Scientific References in Ramayana - 3

 

*Scientific References in Ramayana - 3*

In both the previous articles we looked at the scientific and geographical references in the Ramayana.  Let's look at some more references in today's article.

 We learned that Vanaraja Sugriva sent the vanarasena ( The army of monkeys ) in all four directions in *search* of Janakandini *Sita* and described the geographical regions of the earth.  At that time Shri Rama asked Sugriva that *how did you get the information about all the geographical regions?*  Sugriva then said that I roamed the whole earth while Vali was chasing me.  Let's see the related verses

Kishkindha Kanda Sarg 46, Verse 1

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🚩*गतेषु वानरेंद्रेषु रामः सुग्रीवमब्रवीत् ।

कथं भवान् विजानीते सर्वं वै *मण्डलं भुवः* ॥ १ ॥ 🚩

When all the Vanayuthpatis (Commanders of the army Or Head of the army ) had left, Sri Rama asked Sugriva, "O Friends ! How do you know the identity of all the places in the *Bhumandala* it means (bhu - earth and mandala - round) ?"

 Here the word Bhumandal has been coined by Sri Rama which means that the *earth was not flat but round* during the Ramayana period.

Kishkindha Kanda Sarg 46, Verses 12, 13

🚩 *ततोऽहं वालिना तेन सोऽनुबद्धः प्रधावितः ।*

*नदीश्च विविधाः पश्यन् वनानि नगराणि च ॥ १२ ॥* 🚩

*आदर्शतलसंकाशा ततो वै पृथिवी मया ।*

*अलातचक्रप्रतिमा दृष्टा गोष्पदवत् कृता ॥ १३ ॥*

Vali was following me and I was running away.  At that time *I circumambulated the entire earth* like a cow's hoof, *seeing different rivers, forests and countries*.  While running away I saw this *Earth as mirror and Alatchakra (ring of fire ) *.

 Darpana (Mirror ) means that *the earth appeared like a mirror,* which means that since the vast amount of water on the earth is three-fourths of water, and in the Treta Yuga that water became clear like a mirror, it must have seen a *reflection* in it.  So Sugriva must have thought of the analogy of a mirror.  It is also described that Sugriva saw the earth as a round wheel.  *Alatchakra is the chakra (wheel ) like a glowing circle of fire when a burning piece of wood is rotated in a circle*.  If we hold the incense in our hands and rotate it in a circle, we see a *bright circle*.  Thus, the *entire earth appeared round to Sugriva*.  That is, it is described in Ramayana that the earth is round.*

Kishkindha Kanda Sarg 46, Verse 24

🚩 *एवं मया तदा राजन् प्रत्यक्षमुपलक्षितम् ।*

*पृथिवीमण्डलं सर्वं गुहामस्यागतस्तः ॥ २४ ॥* 🚩

Sugriva, the monkey king, says, "O Lord! Thus in those days I saw all the *Bhumandalas directly* Then I came to the cave in the mountains of Rishyamuk.

 Sugriva has given direct evidence that the earth is round ( *Eye witness* ).  In that case, what more proof is needed?

 *Ferdinand Magellan (September 1591) is credited with circumnavigating the globe*.  Actually, the credit should go to Vanaraja Sugriva because the description and clear proof of *circling the entire earth is in the Ramayana*.

 *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