i.e., around 26,500 years ago. That was also the time the first speech was developed as per the Purana. Click the following video to watch the narration on the Puranic account of the development and the time period of the first speech of the ancestral Indic people.

In that period of extreme cold, mankind could have thrived only around the equator where there was some warmth and scope for convectional rainfall. Only Sundaland (Indonesia archipelago) and Northern Australia (now gone under water) were found to be hospitable which is further reiterated by the genetic studies of Oppenheimer. That was where the early and ancestral Indic people had lived, the earliest datable period starting from the time the first speech evolved.

Here I am reproducing the vegetation map during Last Glacial Maximum ending with 15,000 BP. It shows that landforms of that time above the sea level and also the distribution of vegetation. One can find that the equatorial region was dotted with rain forest (circled in red)

Skanda appears in the next major period in the Indic time line. His period can be deduced from both the Sangam age texts and the oft repeated information on the first floods and sudden sea level rise experienced during his time. That was just at the time of the end of the Ice age, i.e.,12,000 years ago. It also appears that the comet of 10,800 BCE that ushered in Younger Dryas hit the earth during Skanda’s time.

The comet-hit of Skanda’s period that caused Younger Dryas

Named as ‘Asi’ (deduced from  the narration in Mahābhārata), this comet had landed on the earth as numerous pieces, some of which landed in India near the Tropic of Cancer (a location known as Bhadravata (likely to be Mahākāleśwar in Ujjain) where Maheśwara drives his chariot managed by Time) and parts of east India.

In the above figure, the red arrow marks signify the direction of the fall and the location of the cometary fragments so far accounted by researchers. The arrow marks in white are drawn by me based on the deduction from the legend of burning body parts of Sati Devi  and the earliest locations of that fall. Four fragments of the comet landed at four places in India visualised as the fall of fiery body parts of Sati Devi, the consort of Rudra (Shiva in furious form). Those places came to be worshiped as Shakti Pīṭha-s (seat of Shakti). The recognition of only four Shakti Pīṭha-s initially as Adi Shakti Pīṭha-s goes to show that only four fragments landed in India of Asi, the comet (which was described as Mahiṣa, the Dānava who threw down fire and boulders from the sky. The entire episode of the fall of the comet was described as Deva- Dānava war fought by Skanda in which Skanda was made the celestial Commander-in Chief)

Four Adi-Shakti Pīṭha-s – the landing sites of the burning comet-pieces.

The four locations are 1. Bimala (Pada Khanda, inside the Jagannath Temple of Puri, Odisha), 2. Tara Tarini (Sthana Khanda, Purnagiri, Near Berhampur, Odisha), 3. Dakshina Kalika (Mukha Khanda, Kolkata, West Bengal), 4. Kamakhya Temple (Yoni Khanda, Near Guwahati, Assam) and

Decoding of these stories from the Indic sources help us to build up the chronology of events during pre-historic times that can be corroborated with scientific discoveries.

By the time of Skanda (12,000 BP), lot of improvements were made. Speech was refined into Tamil (lingua franca for the local people) and Sanskrit (for intellectual pursuits). This happened under the auspices of Shiva, the father of Skanda who was also raised as a divinity in due course. Only in Skanda’s time masonry work got a fillip after he and his clan found ways to break the rocks and mountains for building purposes. Interestingly, unbelievable masonry works with huge boulders are found in plenty only in the regions around Sundaland and the adjoining Australia and in Peru and Chile on the other side of the sea. A rocky tunnel lined up with huge boulders found in NSW Australia close to Shāka Dwīpa , is not yet dated (picture below).

Source: Underground rocky tunnel in NSW Australia

Use of such huge boulders is found in many structures in Sundaland, including Gunung Padang. The connectivity by ocean must have enabled the movement of early masons all across the tropics even before Holocene started, whose expertise must have been passed on generationally and was manifest in the structures of Cholula, Bimini, Gobekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe.

Ekādaśa Rudra-s in Karahan Tepe

The eleven pillars in a pit in Karahan Tepe with a human face projected on a snake have all the trappings of the Hindu concept of Ekādaśa Rudra-s. Rudra was the earliest concept, formed earlier than the concept of Shiva and was recognised as the 11 parts of a human being – 10 senses and the atman (soul) – which when departed from mortal body (upon death) makes others weep. The 11 Rudra-s are the custodians of the second-generation ancestors (grand-parents) by worshiping whom those departed ancestors are worshiped (given oblations). There is vast literature on Ekādaśa Rudra-s in various olden Hindu texts which can be read here: Ekādaśa Rudra-s.

Even today worship of Ekādaśa Rudra-s continue by offering sacred bath in many temples of India. A temple at Mangrauni dedicated to Ekādaśa Rudra-s is shown below.

Picture courtesy: http://koitohai.blogspot.com/2012/10/ekadasha-rudra.html

One can see the image of snakes on all the Rudra-s. Shiva Himself is depicted as having the snake. The image of the head on the neck of a snake on the side wall of Karahan Tepe is hardly surprising when we visualise the entire structure as the early form of Ekādaśa Rudra iconography.

The pedestal on which all the 11 Rudra-s are mounted look similar to the structure of Karahan Tepe. That is the shape of the seat of any Shiva Linga in the temples of India. In many places the Shiva Linga is consecrated in lower than the ground level as seen in Karahan Tepe. That seat served as a bath tub too.

Karahan Tepe

According to Hancock the enclosure at Karahan Tepe contained water to the depth of one meter. Water is part of ancestral oblations and also worship. There are many temples in India of Shiva linga-s standing in water or with continuous pouring of water on the Shiva linga as an act of sacred bath. Worship of Shiva Linga located on a lowered pedestal is shown in the picture below:

Coming back to evidence of ancient works on huge boulders, the masonry technique seemed to have spread further to Egypt and Tiryns.

 

The influence of ancestral Indic people located in Indian Ocean habitat seems to have contributed to the lithic structure of the pre-Greek society going by the time of period of the dispersal of sea-bound people of Pāndyan-s (Tirayan) – the descendants of Skanda’s dynasty (Pāndya dynasty) 3500 years ago. It is highly likely that they landed in the Mediterranean region as sea-people and found a home for themselves. Malta structures (Mnajdra) could also be attributed to the displaced sea-farers of the Pāndya country. 

There is a close parallel between Cyclopes, the Mycenaean masons who had worked on gigantic boulders and the descendants of the people of Skanda’s clan. Cyclopes were said to be having an eye on the forehead. Eye on the forehead is characteristic of Shiva, the father of Skanda. Wearing Bindi (mark on the forehead) by all Hindus (both men and women) perhaps started from the third eye concept of Shiva. The Cyclopes could have worn the eye-mark on the forehead like any Shiva worshiper.

For details:  Indic influence on Mycenaean culture

With this brief outlook on Indic narration on pre-history and Holocene period, let me take a look at Hancock’s version on Gunung Padang.

Three dates of Gunung Padang

Hancock gives evidence for three time periods on human involvement in the structural development of Gunung Padang. The earliest evidence comes at a depth of 100 feet dated to a period, 20,000 to 24,000 BP. This matches with the period of first speech described earlier. Any masonry work necessitates verbal communication among the workers. So, speech was somewhat developed at that time as indicated by Mārkaṇḍeya Purana.

Hancock identifies the second period at around 11,600 BP with evidence coming from 50 feet below the structure at Gunung Padang. This is exactly the period of Skanda! A surge in masonry activities had happened in that period as per Indic sources.

There is a third period identified by Hancock – that was 7000 BP, around 5200 BCE, which is the period of Rāma of Ayodhya (of Rāmāyana fame)! Rāma’s time is deduced from cross references within Rāmāyana and Tamil sources. By 7200 BP Southern Madurai (in Shāka Dwīpa ) was completely lost into the sea and a new capital was established at Kavātam which also got submerged in the last deluge 3500 years ago. In other words, like Southern Madurai and the country of Kanni, Kavātam was not part of present-day India!

Kavātam finds a mention in Rāmāyana of Vālmīki, the original and authentic version. In the course of describing the countries and places one by one towards the Southern direction, the Vānara king  Sugreeva mentions Kavātam of Pāndyan-s. So, Rāmāyana had happened only after Kavātam was established. In fact, a careful reading of the Rāmāyana shows that the deluge had occurred sometime between the 11^th and 14^th year of exile of Rāma. In that period Southern Madurai and a vast expanse of land in SE Asia had sunk due to sudden sea level rise and also due to subductions. By the 14^th year (last year) of Rāma’s exile Kavātam came to be established as the capital of the Tamils.

Right from Kavātam, it is possible to trace the locations south off India and in SE Asia from the Rāmāyana description. This search leads us to the location of Gunung Padang!

Locating Gunung Padang from Rāmāyana verses

From Rāmāyana Verses, let me decode the southern route from Malaya Mountain (Western Ghats) where the river Kāviri has its origins. Kāviri was confined within a receptacle (today also) on top of the mountain where sage Agastya was seated. As per Rāmāyana he was standing in the water of Kāviri receptacle and doing a penance for 12 years.

After crossing that location, one has to cross the river Tāmraparani. After crossing Tāmraparani, one reaches the Pāndyan city of Kavātam! Today this is under the sea. No one knows the exact part of the sea where this was situated. From Rāmāyana we come to know that after crossing Kavātam one comes to the sea shore. It was in the southern side where a mountain range called Mahendragiri starts. Only one part of this range was visible (above the sea) while the other end was steeping into the sea, says Rāmāyana. Rāmāyana gives a fascinating input that this mountain was pressed by Sage Agastya such that one end had gone under the water with only the other end still above the water.

Such descriptions are not mythical but contain deeper and secret info. Agastya’s name is invoked whenever a mountain or land form is lifted up or pushed down and when some water bodies are also impacted. Rāmāyana speaks about Kavātam in the off-shore region of south India and a mountain range beyond that in the sea. Today no such mountain is detectable in the off shore region anywhere around the southern tip of India. This means further subsidence had happened in the later period. Anyway, Indians with their habit of retaining the memory of lost past, had named a peak of the western ghats in South India as Mahendragiri. This should not be confused with the Mahendragiri that existed beyond the shore of Kavātam.

In the following map, I have placed Kavātam on the eastern shore of South India based on the other input from the Rāmāyana that Lanka was located on the other side of the Mahendragiri that was steeping into the sea (tasya = its - Mt. Mahendra's; apare paare = on the other, shore; - Vālmīki Rāmāyana)

After Mahendragiri (now lost under water due to subsidence), the next location is Lanka (Sri Lanka). Going southward from Lanka, the next land forms appear only in Sundaland. Rāmāyana refers to the next stop at Mt. Pushpitaka and then closer to it, Mt. Suryavān.

The three verses of Rāmāyana on Mt. Pushpitaka are crucial for understanding the appearance of that Mountain. They are reproduced below:

"On crossing over that isle and after a hundred yojana-s a mountain named Pushpitaka is there in that august ocean, which is adored by the celestials like siddha-s, caarana-s. [4-41-28]

"Well-settled in oceanic waters that Mt. Pushpitaka will be shining forth with a resplendence similar to sunrays on one side and with that of moonshine on the other, and its lofty crests will look as if they are scribbling on the sky. [4-41-29]

"One of its summits will be golden which the Sun adores, and the other will be silvery whitish which the Moon adores, and that mountain is unperceivable to the unfaithful ones, or to the unkindly ones or to unbelievers. [4-41-30]

The last two verses show that this mountain has twin crests or peaks! Since the next verse (4-41-31) refers to Mt. Suryavān closer to Mt. Pushpitaka, we are able to understand that these mountains were closer to the equator (Surya in Suryavān refers to Sun).

So, our search starts for locating a mountain near the equator having two peaks. And there is one – just across Gunung Padang, 15 miles from that! That is a stratovolcano having twin peaks, Gunung Pangrango and Gunung Gede. (Gunung = Mountain)

The twin peaked Volcano – Mt. Pangrango and Mt. Gede

Their location as per Rāmāyana version is shown below:

Mt. Gede likely to be Mt. Pushpitaka of Rāmāyana

Gunung Gede (Mt. Gede) is known for its rich and diverse eco system. Along with its sister peak Mt. Pangrango, it is designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. More importantly, the name Pushpitaka means brimming with flowery plants. Mt. Gede is popular for a rare pre-historic flower, Edelweiss flower, recognised as an eternal flower that doesn’t wither but dries up without changing its appearance and shape. This flower is treated as a symbol of eternal love.

Picture courtesy:

 https://bumi-tuntungan.blogspot.com/2010/10/keindahan-bunga-edelweis-di-gunung-gede.html

The mountain blooms with this flower in summer months. Gede along with Pangrango are favourable locations for viewing sunset and sunrise even today. Let’s recall Rāmāyana verses on reflection of sun’s light on one peak and moon light on the other. Such a panoramic view is possible during Full-Moon days, and the best viewing point is offered by Gunung Padang! In other words, Mt. Pushpitaka (Mt. Gede) was more popular in olden days that people had viewed it regularly and a raised platform over prehistoric caves was used for viewing. And that platform was the megalithic structure at Gunung Padang – an open area artificially raised into a hill (Gunung).

Gunung Padang, an observatory for Gunung Gede?

The appearance and the purpose of Gunung Padang had been variously discussed by researchers, but none had thought why it is Gunung (mountain) and why it is Padang. Several places in Indonesia and Malaysia are known as Padang which means ‘open field’ in the local language. There is a city called Padang in Sumatra. The meaning of Open field doesn’t go with Gunung which means mountain.

Gunung Padang doesn’t exactly appear to be a mountain but an elevated structure by human activities.

Source: https://www.livescience.com/64320-hidden-temple-pyramid-java.html?utm_source=lsa-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20181217-lsa

It is not exactly a hill, or a pyramid but an elongated raised platform. According to Natawidjaja interviewed by Hancock in the movie, the entire hill is an artificial pyramid. There are chambers or caves underneath the structure, frequented by people in the past upon which lithic structures were raised in different time periods (written earlier). Why did they make this structure? What was the purpose? There is no evidence of burials and no evidence of a ceremonial activity here. But the alignment of the structure facing exactly Mt. Gede seems to contain the secret of this site.

Gunung Padang is seen with 5 terraces, sloping from south east and north west. Researchers have tried to locate some object, celestial or terrestrial – to make sense of the direction or the axis of Gunung Padang.

Source: https://www.livescience.com/64320-hidden-temple-pyramid-java.html?utm_source=lsa-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20181217-lsa

The only probable alignment is seen at right angles to the terrace. From the terrace stretching from South east to northwest, the twin peaked Gede and Pangrango can be viewed in the east. Of these two Pangrango is to the west and Gede in in the east. Gunung Padang is seen aligned to Mt. Gede!

Andrew Collins, a leading researcher and scholar in ancient civilizations who worked on the site found out that “the centrally positioned, and now collapsed rectangular rock mound on the east of which is a long pathway that ends at the base of a stairway, marked by standing megaliths… targets the main Gede peak, which contains the volcano’s most notable crater, known as Gumuruh. This suggests that the centrally-positioned rock mound, originally perhaps a viewing platform used for ceremonial purposes, was the first construction on the terrace, the rest of the stone settings most likely coming afterwards.”

He found out that the lower terrace (shown by the arrow mark in the picture below) was exactly aligned to Mt. Gede.

The local legends indicate that Mt. Gede was the original location of importance in pre-historic period. The earliest eruption of Gede was said to have occurred 45,000 years ago but the “radiocarbon evidence coming from the geological surveys carried out at Gunung Padang, …feature the dates 22,000-22,000 BC, 14,700 BC, 9600 BC, 4700 BC and 2800 BC.”.

He also opines, “It is possible that the rock mound defining Gunung Padang’s principal axis was built following a major eruption of the Gumuruh crater, perhaps in order to honour or appease some kind of fire spirit or deity thought to inhabit the volcano.”

However, from the description from Rāmāyana that watching the twin peaks as a kind of meditation was unperceivable for unfaithfuls, unkindly and unbelievers, it is deduced that the twin peaks were held in high reverence for spiritual elevation which was practiced by watching it from the nearest possible location. Gunung Padang was that location.

Adding substance to this deduction is the name-cause for Mt. Pangrango. It sounds like Pāndarangam, the dance in white colour mentioned as the earliest dance of the 11 dances given in the Tamil text called Silappadhikāram. It was the dance of Shiva with his body smeared with white ash. That dance was done after the destruction of  Tripura – the three-sided asura-s (demons) as per Indic texts. This is symbolic of the destruction of a volcano that throws up white ash and fire. The after-effect of a volcanic eruption was viewed as a dance of devastation spewing white ash everywhere. Thus, the name Pāndarangam had come up. The dormant peak adjacent to Gede might have been the centre of that destruction in the past.

The people who were displaced by the volcanic burst in a distant past might have held the power of the mountain with awe and revered it in due course. The scenic beauty of sun rise and moon rise from behind the twin peaks must have been captivating that pre-historic people might have drawn spiritual succour by meditating on it from a nearest location – the caves at Gunung Padang which could have been developed into chambers and then platforms (terrace) built periodically after fresh eruptions of Mt. Gede. The bloom all over Gede for most part, barring the sparing eruptions, must have earned the name Pushpitaka!

For corroboration of this deduction from Vālmīki Rāmāyana, let me analyse the other locations southward as mentioned in the Rāmāyana.

Mt. Suryavān likely to be Gunung Nagara Padang.

Shortly after Mt. Pushpitaka, one can see Mt. Suryavān which simply refers to sun. The sun is known as Pathanga in Sanskrit and Tamil as well – a name that closely resembles Padang. The presence of too many Padang-s in Indonesia and Malaysia and the Malaysian meaning for Padang (open field) not matching with Gunung Padang, it appears plausible that the original meaning of the word was connected with the sun and not ‘open space’. The presence of ancestral Indic population in this location even as early as 26,000 BP when the first speech was developed from which Sanskrit and Tamil diverged 12,000 years ago lends credence to the hypothesis that Padang was a corrupt form of Pathanga which means Sun.

(Update: Received an update from a Malaysian resident that ‘Padang’ means ‘day light’ or ‘bringing light’ in Sundanese language and in the languages spoken in areas around Gunung Padang. This adds credence to the above deduction that Pathanga (Sun) could have been the original name that changed over time.)

The small mountain called Gunung Nagara Padang in close vicinity to Mt. Gede fits with the description of Mt. Suryavān as it is one of most sacred places in West Java frequented by people in search of spiritual quest to discover their inner being. 

According to a source, the “whole mountain was an ancient temple but not the kind that has relief carvings or shapes we see in historical parks…instead they are giant rock boulders that are located in specific spots or seem to be placed there, some have markings unfamiliar to our eyes, all have meaning and purpose. Traditional communities still come to this mountain to perform rituals and celebrations to send gratitude to the universe with beautiful offerings consisting of flowers, fruits, fragrant incense. Traditional music and dances occur to celebrate art as an expressive form of our senses in gratitude, beauty and grace.”

Mt. Ijen, the location of ‘Asura-Fire’

On the southern end of Java, south of Mt. Gede, there is a volcano by name Mt. Ijen which is known for the lake of sulphur in its crater. At times fires erupt from the sulphuric water of the lake.

This finds description in the version of Nārada to Mātali, the charioteer of Rāma. Though this dialogue appears in the Mahābhārata, that was later than Rāmāyana by 2000 years, the description was as it appeared during Rāmāyana time, that is, 7200 years ago. Nārada talks about “Asura- Fire” – a fire that was fed by water that blazes continuously. The sulphur lake of Mt. Ijen burns many times in a day giving an appearance matching with Nārada’s narration that the water is igniting the fire. (Nārada’s description here).

Sandalwood tree location of Australia mentioned in Rāmāyana

The southward locations given in Vālmīki Rāmāyana are identifiable. For example, the mansion of Agastya (star Canopus) sighted from top of Mt. Kunjara could perhaps be the location of the star sighted at around 37-degree S. (These locations do not change as per Indic wisdom that had come down from pre-historic times, that the equinox doesn’t precess continuously but only oscillate to and fro for a length of 54-degrees of the sky. This is made possible by the fact that precession is not caused by the drift in the earth’s axis – which doesn’t happen- but by the helical path of the sun as it surges ahead in space. Check ‘related articles’ at the end of this article for details)

Further down South, Rāmāyana refers to Mt. Rishabha (Holy Bull) where red-coloured sandal wood trees are growing.

“Whereon the sandalwood trees of ochry-yellowy, lotus-leaf-greenly, sky-blue colours, and even the most attractive sandalwood trees which will be in the glow of Fire are produced, that mountain is this Rishabha. [4-41-40b, 41a]”

Sandal wood trees are indigenous to southern Australia. Its distribution is shown in the following map:

There are seven species of sandalwood occurring in Australia at present. Based on the Rāmāyana version, the sandalwood trees  were guarded by ‘Gandharva-s’ known as Rohita-s (Rohit = red) who were very fierce in guarding them. They were like the sun or the moon or like fire, says Rāmāyana, which perhaps refer to their body colour as reddish or white. Obviously, they were aborigines who continue to grow sandal wood trees even today. Even today there are red-haired indigenous people in Australia.

Beyond the region of this sandalwood forests, there was no habitation in Rāmāyana times.

The description of the southern locations in Rāmāyana, concurring with the continuing evidence or past evidence on pre-history shows that pre-history is a long history peopled with a well-established population contrary to what we think we know.

More importantly, the southern route helps in positioning Gunung Padang by bringing out its purpose that is still dodging modern researchers.

 

Related articles:

 Conflict between Archaeo-astronomy and Astronomy reveals new understanding of the Equinoxes

 

No axial precession of the earth proven by Archaeoastronomy of ancient monuments

 

Siddhantic Concept of Precession of Equinoxes -New Revelations

 

 

 

 

 

Simultaneous origin of Tamil and Sanskrit from a Proto language - My talk in Chanakya TV (English)

Regular readers would have read my views on simultaneous origin of Tamil and Sanskrit in my different blogs. Recently I got an opportunity to speak about it in Chanakya Channel (English) that was aired as two parts on 18th and 20th of November 2022. I am sharing the links in this blog.

The above link takes you to the 1st part in which I am giving the evidence from Tamil literature of simultaneous origin of the two languages as siblings, by none other than Lord Shiva, as Somasundara, the ruler of the Pandyan capital of Southern Madurai. The time of that development is also discussed in this part based on Thirumular's Thirumandiram. 

In this link to the 2nd part of the talk, I speak about the presence of Sanskrit words as part of Tamil compendium, by citing examples such as Mantra - how that word is common to both Tamil and Sanskrit by highlighting the definition given in Tholkappiyam and etymology found only in Sanskrit. The definition in Tholkappiyam puts at rest the controversy on insistence on use of 'Tamil Mantras', as a mantra is not dependent on language but on who has conceived it. The Mantras are universal sounds that are and can be written in Sanskrit or Tamil or any language but by themselves they are beyond the scope of language. This is explained by means of the Pranava Mantra - AUM.  

In the course of the talk I have made brief references to how Manu smriti is not the code book. That status was given to the book of Danda Neeti given by none other than Lord Shiva (as Somasundara) while he developed Tamil and Sanskrit by sitting under a banyan tree - as Dakshinamurthy, I have also spoken about the presence of Varnas - not just four but seven as given in Tholkappiyam. This Varnashrama Dharma was also given by Lord Shiva in Southern Madurai. 

Finally I have indicated 'Paali' as the proto language from which Tamil and Sanskrit were made. 

Hope the readers and viewers will have a fruitful time in watching these short videos. For any doubts and questions you can reach out to me through the comment section of this blog. 

3 questions to Mr. Nilesh Oak on his work on the Mahabharata-date.

After having tried 3 times asking Mr. Oak to reply to my questions. I decided to ask for the last time, just 3 questions now, since he doesn’t seem to be interested in reading and replying to my Critique of his Epoch of Arundhati.

1st occasion was at our meeting at SI3 conference in Dec 2017 where I raised questions on his Mahabharata dating. He moved away when I kept insisting on 2 questions on his Ramayana.  

Twitter interactions

https://twitter.com/NileshOak/status/950305471340208128

2^nd occasion: It continued through twitter in Jan, 2018. I wanted proof for R. Ganga and showed absence for a need to build Setu during his date of Ramayana. Unanswered till date, though he found a way out recently by proposing a different location for Setu and Lanka.

https://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2018/01/challenging-nilesh-oaks-dates-of.html

3^rd occasion: In twitter arguments, he challenged me to critique his Mahabharata dating which I accepted. Published my critique of his entire book of Mahabharata on 7^th Oct 2019 as an eBook.  https://www.amazon.in/MYTH-EPOCH-ARUNDHATI-NILESH-NILKANTH-ebook/dp/B07YVFNQLD/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1663341465&refinements=p_27%3AJayasree+Saranathan&s=digital-text&sr=1-2&text=Jayasree+Saranathan

No rebuttal to my critique till date but only abuses that I used his name in the title to earn money and fame.  I made the book free within a year. Further abuses recorded here as his Modus Operandi. https://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2020/10/modus-operandi-of-nilesh-nilkanth-oak.html

My assessment of him as the Oakian Onion https://twitter.com/jayasartn/status/1566319300469592064

https://www.academia.edu/44757153/Myth_of_The_Epoch_of_Arundhati_of_Nilesh_Nilkanth_Oak

With fresh abuses starting yesterday, he called me for a debate in which we will state our respective stances leaving others to make up their mind. This is his template all along where he will ‘end the debate’ with ‘we agree to disagree’ but debates are not fought that way.

The date of Mahabharata is a specific and exact one which exists as the 36^th year before Kṛishna left this world. We have to establish that date without fail but not invent our own dates. I published my book validating that date in December 2021. https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09LS1WZ4X  He is welcome to critique it.

Since he is not willing to reply to several points in my critique, I decided to ask him just 3 questions.

Q 1: He uses the recently discovered outer planets namely, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto for ‘corroborating’ his date. They have never been part of Vedic Hindu astronomy till date. He even says that Mbh astronomers had knowledge of 9 planets of the solar system, least realizing that it includes the earth too which is not in the reckoning of the Vedic society as a planet

My question is to provide evidence for the knowledge of these planets in Mbh times. Merely saying that his simulation corroborates them won’t help because number doesn’t matter, but the planets in use matter. For example, suppose it is said that 3 items namely bricks, cement and water are needed to build a wall. And you pick out the number 3 alone and identify marbles, varnish and paint as the 3 items. Will the end product be the same? Similarly, the number of planets doesn’t matter here but what those planets are and whether they were known to the Mahabharata astronomers matter. Mr. Oak has to give evidence for the knowledge of these planets during Mahabharata. Or else his date corroborated with these planets crumbles.

Q 2: Initially while writing the book, he was not aware of the Kali yuga issue clashing up with his date. Only after publishing it in 2011 he came across lot of criticism for that. The result was a roller-coaster ride on Kali yuga from rejecting to accepting to rejecting.. and finally now fixing it on the last day of his war.

The issue is we have several inscriptions dated to Kali yuga begin date in 3101 BCE which is the year of Kṛishna’s exit. The date continues to be functional even today throughout India in all the temples and for religious purposes. In all the Panchangas anywhere in India and from any sampradaya in India, it is marked that we have completed 5123 years of Kali yuga as of Caitra / Chitra this year. This revolts with his date of ‘Kali Yuga’ and Mahabharata by more than 2000 years. If his Kali Yuga date is right, then all the 1000s of inscriptions and the Panchangas are wrong. He has to prove that they wrong, before proposing a different date.

Let me give just one sample from the inscriptions to make his work easy.

Thiruvidai Marudur inscription of Uttama Chola (Madhurantaka of Ponniyin Selvan fame) states the Kali year at his regnal year. Based on that epigraphers deduce that it was made on 982 CE. How? Deducing from the Kali era that started on 3101 BCE. Dates of all inscriptions are deciphered this way only. His date matches with others in his lineage such as Rajendra Chola. Suppose we deduce his date from Oak’s Kali Yuga date that pushes back his date in the 2^nd millennium BCE when the Chola capital of Tanjore was not at all in existence.

The question is, he has to prove that the presently-in-use Kali yuga in inscriptions and in Panchanga are wrong. If he cannot, he should not claim his newly discovered Kali yuga date. Let him call it by some other name but not as Kali yuga and mislead the ignorant people. A researcher must be honest in his work.

Q 3: This is astronomy simulator based, which I have proven to be unreliable in my book “Mahabharata 3136 BCE”. Since it is obvious he has not read it, nor comprehended the material, I am going to show his own one and only animation of the Arundhati- Vasishtha (A-V) simulated in geogebra.org. The simulation is made on the basis of the current position of A-V and extrapolated to past in a circle that is not recognized in Vedic astronomy.

 

Now I am going to show a research article published in 2014 https://www.academia.edu/6907658/Evidence_of_Shifts_in_Earth_Axis_at_Tall_el_Hammam which shows different layers of foundation (archaeologically analysed) each showing slight shift towards north pole each time. The research concludes that the shift has happened because of earthquakes and meteor-hits too by which the angle of visibility of the pole star shifted.

The same was reported by Vyasa who saw the Dhruva star moving in opposite direction but Oak ignored it because it cannot be simulated in any astronomy simulator but on other areas, in the Mbh, mentioned in quite a few places (as I have established in my book). Oak ignored that observation of Vyasa because there is no north Pole star in Oak’s date. An honest researcher will realize that he is treading a wrong path and give up further articulation. Different inclination of  the north pole location affects the way we look at the Sapta rishis and the A-V stars in them.

The issue here is the simulation shown by Oak is based on the current position which as per this research is known to have changed 3 times in the last 4000 years. Each time the sighting of the A-V was different and no one knows how it was in his date of Mbh. In other words, his simulation shows what is valid for an assumption that the North pole was not sighted differently all in a sudden in the past. But the research shows it did change for a minimum of 3 times. So how can he claim his simulation to be reliable for 7000 years ago in his date. The question is how he is going to eliminate the aberration in the shifts in the recorded 3 events to arrive at the right sighting 4000 years ago? How would he assure that no more shifts occurred between then and his date?

To summarize,

Q1: Where is the proof for knowledge of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the Mahabharata?

Q2: Where is the proof that the currently functioning Kali yuga used in inscriptions and Panchangas are wrong?

Q3: Where is the proof that the currently simulated A-V is valid for 7000 years given that there is proof for the angle of sighting to have changed thrice in the last 4000 years.

If he is not getting even one of these right, his ‘Theory’ is worthy of a place in the dustbin.

But he will continue to conduct shows with the help of Layer 4 and Layer 3 of the Oakian Onion because that means business and gathering many ‘fans’ which he has written in his Ramayana book.

We cannot stop him. But innocent readers must remain vigilant not to fall a prey to the disinformation he spreads. At best, people can demand that he adds a disclaimer that his version doesn’t corroborate Vyasa Bharata.

******

 Update on 21st September 2022

Mr. Oak responded for the three questions as follows:

His response for the 1st question:

He produced the link to his video where he repeats the same material that Sapta Grahas include Uranus, Neptune or Pluto as the case may be depending on what the simulation shows. He thinks since because the simulation shows them, it should be accepted that Vyasa had known those planets, whereas such depiction shows that his date was wrong. Only a wrong date will show impossible corroboration of planets that are not part of Indic Graha system. Let me reproduce a screen shot from that link wherein he counts Neptune and Uranus among 7 planets and claims successful corroboration.

 

He doesn't seem to understand the basic requirement that he has to show evidence for knowledge of Uranus, Neptune etc. in the Mahabharata and not at the simulator. Next generation simulators will include planet X too. Will he add them also in his corroborations? 

So, he has clearly no answer for the first question. The common man who knows nothing of logic and science is just drooling at his videos believing he is true. One of the tweeples wrote that he answered. Is this an answer? So, I raised a counter question as follows:

His response to the 2nd question is as follows:

There is no direct answer, but the news about the upcoming book from Layer 3 of the Oakian onion which is a manipulatory work to create a Kali yuga date for his Mahabharata date. So, I asked him a counter question asking for evidence. 

Oak exhibited the same kind of non-comprehension and tweeted that I am terrified at the prospect of a blow to my 'dogmatic' claim in Kali Yuga. 

Here is a man who has disrespect for age old knowledge of Kali yuga and dares to call it a dogmatic claim. And believes that I am terrified like European folks who were terrified listening to Copernicus and Galileo and Kepler - the three people he often spoke about in his book to compare himself with. Is he really in normal sense - was the first thought that came in my mind. 

He doesn't know when Kali Yuga began. He didn't even think at the time of writing his book that the Kali Yuga date upsets his Mahabharata date. Now after 10 years he has realized that Kali Yuga indeed is an Achilles heel for his date. And so managed to get a book with a date in his Mahabharata year but claims that I am terrified by that date challenging the dogma of Kali Yuga. 

Really it gives an impression that we are dealing with someone whose work deserves no attention. The one who has no respect for tradition of kali yuga and who never abides by the rules of research to stand by the version and view of the society under research, need not be bothered about. But the kind of eco system he had built up forces us to put the counter to his lies. 

Now his response to the 3rd question which is very hilarious. 

The utility of the simulator is exactly this: it is meant for current probes. Even to track the past probes say, the Voyager probe, the current mathematics is not valid. Astronomers have to rework the minute changes to receive the signal from Voyager. My question was how can the simualtions extrapolated from the present be valid for 7000 years when we have definitive knowledge of deviations thrice in the last 4000 years. His answer was the above!!

So, I asked him the following for which there is no reply till now.

 

Nilesh Oak had not defended his stance in the 3 answers, but he keeps on calling for his funny 'uncut' and 'unedited' video debates. The exchange here is uncut and unedited and for everyone to see. Where are the answers?

He will never change but will keep spreading his false theory to poison Hindu Dharma. His blind fans must wake up atleast after seeing this. 

Book Review of 'Ramanuja Itihasa' by 'Geethacharyan' Magazine

Glad to post the screenshot of the Book Review of 'Ramanuja Itihasa' that appeared in July 2022 issue of  'Geethacharyan', a monthly magazine published from Triplicane, Chennai on spiritual topics. 

Related articles: 

About the publication of the book 'Ramanuja Itihasa': Jayasree Saranathan: Published my book “Rāmānuja Itihāsa: Decoding the identity of Krimikaṇṭha Chola and the Muslim invader at Melukote”

Chapter-wise contents of the book: Jayasree Saranathan: Chapter-wise content of my new book "Ramanuja Itihasa: Decoding the identity of Krimikantha Chola and the Muslim invader at Melukote"

Dr. Karan Singh's commendation of my book 'Ramanuja Itijasa'

 I am glad to share the letter of commendation by Dr. Karan Singh for my book, 'Ramanuja Itihasa' 

Impressions of a reader on reading 'Ramanuja Itihasa'

"Please accept my heartfelt salutations for bringing out such a wonderful book on Sri Ramanuja persecution and exile.

The extent of commitment, discipline, research, the eye for minute details, methodologies followed by an impeccable analysis has been par excellent… simply awesome… to put it mildly!

Solving a humongous jigsaw puzzle forensically, has always been a big challenge. And, after nearly 1000 years… no mean achievement. The book took me back in time to the early 80’s when I first discovered Ms Marple’s meticulousness, and later Perry Mason’s approach of nailing cases incontrovertibly through circumstantial evidences.

Chapters 7 to 9 are simply riveting, it is impossible to stop reading once you get into these sections.

My late dad always believed that the roots to Sri Ramanuja’s persecution lay in his success in establishing the identity of the Lord Venkateshwara around 1066 AD.

From your findings, it looks like Adirajendhra appears to have taken this loss very personally… blinding non combatant ‘opponents’; permitting kulottunga I to take over temple administration 1083, who then supports various pro vaisnava activities in the interim (but not permitting Sri Ramanuja to return till 1111 AD), immediate and personal handover of temple affairs after his death; and Sri Ramanuja’s abhisara (again very uncharacteristic for a person at such an advanced level of siddhi) are too much of coincidences.

On the flip side, I felt giving credence to the work of Dr. Nagaswamy tad disappointing. Despite a peerless scholarship and life long stellar achievements, I found him being intellectually dishonest with his 2008 work. No, I didn’t expect a hagiography from him, but preconceptions and sloppiness are pretty evident. I dropped even that little academic interest when I found him scornful of his peers… but my concern here is that one’s analysis and findings tend to get relative and subjective while refuting another’s views. As long as that defocus didn’t happen, everything is fine…

Locals in Tondanur talk about tonnur lake and the destruction of the Jain basadi in the same tone. The Tondanur basadi (if it did exist) would have been no smaller or grander than the panchakutta basadi in the nearby kambadahalli (established around the same time)… applying anupalabdhi technique could have been more effective in retaining the high quality of analysis and findings ? my soliloquy …. Who knows ?  a study for the future ?

All in all… the study and findings make a very compelling case for revising the events of the last years of the Chola empire, apart from uncovering and establishing the authenticity of the events of Sri Ramanuja, and the existential challenges our sampradhayam faced in its nascent years.

Respects and best wishes.

AdiyEn Ramanuja Dasan🙏

Harish Iyengar Sadagopan🙏"

Meaning of the Birth of Agastya and Vasishtha to Mitra-Varuna

 Agastya and Vasishtha were two great sages, each with their own unique attributes and contributions to Veda Dharma; but one event combines them both in what appears metaphorical description of a secret of Nature and also of their lives. That event pertains to the story of their combined birth in a pitcher to Mitra-Varuna. The plausible meaning of this event is deciphered in this article.

Birth in water pot

There are quite a few references to birth in water pots. Iravatham Mahadevan has collected all pitcher-born stories from olden texts of the Veda Dharma, in a bid to relate it to the ‘jar’ symbol in the Indus seals. When I read his article, “Meluhha and Agastya: Alpha and Omega of the Indus Script” for my paper critiquing his works, I came to realise that all those stories cannot be taken literally, for, there was a common under-thread in all of them of a ritual related to water pot of the kind we use in Udaka Shanthi ritual. Some kind of mantra-upasana or penance was done in the water-pot as a result of which the concerned person was deemed to have attained a new identity or a kind of rebirth. Normally Udaka Shanti water is meant for purification, rejuvenation or a revival. Such kind of renewal into a fresh identity can be noticed in pitcher-borns.

Quoting from the Jar born myths given by Mahadevan in pages 13 and 14 of that paper, “Vasishtha and Agastya were generated by Varuna and Mitra in a ‘sacred pitcher’ or ‘water-jar used in sacrifice’”, Of the two, Agastya came to be known as Kumbha Yoni or Kuda Muni.

Drona “was generated in a ‘wooden trough’ by  Bharadvaja”. “The Kauravas were born from pots filled with clarified butter in which Gandhari’s foetus was stored.”

Coming to Southern traditions, the Pallavas of Kanchi who descended from Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, have written in their Pallankoyil Plates that they descended from a water-pitcher (paattra- skhalita- vrttiinaam). Similarly, the Chalukyas claimed descent from ‘Suluka’ (water pot).

There are similar rebirths from Fire sacrifices. For example, the Tamil Sangam poem (Purananuru) contains a verse by poet Kapilar on the birth of ‘Velir’ from ‘Tadaavu’ of a northern sage which refers to sacrificial fire pit. The Agni-Kula kshatriyas were born from Yajna fire, which was similar to the narration on the birth of Velir from fire. When someone is given a new identity, it is done following a Vedic Yajna. Similar are the re-birth kind of change for the people doing Ghar wapsi after a Vedic Homa.

In the light of these events giving clear lead on getting a revival or a new identity or a kind of rebirth for going forward with a new work, the story of Vasishtha and Agastya taking fresh birth from the water pot are better understood.

Birth from Mitra- Varuna

Taking up the co-born nature of Agastya and Vasishtha from Mitra Varuna, the leads come from Srimad Bhagavatam and Valmiki Ramayana. Though this story finds mention in the Rik Veda, we must keep in mind that Vedas cannot be understood or interpreted without Itihasa- Puranas.

Bhagavatam states that ‘by the semen of Varuṇa, the great mystic Vālmīki took birth from an anthill. Bhṛgu and Vālmīki were specific sons of Varuṇa, whereas Agastya and Vasiṣṭha Ṛṣis were the common sons of Varuṇa and Mitra’ (6-18-5)

Examining the more familiar birth of Ratnakar as Valmiki, the Bhagavatam reference to his birth from Varuna solves the mystery. Anthills are formed by the ants where is there moisture. The perspiration from the body of Ratnakar staying motionless in deep penance for a very long time, had attracted the ants to build their house around him. (Even as per astro-meteorology, we gauge the presence of water in a place by the growth of anthills in the location) Wherever water is released by evaporation, there Varuna is said to be present. (By this logic Bhrgu (who was fire-born) must have emanated humidity by perspiration while engaged in a penance, which gave him the name Varuni-Bhrgu when he emerged with new powers)

In the case of Vasishtha and Agastya, both Mitra and Varuna were the fathers. To understand this, we must look at the way the basic Gods, Mitra- Varuna- Aryama are saluted at the beginning of the prayers as in Taittriya Upanishad.

Aryama, Mitra and Varuna are the three Gods who travel with the Sun every day. They always appear together in the sky and take up the Havis offered from the earth and by the earth. Of these three Gods Aryama is Pirtu God representing the 3 Pitru Devas namely Vasu, Rudra and Aditya. (Read the details of these three in my blog here (https://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/03/3003-303-and-33-gods-of-hinduism.html ) The water oblation (tarpan) given to three generations of ancestors reach Aryama through Vasu, Rudra and Adityas. This is the Havis for Aryama.

Aryama means ‘bosom friend’. He is always in the company of the two – Mitra and Varuna. Mitra also means friend who takes care of the kine. Varuna, the God of water never leaves these two.

The Havis for Mitra and Varuna are water evaporating from all the water bodies of the world. That is the Soma offered to them or taken by them which they give back to the earth as rains (RV 1-152-7). In many Rik Vedic verses we come across reference to the Sun accompanying Mitra-Varuna. This sun goes by the name Bhaga, the blind sun (Bhaga is the name of the sun when he scorches everyone alike, without any discrimination – like a blind man who cannot differentiate. Bhaga is also the name of one of the years in the 60-year cycle. Each year represents a Sun by the nature of heat expected to be felt in the year. The year of Bhaga will be felt hot by everyone)

We find the same combination of Mitra- Varuna- Bhaga and also Agni in the verses on Vishvadevas for whom we give a place in Pitru ceremonies that we do even today for our departed ancestors and in whom all the oblations reach, though given through Vasu, Rudra Aditya and Aryama. In the Pitru ceremony, Aryama is the receiver of the water oblation. Mitra and Varuna also receive the offerings everyday as they cross the sky along with the sun, but that offering is the evaporated water from the water bodies of the world.   

Their combination is central to the Vaastu Mandala as depicted in Eka ShIti Pada Vaastu (below) which is applied to all habitations. The same central alignment of Sun- Aryama – Mitra – Varuna is also found in Satapada Vaastu that is preferred for Mantapa-s (pavilions).

When the sun crosses the sky from east to west, it is followed by Aryama who absorbs the water oblations given for Pitrus after crossing mid-day in a place (that is why Tarpan and annual Pitru ceremonies are done after the sun crosses the zenith at a place). On further cruising through the sky, water evaporation accelerates from all the water bodies of the earth which is absorbed by Varuna and facilitated by Mitra.

This can be physically observed in the morning hours in Dhanur Maasa when the sun is crossing Purvashadha (in Sagittarius) whose lord is Varuna or Aapas. One can see the mist in the morning sky transforming into clouds as the sun starts heating the earth (Agni)  by eight a.m. in the morning. Vayu plays a gentle role at that time which is also observed as part of astro-meteorology. Those 14 days of the Sun’s transit in Purvashadha are the only time Varuna’s work becomes palpable to human eye. On the other months, the oblation by the earth by means of evaporation happens during late afternoon when the sun starts dropping towards western sky. That is why Varuna is placed in the west.

This is the basic idea behind Varuna and Mitra. When they are well taken care of, Indra confers bounty on the land as rains. Vaayu when he does his role in moderate or at  required level, there is happiness from the rainfall or else there is destruction. Agni is fundamental to the entire process because only if he emanates heat in the right quantity, all these Devas can function optimally. That is why the basic Upasana is to Agni. Paramacharya of Kanchi says that the entire compendium of Rik Vedas is for Agni Upasana. The mutual help between man and devas, outlined by Geetacharyan is about this Upasana so that the earth gets sufficient rains to make food for everyone.

The absorption of water from all water sources are the food for Mitra-Varuna. When a rishi does a penance standing in a restricted water source, and attains exalted state as a result, he is said to have been born to Mitra-Varuna. Such birth, rather re-birth is reported of Agastya in Valmiki Ramayana.

Birth of Agastya as Kumbhayoni

In Valmiki Ramayana, there is an account of how Agastya transformed into Kumbhayoni by which he came to be known as having born to Mitra-Varuna. (Written earlier here: (https://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2018/04/contemporariness-of-agastya-and-rama.html )

The name Kumbhayoni appears for the first time in Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana when Rama addressed Agastya thus. This was at the conclusion of 12 years of penance by Agastya in the receptacle of Kaviri waters.

Initially, Agastya was living in the southern edge of the Dandaka Forest. In the 11^th year of Rama’s exile, Rama met Agastya near Panchavati. After that Agastya’s residence is mentioned to be in the Kaviri on top of the Malaya Mountain. This appears in the 14^th year of exile when Sugreeva described the route towards the South. This shows that Agastya had shifted his residence to the Kaviri which was confined within a pot like formation. Ramayana mentions Kaviri as a receptacle (Aashaya) Even today one can see the source of river Kaviri within a pot like formation.  Kaviri was not flowing as a river at the time of Agastya’s penance.

Source of Kaviri inside the small opening in front of the Mantapa.

From the Tamil Epic Manimekalai we come to know that Agastya caused Kaviri to flow down as a river which he led to Pumpuhar – then  known as Samba-pati. Pumpuhar was the new name to that place after Kaviri entered Samba-pati and entered the sea from there. Pumpuhar is the shortened name of “Kaviri Pum Pattinam” the new name given at that time.

Coming back to Agastya doing penance in the Kaviri on the Malaya Mountain, Rama happened to be there (for Sambuka Vadha) when  Agastya had completed his 12-year-old penance in the Kaviri Kund. It was Rama who addressed Agastya as Kumbhayoni then. The birth of Kumbhayoni was indeed a rebirth for Agastya who shifted to Kavaatam, the newly established capital of the Second Tamil Sangam Age in the 6^th millennium BCE. He started his new-found work as a Tamil Grammarian. 

The Story of twin birth from Mitra-Varuna can be resolved from this.

Birth of Vasishtha to Mitra-Varuna

As per the logic of Kumbhayoni, well attested in Ramayana, Vasishtha also must have done a penance in a water receptacle and gained newer identity and powers.

That story revolves around Nimi, the king who did a Yajna which Vasishtha could not attend due to his prior commitment to attend Indra’s Yajna. But Nimi went ahead with performing the yajna without Vasishtha which went on for 500 years. The yajna was over by the time Vasishtha returned. Infuriated by this, Vasishtha cursed Nimi that his body should fall. Nimi in turn cursed Vasishtha that he would lose his body. Following this Vasishtha went to the Ashrama of Mitra-Varuna and merged with their brilliance. During that time, Urvashi came to the ashrama. Seeing her, Mitra-Varuna let off the semen by which Vasishtha was born again, so goes the story.

Now deciphering the story, let us begin from the etymology of Nimi. Nimi means ‘closing the eyes’ according to Shiva Purana (2.2.30), though it refers to winking of the eye. When he was cursed by Vasishtha for having done the yajna without him, the story says that the Gods ordained him to stay on the eyelids of the living beings. This conveys two scenarios – of a time when human beings could not see because of closed eyes and of a time later when they could see (with eyelids starting to wink). In the time in between Vasishtha was with Indra in his realms and yajna was going on in the world with closed eyes (darkness). This scenario speaks of absence of Indra’s bounty (rains) on the earth and people having difficult times as though there is darkness everywhere.

There was a time of absence of South west monsoon after its first arrival in the Holocene. We must understand that rainfall is dependent on heat received by the land. Indian monsoon started only after the current period of warm Holocene started. The first bout was for a period of 500 years between 11,000 to 10,500 BCE as per research. (Pages 100 to 105 in my book “Mahabharata 3136 BCE). Then there was long lull for a period of 1500 years. None of the rainfed rivers of the Deccan plateau was running then. Some sparse vegetation started in North India and in the Dandaka region in South India during the first season of 500 years of rainfall. Some pools of water must have been formed during that time, of which Mitra-Varuna ashrama must have been one. The absence of rainfall after 10,500 BCE is characterized as Yajna happening in Indra loka (not on earth) for which Vasishtha had gone.

In the 1500 period following that first rainfall, there was slow increase in insolation to melt the Himalayan glaciers such as Gangotri (as per research articles) but no scope for flowing rivers. Sometime then, Vasishtha was doing penance in Mitra-Varuna kund. The location can be deduced from the story of Urvashi. As per the story, she was playing in Badrikashrama (Badrinath) when she was seen by Mitra-Varuna. From the etymology of Urvashi, it is known that Urvashi was another name for River Ganga.

It is because she sat on the ‘Uru’ (thigh) of Bhagiratha, Ganga came to be known as Urvashi. Ganga, who descends at Haridvar passes through Badrinath (known by the name Alakananda) before joining Bhagirathi. Thereafter she is known as Ganga.

Going by the course of Ganga, it is deduced that Mitra-Varuna kund was near Badrinath. The time it was inundated by the first flow of Ganga near Badrinath is indicated by the story of Urvashi, seen by Mitra-Varuna by which Vasishtha was born afresh.

This represents the conclusion of the penance of Vasishtha in the kund much like Agastya who stood in the water pot of Kaviri for 12 years in penance. Bhagirathi started flowing at the conclusion of Vasishta’s penance. Kaviri too started flowing after the conclusion of Agastya’s penance. King Rajendra Chola has stated in the Thiruvalankadu Copper Plate inscriptions that King Chitradhanva desirous of repeating the feat of Bhagiratha in bringing River Ganga, caused the river Kaviri to come down from the mountain.

Two sages, having accomplished their penance by standing in water- pool by offering Soma (evaporated water) for Mitra-Varuna came up with newer energy. That is the import of birth of the two in a Kumbha to Mitra-Varuna. Chronologically, Vasishtha’s penance must have been earlier than Agastya’s – during Bhagiratha’s time, whereas Agastya’s rebirth as Kumbhayoni occurred after Rama ascended the throne. With clear reference to Kumbhayoni appearing in Ramayana, it is inferred that the story of the co-born nature of the two sages must have been conceived after Rama started calling Agastya as Kumbhayoni. That is why no explicit reference to Vasishta’s penance is available. The sages have wanted us to think, explore and grasp the nuances.