#142 Part 2 of Where was kishkindha?

4-40-19 to 4-40-23
tatra SItAm ca vaidEhiim
nilayam raavaNasya ca
maargadhvam giri durgeSu
vaneSu ca nadIShu ca
nadIm bhAgIrathIm ramyAm
sarayUm kaushikIm tathA
kAlindIm yamunAm ramyAm
yAmunam ca mahAgirim
sarasvatIm ca sindhum ca
SONam maNi nibha udakam
mahIm kAlamahIm caiva
shaila kAnana shObhitAm
brahmamAlAn videhAn ca
mAlavAn kAshi kOsalAn
mAgadhAm ca mahAgrAmAn
puNDrAn angAm tathaiva ca
bhUmim ca kOshakArANAm
bhUmim ca rajata AkarAm.

CONTEXTDemon rAvaNa abducted protagonist rAmA's wife SItA.
Searching, and walking, rAma and lakshmaNa reached kishkindhA, the kingdom ruled by sugrIva.
rAma helped sugrIva, by slaying his elder brother vAli, who was harassing him.
As a part of the bargain, sugrIva had to help rAma, by tracing his wife.
In the above verses, sugrIva was instructing vAnarAs (need not be monkeys as vAlmiki rAmAyaNa depicted) to search for SIta in the four directions.

The above verses were a part of the instructions to the East-bound searchers.

In the above list, you will find the names of the rivers SONa (sOn), kausiki, sarayu, are all in bIhar. If they are to the east of kishkindha, kishkindha must be to the west of them.

The kingdoms kOsala, magadha, anga referred above, were also in bIhar. sugrIva was instructing the east-bound army. Hence kishkindha must be to the west of these places.

At other posts at this blog, I felt that since vindhyancal is in mirzapur, baliya/chapra/buxar triangle may be kishkindha.

But then, sugrIva was referring above the rivers yamuna, cities kAsi, mAlva etc. which were all to the west of kishkindha.

If we take these descriptions also into account, citrakUt , the south Allahabad ie.the right bank of the confluence of the rivers ganga and yamuna will become the abode of kishkindha. Everything must have taken place within a radius of 100 kms. of Allahabad and citrakUT.

Added on May 17, 2012
Mount rishyamUka (risimooka) is a key element of the kishkindha kingdom.

The generally held belief is that rishyamUka Mount is in hampi, beLLAry-hOspet, of karnATaka. The pampa lake and the rishyamUka Mount form the tourist circuit.

But, we have another rishyamUka Hill. it is at pAlkOT, 18km. from Gumla Town, the Headquarters of Gumla District, JhArkhanD State. The place has a village named 'anjana' and a mountain 'risyamooka', a rivulet/lake called 'pampa'.

The renowned historian Late H.T. sankAliya also opined that a large part of rAmAyaNa might have taken place in 'chOTA nAgapur' i.e. the present State of jhArkhanD.


(To continue, with more evidence).