Southern Madurai (தென் மதுரை) of 1st Tamil Sangam was submerged at the time of Rama’s exile. (Spoken language of ancient India – Part 6)

Disclaimer: I hereby declare that there is no chauvinistic intention of promoting Tamil, which happens to be my mother tongue, in this series. The intention is to bring to the notice of readers, the presence of Tamil alongside Sanskrit in the Indian Subcontinent for many thousands of years. A deeper analysis might give us leads on why a fused Tamil and Sanskrit presence can be seen from India to Ireland to Ice land and from Polynesia to the Incas. 

The series:

Part 1: Valmiki of Ramayana knew Tamil

Part 2: Tamil was the Human Tongue or Manushya Bhasha

Part 3: Hanuman and Sita conversed in 'Madhura' language

Part 4: Rama and Sita spoke Tamil

Part 5: Contemporariness of Agastya and Rama is proof of presence of Tamil in Rama's times

Part 6: Southern Madurai (தென் மதுரை) of 1st Tamil Sangam was submerged at the time of Rama’s exile.

Part 7: Early floods at Southern Madurai (தென் மதுரை) coincide with the first sea-level rises at the end of Last Glacial Maximum.

Part 8: Tsunami at Setu and formation of Sāmbhar salt lake find mention in Valmiki Ramayana.     

Agastya’s migration to the origin of Kaveri in the Saivala Mountain is the last information about him in Valmiki Ramayana. This occurs in Uttara kanda during the reign of Rama. His penance done in the receptacle of Kaveri for 12 years earned him the name “Kumbhayoni”. Ramayana mentions Agastya as born of Kumbha after this penance (1).  Rama keeps addressing Agastya as Kumbhayoni in his meeting with Agastya after Agastya has completed this penance. This makes it clear that the myth of Agastya having born in a Kumbha or a jar had appeared after he had shifted to the region of Kaveri. Until then his image was that of a Rig Vedic sage but after that, his image fits with ‘vadapaal muni’ (வடபால் முனி), a reference to him frequently found in Tamil, meaning ‘northern sage’ – signalling his further course action in southern lands.

Positioning the time of Agastya’s shift to Kaveri in Valmiki Ramayana.

Earlier Rama had met Agastya in the 11^th year of his exile at his hermitage near Panchavati. On the 14^th year we get to hear Sugreeva saying that Agastya is sitting on top of “Ayo mukha” Parvata from where one can go and see Kaveri in a receptacle. The parvata under reference is Western Ghats. Ayo Mukha refers to the iron ores found in the visages of the mountain. In the words of Sugreeva:

अयोमुखः च गंतव्यः पर्वतो धातु मण्डितः |(2).

(The mountain having iron ore mines in the shape of mouths is reachable)

Sugreeva first refers to the iron-ore mouthed Malaya and then says that one can go to the receptacle of Kaveri from there. Agastya can be seen there, sitting on top of the mountain. (द्रक्ष्यथ आदित्य संकाशम् अगस्त्यम् ऋषि सत्तमम्). (3)

From this we gather that Agastya has shifted to Kodagu, the place of origin of Kaveri (where it appears just as a pot) sometime between the 11^th and 14^th year of Rama’s exile. The shift must have been a well-known event throughout the country, or else Sugreeva, a forest dweller until then could not have come to know about it.

The shift could not have happened in the 14^th year of exile due to reasons that (1) Agastya was already located at Kaveri on the 14^th year as per Sugreeva’s narration, (2) Agastya made himself available at the war-field in Lanka to give a piece advice to Rama, which is more viable if he is located near Lanka, and Malaya is closer to Lanka and (3) the legend of Ravana as having been bound by Agastya by means of music seems realistic, given the Asura’s tendency to harass the sage engaged in penance. The proximity of Malaya to Lanka is a factor that lends credence to this legend to be true.

Taking all these into account, we are able to zero in on just three years - between the 11^th and the 13^th year of Rama’s exile – when Agastya must have shifted his location to the pot-like Kaveri.

Why Agastya shifted to Malaya?

The penance of Agastya was of the nature of staying in a water-body for 12 years. He could have done that penance in the Dandaka forest itself, in a pond near his hermitage.  In Aranya Kanda we do come across a similar kind of penance by sage Mandakarni (माण्डकर्णि) in a lake somewhere near the hermitage of Agastya in the Dandaka forest (4).  But the sage could not complete the penance due to distraction from women. This is contrived into a myth that the celestials conspired to discourage his ascendancy to their abode through this penance and therefore they sent Apsaras to disturb his penance.

This kind of ‘conspiracy’ theory or locational issue can have no relevance for a sage like Agastya, who is known to have cleared the path for the celestial Sun! And Agastya has already proved his power to annihilate Asuras in the Vātāpi episode. So there must be some reason for his choice of a farther region in the South on top of Malaya range.

Two references, one from Valmiki Ramayana and another from Tirumandiram by Tirumular give almost similar ideas relevant to this issue.

According to Valmiki Ramayana, when the southern quarter of Dandaka forest was infested with man-eating demons like Vātāpi and Ilvala, Agastya moved over there to purge the region of these demons and to signal that no more demonic activity can be tolerated there. By stationing himself at that place he restored peace in the region, made it liveable and discouraged demonic elements to come anywhere near. This is the message given in Valmiki Ramayana through the words of Rama (5). For Agastya to shift further down the South was there any similar reason as stated above?

Looking at the 2^nd reference, Tirumular, a famous siddha (mystic) of Tamil lands had given more or less the same idea about Agastya in two verses in the beginning of his 2^nd Tantra, under the caption ‘Agattiyam’ (Agastyam, a Tamil grammar work by Agastya).

அகத்தியம்

1. நடுவுநில் லாதிவ் வுலகஞ் சரிந்து
   கெடுகின்ற தெம்பெரு மானென்ன ஈசன்
   நடுவுள அங்கி அகத்திய நீபோய்
   முடுகிய வையத்து முன்னிரென் றானே.
2. அங்கி உதயம் வளர்க்கும் அகத்தியன்
   அங்கி உதயஞ்செய் மேல்பா லவனொடு
   மங்கி உதயஞ்செய் வடபால் தவமுனி
   எங்கும் வளங்கொள் இலங்கொளி தானே. (6)

{அங்கி உதயம் வளர்க்கும் = Grows Fire at dawn – reference to Agnihotra

அங்கி உதயஞ்செய்  = Angi is another name for star Krittika – reference to Krittika at sunrise

மங்கி உதயஞ்செய் = by subduing, caused the rise (of sun) – reference to Vindhya remaining subdued }

Meaning: The world is not balanced: it slips and causes harm. Therefore Lord Shiva commanded the equanimous Agastya to go to the forefront. Agastya, the northern sage who grows Fire at dawn and caused the sun to rise up by subduing (Vindhyas), brought light and prosperity everywhere by joining the Youth born in Krittika star (reference to Lord Muruga / Subrahmanya.

The verses reveal that some harm has happened to mankind due to imbalance of the earth. The earth has subsided causing harm to those who should not be harmed. Agastya had been directed by Lord Shiva to bring succour to the affected people.

There is no direct reference to the kind of succour intended by the Lord. That is being deduced by us from the two inputs found in the verses. (1) Lord Muruga associated with Krittika star is invoked as one whose guidance is to be sought by Agastya. (2)The other input is found in the title given to these verses. It is ‘Agattiyam’, the grammar book in Tamil authored by Agastya.

Taking up the 1^st input, Muruga’s name is associated with the 1^st Tamil Sangam as the founder of the Sangam concept and Assembly. Muruga is also known for initiating one into yogic meditation. Muruga himself has been recognized as a Siddha in the text ‘Bogar-7000’ authored by Bogar (a Siddhar). (7) The verse says that Muruga also known as Vadivela is ageless, meaning, he lives on forever and can be invoked through meditation; he is the same one known as Subrahmanya and praised in Veda-agamas; knowing his powers, people have framed “Subrahmanya Kāppu” (“Protection by Subrahmanya”).

Bogar further says that Muruga had taught Agastya positioned in the southern direction. In that context he refers to Vinayaka as the brother of Muruga, to avert any doubt about whom he is referring to (8). What possibly was taught by Muruga to Agastya is known from the 2^nd input. Certainly it was not to do with any meditative or mystic power as Agastya had amply demonstrated such powers in his earlier residence in Dandaka forest. The upadesa must have been about Tamil grammar.

From the name of Agastya’s grammar work appearing as the title for the two verses, it is understood that Tirumular had referred to the work of Agastya and his role in streamlining the Sangam assemblage after a deluge caused by the imbalance of the earth.

The succor is not in the form of any material help but as a composition of Tamil grammar, done with the aid of Muruga, the first ever entity legendarily associated with composing grammar and convening assembly of the learned to promote grammatical Tamil. This is brought out by Tirumular by captioning these two verses as “Agattiyam”!

Barring these two verses, all the other verses of the chapter (2^nd Tantra of Tirumandiram) are about life and death at macro and microcosmic level. They also deal with deluge, death and Jiva, but all these have no connection with these two verses positioned in the beginning of the Tantra.

The reference is to the loss of habitat and immense loss of life of a people to the rising tides of the ocean caused by the subsidence of land. This has been a main feature in the loss of two capital cities of the Pandyans that hosted two Sangam assemblies.

The first location was Southern Madurai (தென் மதுரை) that hosted the 1^st Sangam for 4442 years (9). This ended around the year 5550 BCE (refer Part 1 for details).

The survivors of that deluge established their new capital at “Kapātapuram” also known as “Kavātam” and Ālavāi (ஆலவாய்) in Tamil (10)

The crucial piece of cross-reference to check the veracity of this claim comes from Valmiki Ramayana.

In his description of the lands in the southern direction, Sugreeva mentions this city (Kavātam) of the Pandyans and asks the Vanaras to search for Seetha!

“युक्तम् कवाटम् पाण्ड्यानाम् गता द्रक्ष्यथ वानराः |” (11)

Agastya and Tolkāppiyar were the main figures who were associated with the 2^nd Sangam at Kavātam. Nakkeeranār begins his narration on the 2^nd Sangam with these two names only. Others who follow these names are just poets – barring Krishna, the king of Dvārakā who appears much later in chronology. (12)

The deluge had just happened sinking Southern Madurai and the other regions of the Pandyan king. The survivors had just moved into Kavātam. Agastya, who by then had earned a proverbial status as the protector of the South from Yama, had received a jolt. How can he remain mute when so much has been lost to the waters in the South? His new mission had started and by invoking Lord Shiva and Muruga he had zeroed in on a suitable place for penance that is nearest to the location of the survivors.

The deluge that prompted this shift must have happened after he met Rama for the first time at his hermitage near Panchavati. The three year period we deduced in the beginning of this article holds good for this event too. It is sometime between the 11^th and 13^th year of Rama’s exile, the deluge at Southern Madurai had happened. Agastya lost no time in making his decision to do his part in reclamation of the lost heritage, namely the Tamil Sangam and moved to Kaveri to prepare himself for the task by engaging in a penance.

 A sage however learned and powerful he may be, has to strengthen his power in the field where he is expected to contribute. To control the havoc caused by waters, he has to increase his power by standing in water. Agastya’s penance by staying in the water of Kaveri makes sense in this respect.

His emergence from the penance gave him a title “Kumbhayoni”. Bogar also refers to his penance on top of the mountain that earned him the name Kumbhayoni (13)

The transformation of a Rig Vedic sage into a Tamil sage had happened at the time of Rama! Can there be any more strong reason needed to convey that Tamil was in use at that time?

There are other questions that need clarification.

Foremost is whether there is any evidence for this deluge in Valmiki Ramayana.

The next one is why Agastya chose to take up the task and why no other Rig Vedic sage was interested in this task. Were they not conversant in Tamil – the language called Madhuram that Rama and Seetha seemed to be familiar with?

To be explained in the upcoming articles...

References:

(1) Valmiki Ramayana 7-89

(2) Valmiki Ramayana 4-41-13

(3) Valmiki Ramayana 4-41-16

(4) Valmiki Ramayana 4-11-11to19

(5) Valmiki Ramayana 3-11- 81 to 84

(6) Tirumandiram  II-1&2

(7) Bogar 7000

Verse 5852:

சித்தான சித்தனிட மார்க்கஞ்சொன்னேன் சிறப்பான இன்னமொரு வயனங்கேளிர்
முத்தான வடிவேலர் முருகரப்பா மயற்சியுடன் வயததுவும் ஏதென்றாக்கால்
சத்தியமாய் வயததுவுங் கணக்கோயில்லை சார்பான நூல்தனிலுஞ் சொல்லவில்லை
சித்திபெற ஞானவழி கொண்டசித்து சிறப்பான சுப்ரமணியர் என்னலாமே

Verse 5853:
என்னவே சிவசுப்பிர மணியரான யெழிலான சித்துக்கு வயதோயில்லை
பன்னவே பலசாஸ்திர நூல்கள்தன்னில் பாகமுடன் வயததுவுங் கூறவில்லை
சொன்னபடி சுருதிமுறை வேதாகமங்கள் தோற்றமுடன் பலபேரும் பாடிவைத்தார்
நன்னயமாய் சுப்பிரமணியர் காப்பேயென்று நாட்டினார் நூல்களெல்லாம் நாட்டினாரே

(8) Bogar 7000

Verse 5942:
ஒன்றான கால்தனிலே பிறந்தநாளாம் வுத்தமனார் வடிவேலர் பிறந்தாரென்று
குன்றான மலைபோலே சாத்திரங்கள் கூறினார் குவலயத்தில் சொல்லொண்ணாது
தென்றிசையில் அகஸ்தியருக்கு உபதேசங்கள் செய்ததொரு வடிவேலர் சித்துதாமும்
பன்றிபெருச் சாளியின்மேல் சாரியேகும் பண்பான விநாயகருக்கு தம்பியாமே.

(9) Commentary by Nakkeeranār to “Irayanaar Agapporuḷ”

“அவர் நாலாயிரத்து நானூற்று நாற்பற்றியாண்டு சங்கமிருந்தாரென்ப”

(10) Commentary by Nakkeeranār to “Irayanaar Agapporuḷ”

“அவர் சங்கமிருந்து தமிழ் ஆராய்ந்தது கபாடபுரத்தென்ப”

(11) Valmiki Ramayana 4-41-19

(12) Commentary by Nakkeeranār to “Irayanaar Agapporuḷ”

“இடைச் சங்கமிருந்தார் அகத்தியனாரும், தொல்காப்பியனாரும், இருந்தையூர் கருங்கோழியும், மோசியும், வெள்ளுர்க் காப்பியனும், சிறு பாண்டரங்கனும், திரையன் மாறனும், துவரைக் கோனும், கீரந்தையுமென இத்தொடக்கத்தார் .......”

(13) Bogar 7000

Verse 5883:
ஆச்சப்பா அகத்தியரின் பிறப்புநேர்மை அவனிதனில் ஆராலும் முடியாதப்பா
மூச்சடங்கி மலையின் மேல்நின்றசித்து முனையான கமலமதில் பிறந்தசித்து
மாச்சலுடன் தேவரிஷி வரத்தினாலே மகாதேவர் வந்துதித்த குருவுமாகும்
ஏச்சலது வாராத கும்பயோனி எழிலான அகஸ்தியரென் றரையலாமே

Contemporariness of Agastya and Rama is proof of presence of Tamil in Rama’s times. (Spoken language of ancient India – Part 5)

Disclaimer: I hereby declare that there is no chauvinistic intention of promoting Tamil, which happens to be my mother tongue, in this series. The intention is to bring to the notice of readers, the presence of Tamil alongside Sanskrit in the Indian Subcontinent for many thousands of years. A deeper analysis might give us leads on why a fused Tamil and Sanskrit presence can be seen from India to Ireland to Ice land and from Polynesia to the Incas. 

The series:

Part 1: Valmiki of Ramayana knew Tamil

Part 2: Tamil was the Human Tongue or Manushya Bhasha

Part 3: Hanuman and Sita conversed in 'Madhura' language

Part 4: Rama and Sita spoke Tamil

Part 5: Contemporariness of Agastya and Rama is proof of presence of Tamil in Rama's times

Part 6: Southern Madurai (தென் மதுரை) of 1st Tamil Sangam was submerged at the time of Rama’s exile.

Part 7: Early floods at Southern Madurai (தென் மதுரை) coincide with the first sea-level rises at the end of Last Glacial Maximum.

Part 8: Tsunami at Setu and formation of Sāmbhar salt lake find mention in Valmiki Ramayana.     

Sage Agastya, a contemporary of Rama was known to have enriched Tamil grammar, as per Tamil sources.  The two have met at Agastya’s hermitage situated near Panchavati, in the 11^th year of Rama’s exile. In what language they conversed at that meeting? There is no reference to ‘Madhuram’ anywhere in those chapters on the meeting in Valmiki Ramayana. It goes without saying that they had conversed in the language of the learned (Pandita), namely Sanskrit.

Looking at Kamba Ramayana, Kambar’s account of Rama- Agastya meeting is longer than that is found in Valmiki Ramayana. For a greater part, Kambar has delved into instances of Agastya’s greatness among which two are related to Tamil. The rest are on episodes related to Vātāpi, Vindhya etc that are well-known across India. Though one may be tempted to down-play the Tamil connection to Agastya as fictitious or an add-on from the local tradition of Tamils, due to lack of reference to it in Valmiki Ramayana and the north Indian sources, there is indeed a reference to Agastya’s connection to Tamil lands in Uttara kanda, which will be discussed later in this article.  

Kambar on Agastya’s expertise in Tamil

Coming back to Kamba Ramayana, Kambar gives an introduction to Agastya by listing out the feats associated with Agastya. In contrast, Valmiki gives the narration on Agastya’s feats through the mouth of Rama and there is no reference to Tamil knowledge of Agastya in that narration. Kambar’s direct narration on Agastya’s greatness contains a couple of references to his association with Tamil.

He says that Agastya measured the world with Tamil, implying either the presence of Tamil over a vast region or the vastness of the corpus of Tamil itself. There is reference to Vishnu in this verse on measuring the world with his steps.

“நீண்ட தமிழால் உலகை நேமியின் அளந்தான்” (1)

Meaning: Like Vishnu he measured the world with Tamil.

The next reference is on how he got the knowledge of Tamil from Lord Shiva. Sanskrit grammar authored by Panini was said to have been revealed by Shiva. The same idea is found in the Tamil tradition too with reference to receiving the knowledge of Tamil grammar. Kambar repeats that idea by saying that Agastya imparted the nuances of Tamil that was originally given by Lord Shiva.

உழக்கும் மறை நாலினும், உயர்ந்து உலகம் ஓதும்
வழக்கினும், மதிக் கவியினும், மரபின் நாடி,-
நிழல் பொலி கணிச்சி மணி நெற்றி உமிழ் செங் கண்
தழல் புரை சுடர்க் கடவுள் தந்த தமிழ்-தந்தான் (2)

Meaning: On the basis of the four Vedas, the wisdom of the learned, the poems that are the product of the mind and by tradition, Agastya analysed and imparted Tamil that was given by the one who has the third eye and who glows like fire.

This verse by Kambar implies mainly 3 features, namely,

(1) Lord Shiva was the originator or the imparter of Tamil letters in the same way He imparted Sanskrit letters,

(2) Poetry in Tamil and a tradition of expression of the same had already existed when Agastya had taken up the work of refining Tamil and

(3) Vedas have a role or connection with the way that Tamil or grammar of Tamil is framed.

Expanding these features, Lord Shiva is associated with generating sounds through the beating of his drum in his non-stop dance. The one who meditates on Him to gain the knowledge of those sounds, acquires it. Panini and Agastya had acquired their knowledge in respective languages in this process.

The 2^nd feature shows that literary Tamil had existed even before Agastya of Rama’s times. The time-scale of the three Sangams show that Agastya of Ramayana can be positioned at the 2^nd Sangam. There exists a reference to the Pandyan capital at Kavātam in Valmiki Ramayana (3) by which it is deduced that Agastya had taken part in the 2^nd Sangam at Kavātam. He has also revealed his grammar ‘Agattiyam’ in this Sangam period. By this it is also deduced that Agastya of Rama’s times was different from the Agastya of the 1^st Sangam period.  There existed another one by name Agastya (Agattiyar) during the 1^st Sangam when it was inaugurated around 9990 BCE. It will be explained in the course of this series.

 The 3^rd feature shows that there is a connection between Vedas and Tamil or Tamil grammar. This will be discussed at another context in this series.

Time of origin of Tamil and Sanskrit.

Not many know that there is textual reference to Tamil as existing side by side with Sanskrit. This idea is a very old one – being found in old texts and also coming by tradition. There is even a time period for this, mentioned in Tirumandiram given by Tirumular. The verse runs as follows:

மாரியும் கோடையும் வார்பனி தூங்கநின்று
ஏரியும் நின்றங்கு இளைக்கின்ற காலத்து
ஆரிய முந்தமி ழும்உட னேசொலிக்
காரிகை யார்க்குக் கருணைசெய் தானே (4)

Meaning: There was a time when rainy season and summer season ceased to exist. There was snow everywhere that made the lakes to shrink. At that time Lord Shiva taught Sanskrit and Tamil to Karikai (कारिका).

The time corresponds to the Ice age or pre-Holocene. For Sanskrit, the word used is ‘Arya’ - the way it is often referred in Tamil. The knowledge of these two was originally imparted to Karikai – his concert Parvati, in popular understanding.

The popular abode of Shiva being Kailash, it is possible to interpret the location to be Kailash in pre-Holocene days when monsoon season had not yet started. But looking at the tradition of Tamil being nurtured by Southerner- Pandyan, the most likely place is somewhere in the South where mankind was thriving during Ice age.

The start of the first Tamil Sangam around 9990 BCE (refer Part 1) at a place that later got submerged into the ocean places the location of the origin of Sanskrit too somewhere in the Indian Ocean, perhaps in Sundaland. Sundaland could in all probability be Shaka Dweepa of olden times whose lord was Shiva (5). All these are subject to multi-disciplinary research, but what is not to be missed is that a tradition had existed in Tamil that Shiva had given both Sanskrit and Tamil sometime in a remote past. A self contradicting feature in the above discourse is how a language (Sanskrit) that is supposed to have originated in the south could have gained a name as Northern language (Vada sol) in Tamil lexicon. A discussion on this is reserved for another article.

Panini and Agastya on the same plate but at different times.

The idea that Lord Shiva revealed the grammar of the two languages is found in another text called “Tiruvilaiyaadal Puranam” that describes the pastimes of Lord Shiva in olden Pandyan domains.

 விடையு கைத்தவன் பாணினிக் கிலக்கண மேனாள்

வடமொ ழிக்குரை தாங்கியல் மலயமா முனிக்குத்

திடமு றுத்தியம் மொழக்கெதி ராக்கிய தென்சொல்

மடம கட்கரங் கென்பது வழுதிநா டன்றோ. (6)

Meaning: In olden times, the lord who rides on the bull had given Sanskrit grammar to Panini. In the same way He established the Southern language (then-sol), as a complement to the Northern language (vada-sol) in the great sage of Malaya. The Pandyan land is the stage for that damsel of Southern language.

This verse conveys that Panini preceded Agastya which is not true. Perhaps the name Panini was used by the author as a symbolic representation of Sanskrit grammar.

These references could not have come to stay without some truth in it, say, by means of some kind of prayer or penance to Lord Shiva by which Agastya had written down the grammar for Tamil. Basically what this conveys is that Agastya was a knower of Tamil.

Kambar continues to recognise Agastya’s connection with Tamil in the scene that Rama was welcomed by Agastya.

நின்றவனை, வந்த நெடியோன் அடி பணிந்தான்;
அன்று, அவனும் அன்பொடு தழீஇ, அழுத கண்ணால்,
'நன்று வரவு' என்று, பல நல் உரை பகர்ந்தான்-
என்றும் உள தென் தமிழ் இயம்பி இசை கொண்டான். (7)

Meaning: (On seeing Agastya) Rama fell at the feet of Agastya. Agastya affectionately embraced Rama and uttered ‘welcome’ and many good words with tears swelling in his eyes – Agastya who became famous by uttering the ever present southern Tamil.

Agastya in Valmiki Ramayana

There is no evidence from non-Tamil sources on Agastya’s association with Tamil language. The only available  non-Tamil source, namely, Raghu Vamsam written by Kalidasa  attests to Agastya’s association with the Tamil kings (Pandyan) in the southern quarter (dakshinasya disha),  surrounded by the girdle of ocean studded with gems (8).  But nowhere in Valmiki Ramayana there is any allusion to Agastya’s expertise in Tamil. His association to Tamil lands in south India is however found in Valmiki Ramayana from which we are able to get vital clues to link him with Tamil.

Agastya’s location is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana in 3 Kandas, Aranya, Kishkindha and Uttara Kanda, but all these are different from one another, though the direction is the same, namely, the South. When Rama went to meet Agastya along with Seetha and Lakshmana (Aranya Kanda), the sage was in the southern most part of the hermitages in Dandaka forest. It was closer to Panchavati.

This location was in the south of Vindhyas and also was part of a location where demonic daityas like Vātāpi and Ilvala lived once. The south is always identified with death and lorded by Yama. Valmiki Ramayana says that by conquering death in the Vātāpi episode, Agastya made South a liveable region.

From the words of Rama to Seetha and Lakshmana:-

“Sage Agastya with meritorious deeds, who wishing well-being of the world, controlled death by his efficacy, and who made this southern region a liveable region..’ (9)

 "He who impeding death by his yogic might and wishing well-being for worlds made this southern extent a liveable province by his pious deeds, his hermitage is this" (10)

"This very worthy southern quarter is known in the name of that godly saint Agastya and this remained unattackable to the demons with cruel deeds." (11)

This description of Agastya’s location comes in the 11^th year of Rama’s exile, just after he has completed 10 years in exile. Rama meets Agastya at this time and after describing his greatness as above to Seetha and Lakshmana. There is no reference to Madhuram in the conversation between them.

Agastya’s residence at Kaveri

The next reference to Agastya’s abode comes in Kishkindha Kanda, but the abode is not the same as above. Agastya’s residence has moved further south.

To know the background, in the beginning of the 14^th year of exile Seetha was abducted by Ravana and Vanaras went in search of Seetha. In that context Sugreeva gives the landmarks in all the four directions for the search teams. In the case of southern direction he mentions two places as Agastya’s location. The first one is where Kaveri springs up in the Western Ghats and the second is in Deep South, which is now in the Indian Ocean. Of the two, Sugreeva mentions the first location at Kaveri as where Agastya was residing at the time of his narration.

The first location is on Mount Malaya where Kaveri is mentioned. Strangely enough, Kaveri is not mentioned as a river but just as ‘Aashaya’ (आशय) of ‘aapagaam’ (आपगाम्) (12)

It means Kaveri was a receptacle of water!

Sugreeva says that Agastya can be seen on top of Mount Malaya.

This is a crucial piece of evidence of Agastya’s relocation to Malaya at a time when Kaveri was just a receptacle of water and not yet flowing as a river. Kaveri looks exactly like a receptacle at its origin. It is a huge pot-like structure of the mountain (Brahmagiri hill / Kodagu) with a mouth-like opening inside which water can be seen coming out of a spring. Therefore the myths of how Kaveri flowed as a river are post-Ramayana developments.

To the question what Agastya was doing on top of Malaya at Kaveri has a reply in Ramayana itself. The background of it is given below.

Sometime after ascending the throne, Rama meets Agastya. This episode mentioned in Uttara kanda has a perfect continuity to this location of Agastya found in the 14^th year of Rama’s exile.

In Uttara kanda Rama goes to meet Agastya after his encounter with Sambuka in Saivala mountain.  Saivala Mountain was originally the southernmost border of Dandaka forest (13).  There is a “Saiya” Mountain in the Western Ghats in Kerala, found mentioned in the Tamil Sangam text Paripadal (14) 

This name is not a Tamil word, but seems to be corrupt form of Saivala which means a kind of moss found on wet surfaces. This name is apt, given the fact that Western Ghats are on the path of monsoon rainfall.

Ramayana says that Agastya had vowed to live within waters for 12 years and that vow was just over when Rama reached Saivala (15). In the meeting Rama keeps addressing Agastya as “Kumbhayoni”! 

This name does not appear in his previous meeting near Panchavati, but appears for the first time in Valmiki Ramayana after Agastya had finished his penance on top of Malaya. This name and the context reveal that Agastya had made a terrible penance at or near the Kumbha-like receptacle containing Kaveri. From then onwards he must have come to be known as Kumbha-yoni – a name addressed by Rama! Every myth of Agastya as having born from a pot or jar and associating him with Kaveri must have sprung up after the period of Valmiki Ramayana.

Agastya legends connecting him to Tamil lands also begin from his association with Kaveri and Kodagu. The Tamil Epic Manimegalai links the formation of river Kaveri to sage Agastya by saying that the sage overturned the Pot (kumbha) to make Kaveri flow down to Pumpukar. This has happened at the time of a Cholan king by name Kānthaman according to Manimegalai. The name is different in the Tiruvālangādu copper plate inscriptions. The inscriptions say that the Cholan King Chitradhanvan wanted to bring Kaveri to his dominion just like Bhagiratha who brought down river Ganga to earth. The underlying fact is that Tamil dynasties were already thriving in the south at the time of Ramayana, which means spoken Tamil was prevalent at that time.

Agastya’s migration to the origin of Kaveri in Saivala Mountain is the last information about him in Valmiki Ramayana and after that his life was spent in Tamil lands. His role in Tamil must have started after his birth in “Kumbhayoni”!

His association with Tamil could not have been new. For someone to have authored the grammar book of Tamil, his knowledge of Tamil must have been profound and of long standing even before he migrated to Kodagu. This pre-supposes the existence of Tamil in North India too, apart from its presence in south India, or how else a sage like Agastya known for having composed Vedic verses could have gained mastery over Tamil language as well? 

There comes another question too. Of all the Vedic sages, why Agastya alone developed the interest in mastering the refined form of Manushya Bhasha and spent rest of his life on that.

 

The answer for this can be found in Tirumular’s Tirumandiram which will be discussed in the next article.

References:

(1) Kamba Ramayanam: Aranya Kandam – Agattiya Patalam – 36

(2) Kamba Ramayanam: Aranya Kandam – Agattiya Patalam – 41

(3) Valmiki Ramayana – 4-41-19

(4) Tirumandiram – verse 65

(5) Mahabharata: 6-11

(6) Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam: Tirunaatu-ch-chirappu – verse 87.

(7) Kamba Ramayanam: Aranya Kandam – Agattiya Patalam – 47

(8) Raghu Vamsam, 6^th sarga, verses 59-65.

(9) Valmiki Ramayana 3-11-54

(10) Valmiki Ramayana 3-11-81

(11) Valmiki Ramayana 3-11-84

(12) Valmiki Ramayana 4-41-14 &15

(13) Valmiki Ramayana 7-89

(14) Paripadal 11

(15) Valmiki Ramayana 7-89