Scientific References in Ramayana - 2

 

*Scientific References in Ramayana - 2*

In the previous article we saw the scientific references in the Ramayana ( *Sunspots and Solar flares* ).  In this section we will look at some more scientific and geographical references.

In *Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana, Vanaraja Sugriva gives some geographical references*.  Let us try to learn about it.  *The king of monkeys (Vanar - वानर - monkey, Raja- राज - King ) Vanaraja Sugriva sent his monkeys in all four directions in search of Sita.  Describing the south direction* of India , Sugriva recites the following verse to his monkeys which is written in 

Kishkindha Kanda Sarga 41, Verse No. 12

*नदीं गोदावरीं चैव सर्वमेवानुपश्यत ।*

*तथैवांध्रांश्च पुण्ड्रांश्च चोलान्* 

*पाण्ड्यानश्च केरलान् ॥ १२ ॥* 🚩

O monkeys!  You head south to find Janakandini (daughter of king Janaka ) Sitamai.  Search for Sita in the countries of *Andhra*, Pundra, Chola, Pandya and *Kerala*.

 Ramayana is said to have happened in the Treta Yuga, which has already happened two Yugas from today.  The states of Andhra and Kerala still exist under the same name.

Kishkindha Kanda Sarga 41, Verse Nos. 44 and 45

🚩 *ततः परं न वः सेव्यः पितृलोकः सुदारुणः |*

*राजधानी यमस्यैषां कष्टेन तमसाऽऽवृता ॥ ४४ ॥* 🚩

O monkeys!  Next to it (*South Pole* ) is the most terrible Pitruloka, you people should not go there.  This land is the capital of Yamaraja (the God of death) , which is covered with heavy *darkness*. 

 An important thing to note here is that the land is described as *covered in darkness*.  *Modern science says that there is a daylight for six months and night for six months at the South Pole.  Here Vanaraja Sugriva and in turn Maharishi Valmiki also knew *that the earth has a south pole and there is darkness there*.  Sugriva had traveled the whole earth and had knowledge of the entire geography.

🚩 *एतावदेव युष्माभिः वीरा वानरपुंगवाः ।*

 🚩 *शक्यं विचेतुं गंतुं वा नातो गतिमातां गतिः ॥ ४५ ॥* 🚩

Brave monkeys!  This is the distance you have to go in south direction.  It is impossible to reach beyond it because beyond it there is *no habitation of animals*.

 This means *I insist that Vanaraja Sugriva commented on the South Pole before any foreign scientist.*

Kishkindha Kanda Sarga 40, Verse No. 59

🚩 *उत्तरेण परिक्रम्य जंबूद्वीपं दिवाकरः ।*

🚩*दृश्यो भवति भूयिष्ठं शिखरं तन्महोच्छ्रयम् ॥ ५९ ॥* 🚩

The people of Jambudvipa (Indian territory) get a clearer view of the Sun when the Surya deva (The Sun) circumambulates Jambudvipa in the north direction and settles on a very high peak called Saumanas.

 Here Vananaraja Sugriva has said that *the sun comes around in the north direction* which means that there is *the connection of the sun's Uttarayana*.  The people of Jambudvipa (Indian territory) *have a clearer view of the sun* i.e. *the sun shines longer in Uttarayana* and *the day is longer*.  *The sky is clear from December to May as there is no sign of rain and hence the sun is more visible to the people of Jambudvipa i.e. Indians.*

 Kishkindha Kanda Sarga 43, Verse No. 55

🚩 *स तु देशो विसूर्योऽपि तस्य भासा प्रकाशते ।*

*सूर्यलक्ष्म्या ऽभिविज्ञेयः तपतेव विवस्वता ॥ ५५ ॥* 🚩

Even though that country is sun-struck, it is always illuminated by the light of Somgiri.  Just as the countries are illuminated by the light of the hot sun, it should be considered illuminated by the rays of the sun god.

 Vanaraja Sugriva has asked the monkeys to go north* in search of Sita.  At that time *Sugriva has described the countries in the northern direction.* There are *some countries where the sun does not rise*.  Modern science states that the northern part (near the North Pole) *Norway, Greenland, Denmark, Finland, Canada and Russia do not experience full sunrise*.

 Vanararaja Sugriva also says that *the countries there are illuminated by the influence of Somagiri*.  Modern science has given the name *Northern lights*.  *The sky in Norway is bursting with different colors and that makes the sky look bright*.  There is no full sunset and sunrise.  Tourists from all over the world go there to see the game of northern lights.

 Now let's see how these northern lights are formed:

 *When particles meet the earth's magnetic shield, they are led towards an oval round the magnetic north pole where they interact with the upper parts of the atmosphere. After that the released energy is called as Northern Lights.* 

Due to Earth's magnetic field, light rays collide with the atmosphere, and thus the various colors appear in the sky.

 Vanaraja Sugriva says that *with the light of Somagiri that country is always illuminated.* In this *Somagiri should be the north pole of the earth*.  Now the credit for the discovery of *Northern Light should be given to Vananraja Sugriva of Ramayana*.  But, that *credit we have given to Galileo.* A Google search yields the following information.

*The northern lights were first described and named by galileo galilei in 1619*

 Then several thousand years before this, Vananraja Sugriva has mentioned it in Ramayana and recorded its observation.  How could Sugriva have reached the land of the North Pole?  What would they have traveled with?  All such questions need to be answered.  *In the discourses of the Ramayana only the story of Rama is narrated.  It is our tragedy that the scientific references in Ramayana do not come to light because science is not mentioned in it.*

Thanks for reading this article. Will meet on next Wednesday with another interesting subject from Ramayana. 

 

A humble request *send this article to all your groups*.

 Those who want this *article series* should contact me ( *Mr. Vaibhav Datar* ) on the following what's app number *8898482382*

Compilation and Writing : Mr. Vaibhav Datar, Kalyan