ये देश, श्री राम का देश है, बाबर का नही !!

Ashok Gupta‎Vote 4 BJP

4 hrs ·

ये देश, श्री राम का देश है,
बाबर का नही !!

और RamSetu का असल अर्थ है ~

” राम-से-तू-है “.

Unl

दो-दो शादी करने वाला

Hbb Nationalist shared नागेन्द्र चौधरी‘s post.

2 hrs ·

नागेन्द्र चौधरी added 2 new photos — with Hindu Ekta and 58 others.

हिन्दू जरूर पढे :

आज दो-दो शादी करने वाला आमिर खान आज समाज सेवी बना है l

औरतो की आजादी की बात करता है पर अपने मुस्लिम धर्म मे बुर्का प़था पर कुछ नही बोलता ?
क्या यही सत्यमेव जयते है ?

सत्यमेव जयते कार्यक्रम के अंत में वो HUMANITY TRUST को मदद करने की बात करता है ।
मगर ये ट्रस्ट कौन चलाता है ?
किस लिये चलाता है ?
इसका उद्देश क्या है ?
आप में से किसी को पता है ?
या कभी पता करना चाहा ?

चलो इस Huminity Trust के कार्यकारी मंडल पे नजर डाले-
1) जगबर अली
2) हकिम अली
3) फजलुददीन
4) मोहममद राजा
5) एम्.एस नाझिक
6) ए अहमद इरजाद
7) एस अबदुल बसीतइस

Humanity Trust के उद्देशय :-
१) मस्जिदे बनवानी-उनकी दुरुस्ती-उनकी देखभाल का काम इत्यादि…
२) मुस्लिम युवाओं को देश विदेश में नौकरी दिलवाना…
(यंहा चेक कर सकते है-www.humanitytrust.com)
देशसेवा की आड़ में देश के ही बहुत से लोग देशद्रोह करते हैं।
इनका पर्दाफाश करे एवं लोगों को जागरूक करे।

सभी हिन्दू योद्धा मुसलमानों का सामाजिक बहिष्कार करे और सेक्यूलर भंडवे अपनी माँ के पल्लू मे जाके छिप जाये ।

जैसे-
१.आप सभी अपने कपड़े सिर्फ हिन्दू दर्जी के पास ही सिलवायें।
२.अपनी गाड़ी को सिर्फ हिन्दू मिस्त्री से ही बनवाये ।
३.अपनी गाड़ी का पंचर सिर्फ हिन्दू मिस्त्री से ही बनवाये ।
४.जूता एवं चप्पल सिर्फ हिन्दू की दुकान से ही लें।
५.दैनिक जीवन की उपयोगी वस्तुओं को हिन्दू की दुकान से ही लें।
६.सब्जी मंडी में सब्जी केवल हिन्दुओं के दुकान से ही लें।
७.मुसलमानों को कभी भी अपना घर और दुकान किराये से न दें।
८.मुसलमानों को भाईजान न कहें।
९.मुसलमानों के फकीरों को कभी भूल के भी दान नन करें।
१०.किसी भी मुस्लिम को अपने यहाँ नौकरी पर मत रखें।

जय श्री राम
शुभ प्रभात

Ram Janmabhumi: British and Muslim records state that a temple was demolished and a mosque built on the temple’s ruins – A. Seshagiri Rao

British government records compiled by the Faizabad district gazetteer declared that the Babri structure stood on the debris of the Ram Janmasthan temple demolished by Babar in 1528. Muslims too have testified that a mosque built by displacing any temple would not have “sanctity in the eyes of Sharia”. – A. Seshagiri Rao

√ New! ASI evdience proved demolition of early temple beyond doubt – A. Surya Prakash

The much-awaited Allahabad High Court judgment may not solve the Ayodhya imbroglio if the losing party moves the apex court. In fact, the Hindus stood their ground, harangued that the courts have no jurisdiction over their sentimental and religious issues. But the Muslims banked on the ‘title deed’ case to deliberately block the construction of the Ram temple.

However, most of the mosques built by Muslim invadersstand on disputed land. And also according to Shariah there are theological-juristic rulings to the effect that ‘no mosque can be built on land grabbed or illegally acquired’ (the great Fatwa Alamgiri, vol 6, page 214). But did they follow the diktat and apply for the land ‘acquired’ in ‘jihad’ as well? The answer is ‘no’.

The Prophet made it clear that all land belongs to God or himself and through the Prophet to Muslims. Ibn Taymiyya, the 14th century theologian and jurist, argued that ‘jihad’ simply bestows land on the Muslims to whom they rightly belong. Shaik Ali Hazin quoted the Persian couplet “Bimin Karamat–I mars aly Shaik: Ki chun kharab shawad  khanah-I Khuda garded (O Shaik just witness the miracle house of idols, which when desecrated or demolished becomes the house of god, a mosque!”

British government records compiled by the Faizabaddistrict gazetteer declared that the Babri structure stood on the debris of the Ram Janmasthan temple demolished by Babar in 1528. Muslims too have testified that a mosque built by displacing any temple would not have “sanctity in the eyes ofSharia”.

In an application filed on November 30, 1858, by Muhammad Askar, Kahatib and Muazzin to initiate legal proceedings against Bairagian–I Janmasthan, they mentioned that the place Janmasthan had been lying in disorder and the Hindus for hundreds of years performed worship there (Sayyid Sahabuddin Abdur Rahman; Babri Masjid; Darul Mussanifin, Shibli Acadamy, 1987, page 19).

The second document is the Hadiqah-I Shuhada by one Mirja Jan. He said that wherever they found Hindu temples the Muslim rulers destroyed them. He participated in the jihad led by Amir Ali Shah’s regime in 1855 to capture Hanuman Garhi. The Janmasthan temple is the principal place of Rama’s incarnation and adjacent to it is the Sita ki Rasoi (Rafis Ahmed Jafari: Wajid Ali Shah Un-ka ahd, Lucknow, Kitab manjil, 1957).

This was how many Muslims themselves have testified. The factual and historical truth remains that that Mir Baki, at the behest of Babar, demolished the temple and under the patronage of Sayyid Mir Musa Ashiqan built a mosque over it.

This irrefutable evidence should have clinched the issue of demolition versus non-existence of the Ram temple. But regrettably the Muslims clung to the ‘title deed’ that was held by Mohammad Aslam Bhure. The ‘title deed’ case is nothing but a stalling tactic to deny their rightful claim over the Janmasthan site, the Hindus aver.

The ‘title deed’ can be compared to anyencroachment in which the ‘encroached’ owner sold it or transferred to another by registering the sale deed. The Hindus question how the authorities could refuse to hand over the ‘undisputed site’ which has nothing to with the ‘title deed’ case?

Further they assert that faith transcends law, rationalism and scientific evidence. And faith does not demand any proof nor could it be verified as it rests only on beliefs. Will they tell us why the Jews and Arabs are fighting overJerusalem? For the Jews it is  sacred because at Mount Moriah, where Prophet Abraham sacrificed his son, the first temple was built by king Solomon.

The Muslims also claimed the very spot and built Al Aqsa Mosque/Dome of the Rock and assert that it is their third most important holy place after Mecca and Medina because of Prophet Mohammad’s  journey to the throne of god. But is there any historical evidence of this? When these people fight for their ‘rights’ based on faith in other parts of the world, should they not respect the sentiments and faith of Hindus?

If the court  nullifies the ‘title deed’ and adjudicates that indeed a ‘temple had existed beneath the demolished structure’, the Muslims should gracefully honour it, retract, and allow the Ram temple construction at Janmasthan without further litigation as the Hindus had been carrying on worship there and Muslims had stopped namaz there 65 years ago.

Such a gesture from Muslims would go a long way in maintaining peace. They should respect the Hindus’ sentiment and sing “Ram Rahim na judakaro bhai, dilki sachha rakho ji”, which exhorts people not to treat Ram and Rahim as different entities.

» A. Sheshagir Rao is a political analyst based in Chennai.

Related references

1. The evidence at Ayodhya – N.S. Rajaram
2. The Rediif.com Ayodhya-related articles list
3. The Ayodhya evidence debate–1 – Koenraad Elst
4. The Ayodhya evidence debate–2 – Koenraad Elst
5. Hindu Temples: What happened to them, Vol. 1 – Arun Shourie, Harsh Narain, Jay Debashi, Ram Swarup & Sita Ram Goel
6. Hindu Temples: What happened to them: The Islamic evidence, Vol. 2 – Sita Ram Goel
7. Jihad: The Islamic doctrine of permanent war – Suhas Majumdar
8. The legacy of Muslim rule in India – K.S. Lal

The Mughal Influence on Vaisnavism, Part 13

The Mughal Influence on Vaisnavism, Part 13

http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/05-10/features1730.htm

BY: SUN STAFF

Ruins of Lord Rama’s temple at Ayodhya

May 12, 2010 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial presentation of the Mughal effect on Vaisnava society.

In our last three-part segment of this series, we discussed clothing and personal paraphernalia depicted in paintings of the Mughal rulers. We looked in detail at the illustrations done by French artist Racinet, who produced a formal study of Mughal costumes and interiors, and described the overlapping of Persian and Indian styles and the appropriation of Vaisnava themes evident in some of the images. Next we’ll consider not the appearance, but the actions and policies of these Mughal Emperors, who had an enormous impact on Vedic culture.

Much has been said about the history of the Mughal invasion and the destruction of thousands of Hindu temples by their hand. Among the six primary emperors, Akbar is generally thought to have been the most benign, and Aurangzeb to have been the most cruel and demoniac. But in fact, all were responsible for the destruction of India’s temples, to varying degrees, beginning with Babur’s destruction of Lord Rama’s temple at Ayodhya, upon the ruins of which the Muslims built the Babri Mosque.

Babri Mosque

In an earlier segment we looked at a timeline of events that marks two important instances of Vaisnava temples being destroyed several hundred years before the Mughal invasion officially began. These include the desolation wrought in Mathura by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1017 A.D., and the destruction of the temple at Somanath a few years later, when the same intruder ruined the Sivalinga and killed some 50,000 defenders. Mosques were built on both these sites.

With the arrival of Mughal emperor Babur in 1526 A.D., there was the destruction of Lord Rama’s temple at Ayodhya. In 1688 A.D., Aurangzeb demolished all the temples in Mathura, said to number 1,000 – and these were just a few of what many believe to have been the approximately 60,000 Hindu temples destroyed during the Mughal era.

While the actions of the Mughal rulers seems like ancient history, in fact the repercussions are strongly felt today. The details of temple destruction history are an ongoing lightening rod for political and religious disagreement. Hindus rally to the history, sometimes using it as rationale for ongoing anti-Muslim sentiment. Muslims claim that the damage to Hindu temples is vastly overstated, for just that purpose, and they fiercely defend their rights to the Muslim monuments built on what were previously temple sites.

The perfect example of this dynamic is found in the case of the destruction of Lord Rama’s temple at Ayodhya. Built around the 12th century, it was destroyed by the order of Emperor Babur, whose general, Mir Baqi, constructed the Babri Mosque in its place. In 1949 – some 420 years later – a major dispute erupted when Rama icons appeared in the mosque. Lawsuits were filed by both Hindu and Muslim parties, and the government locked the gates to the mosque, declaring the site “disputed”.

In 1984, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bharatiya Janata Party began a movement for the re-creation of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Two years later, a judge in Uttar Pradesh ordered that the mosque be opened to Hindus. This was seen as a counterbalance to the favor shown to Muslims in another situation, Shah Bano.

Kar Sevaks and defenders set to destroy Babri Mosque

During 1989-1990, the VHP laid foundations for the new Ram temple on adjacent property, and the crisis between Hindus and Muslims escalated. In 1992, the Babri Mosque was forcibly demolished by Kar Sevaks. A great deal of rioting followed, and a makeshift mosque appeared in its place.

In 2005 Islamic terrorists attacked the Ram Mandir structure and were killed by security forces. This further escalated the fighting, which goes on to this day. Having made numerous studies, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) found that a Hindu temple did exist in ruins beneath the mosque, so an official position has now been taken on that point, although many Muslims continue to deny it.

Ruins of Dwarapalaka from Rama temple found at Babri Mosque

In fact, there is now archeological evidence that two Rama temples stood at the Ayodha site, and history suggests that both were destroyed by Muslims. The first may have existed in the 12th century and been destroyed by Muslim invaders following Muhammad of Ghor’s defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain, 1192 A.D. This temple appears to have been rebuilt, then destroyed a second time by Babur in the 16th century.

When the Kar Sevaks destroyed the Babri Mosque in 1992, in the ruins they unearthed numerous relics that appear to prove definitively that the Ram temple did exist in ruins under the mosque. Although Muslim supporters accused the Kar Sevaks of planting evidence, they have not been able to argue down the discovery in the mosque ruins of a stone plaque with an inscription documenting a 12th century Hari-Visnu temple at the site.

12th c. Hari-Vishnu inscription found at Babri Mosque

The Sanskrit inscription, engraved in classical Nagari script of the 11th-12th century A.D., was evidently mounted on the wall of the temple. It clearly describes the temple construction, and the beautiful temple of Vishnu-Hari, built with heaps of stones and beautified with a golden spire, unparalleled by any other temple built by earlier kings. This wonderful temple was built in the city of Ayodhya at Saketamandala. The plaque also describes Vishnu destroying King Bali, and the ten headed personage (Ravana).

The discovery of this plaque is a major setback for the naysayers who assert that the Mughals didn’t destroy Lord Rama’s temple at Ayodhya. Of course, the battle rages on, and Hindu sentiments continue to run high against modern-day Muslims.

So we can see that history has a way of coming around, again and again, and in the case of temple destructions, memories are not forgotten and the sentiments of the devotees are not easily set aside.

In tomorrow’s segment, we’ll begin to explore some of the historical evidence of temple destruction by the various Mughal Emperors. We’ll also consider some of the academic arguments asserting that history has been skewed, and that some of the Mughals actually took steps to protect the Vaisnava brahmanas and the temples.

Like Rama’s temple, Babri Mosque lies in ruins

THE EVIDENCE

 

The disputed structure

            For all the sound and fury in the media about Ayodhya, the historical question is surprisingly simple: was there or was there not a Hindu temple at the spot known as Ram Janmabhumi that was destroyed to build a mosque? The answer is also equally simple — ‘yes’. There are two parts to the question: was there a Hindu temple, and was it destroyed and a mosque known as Babri Masjid built in its place. Again the answer is — ‘yes’ to both questions. It is as simple as that.

This is what I shall try and make clear in this section, by presenting the latest and the bare minimum amount of details necessary. A great deal has been written about all this, most of which is unnecessary while some of it is meant intentionally to confuse. The reader will see that when properly presented, there is little room for confusion.

There are basically two sources for studying the history: literary sources and the archaeological record. Following the demolition on December 6, 1992, a great deal of archeological and historical information has come to light. Thus, much of the published material, as well as the controversy about previous temples at the site has been rendered moot by new discoveries following the demolition. What is presented here is a summary of the latest evidence — literary as well as archaeological.

 

Literary evidence

The latest (fifteenth) edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, in its article on Ayodhya tells us:

 

Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Moghul emperor Babur in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple. (Article on Ayodhya, Encyclopaedia Britannicavolume 1, 1985: Fifteenth Edition.)

 

The Britannica, though generally regarded as an authoritative reference work is not a primary source. When we turn to the primary sources, the material available on the topic is so voluminous that one despairs of ever obtaining a simple, easily comprehensible account. One recent author (Harsh Narain, below) cites more than a hundred and thirty references in English, French, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian and Arabic. And I have identified several not found in his work. So the problem one is faced with is not a lack of material, but one of selection.

Fortunately, Sita Ram Goel has compiled a two-volume magnum opus under the heading Hindu Temples: What happened to them? The second volume is particularly valuable in that it presents a comprehensive summary of the Islamic record, quoting chapter and verse from the primary sources. Even a cursory glance through these volumes leaves little doubt regarding either the destructive record of Islam in India, or the record of dishonesty and venality of the Secularists.

The two volumes by Goel are an invaluable source for researchers, though, typically enough they are studiously ignored by Secularist historians and their allies in the media. For the lay reader, Goel has provided also a highly readable summary of the two volumes in his book Islam vis-a-vis Hindu Temples. It is recommended reading for every serious student of Islam in India.

As far as Ayodhya itself is concerned, the most comprehensive discussion of the primary material available is probably the book The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on the Muslim Sources by Harsh Narain. We next go on to examine several of these sources provided by Harsh Narain.

These sources are so numerous that we can only survey a few. But even this survey will suffice to show that until recently, until the Secularists created the so-called ‘controversey’, no author — Hindu, Muslim, European or British official — had questioned that a temple existed on the spot which had been destroyed to erect the mosque. We may begin with a few references from European writers provided by Harsh Narain. These are from published sources that are widely available.

 

1. Führer in his The Monumental Antiquities and Inscriptions in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Archaeological Survey of India Report, 1891, pp 296-297 records: ‘Mir Khan built a masjid in A.H. 930 during the reign of Babar, which still bears his name. This old temple must have been a fine one, for many of its columns have been utilized by the Musalmans in the construction of Babar’s Masjid.’ [This is supported by archaeology, as we shall soon see.]

H.R. Neville in the Barabanki District Gazetteer, Lucknow, 1905, pp 168-169, writes that the Janmasthan temple ‘was destroyed by Babar and replaced by a mosque.’ Neville, in his Fyzabad District Gazetteer, Lucknow, 1905, pp 172-177 further tells us; ‘The Janmasthan was in Ramkot and marked the birthplace of Rama. In 1528 A.D. Babar came to Ayodhya and halted here for a week. He destroyed the ancient temple and on its site built a mosque, still known as Babar’s mosque. The materials of the old structure [i.e., the temple] were largely employed, and many of the columns were in good preservation.’ [Again supported by archaeological finds.]

 

One could cite many more in similar vein, but these examples should suffice for recent European records. When we reach back in time, what we find particularly interesting are the accounts attributed to Guru Nanak. He was a contemporary of Babar, and an eyewitness to his vandalism. Nanak condemned him in the strongest terms. Harsh Narain writes (pp 14-15):

 

Guru Nanak, according to Bhai Man Singh’s Pothi Janam Sakhi, said to have been composed in 1787 Anno Vikrami/1730 A.D., visited Ayodhya and said to his Muslim disciple Mardana: ‘Mardania! eh Ajudhia nagari Sri Ramachandraji Ji ki hai. So, chal, iska darsan kari’e. Translation: ‘Mardana! this Ayodhya city belongs to Sri Ramachandra Ji. So let us have its darsana.’

 

            This indicates that Nanak visited Ayodhya shortly before the destruction of the Rama temple by Babar. Man Singh’s book was written two hundred years later, which means that he was drawing upon existing traditions or some other source relating to Nanak’s visit to Ayodhya. But another work by Baba Sukhbasi Ram gives a similar account, again suggesting that Nanak visited Ayodyha before the temple was destroyed by his contemporary, the invader Babar whose atrocities he condemned. ‘These kings are nothing but butchers’ said Nanak, refering to the Moghuls and others in his time.

Before I get to the Islamic evidence, it is worth looking at an Indian account from the twelfth-thirteenth century period attesting to the atrocities of the Islamic invaders. It is preserved in the ‘Bhuvana-kosha’ section of the Garuda Purana, which throws light on the invasions of the Mlecchas and the Saindhavas (Arab occupiers of Sindh). The ‘Kumarika-khanda’ of the Skanda Purana speaks of invaders based in Mulasthana or the modern Multan. So does the Kurma Purana.

Returning to the Bhuvana-Kosha of the Garuda Purana, the Mlecchas of the Himalayas and the Turushkas (Turks) of the north were the Ghaznavids and the Ghurids. In the Introduction to the Garuda Purana, the well known Puranic scholar A.B.L. Awasthi points out:

 

The Mlechchhas of the Himalaya region and the Turushkas of the North mentioned in the Bhuvana Kosha section [of the Garuda Purana] also reflect upon the Turkish conquest of Northwestern India by the Ghaznavids. The passage found in the Garuda Purana that the country was threatened by the Dasyus (dasyutkrishta janapadah) is also very significant and it reflects upon the age of terror and turmoil caused by the Turkish invasions.

The alien invasions of such people, who destroyed the shrines and the roots of religion, viz, Deities, Brahmanas and cows, and also carried away the ladies. They defiled the tirthas, which also caused great terror.

The Pauranikas accepted the challenge and exhorted the Kshatriyas of accepting the svadharma of giving protection to country and culture. …

The freedom of the country was also imperilled after the fall of Prithviraja III at the hands of Muhammad Ghori after the second battle of Terain (1192 A.D.). The Pauranika points to the political blunder of the Chahamana ruler who was succumbed in [Sic] sensuous slumber in the company of his newly acquired wife Samyogita [or Samyukta].

 

We shall soon see that this is not very different from what Muslim chroniclers themselves tell us. But the Secularists would have us believe that there was no persecution and no mass destruction of temples. Going by their logic, both the victims and the perpetrators were subject to identical fantasies!

Another point frequently made by the Secularists and their allies is that during the Islamic period, there was little animosity between Hindus and Muslims, that is to say, the two communities lived harmoniously together. The animosities that led eventually to the Partition of India, according to the Secularists, was the result of the British policy of ‘divide and rule’. Well, here is what Alberuni, who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazna on his numerous campaigns into India had to say nearly a thousand years ago:

 

Yamin-addaula Mahmud [Ghaznavi] marched into India during a period of thirty years and more. … Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, and performed there wonderful exploits, by which the Hindus became like atoms of dust scattered in all directions. … Their scattered remains cherish, of course, the most inveterate aversion of all the Muslims. (Emphasis added.)

 

So it was not just the wealth that was looted; Mahmud was responsible for uprooting Hindu learning from the places he invaded. This is not very different from the account given in the Bhuvana-Kosha of the Garuda Purana and other Hindu chronicles. From this we can see that the hostility between the Hindus and the Muslims has a thousand year history that surely cannot be blamed on the British!

It is unnecessary to dwell too much on the documentary evidence since all questions about the pre-existence of the temple at the site of the Babri Masjid have been settled by archaeology, especially following its domolition on December 6, 1992. Actually the primary interest relating to the Muslim records is not so much in what they have to say, but in how there have been systematic attempts by Islamic and Secularist interests in recent years to distort and conceal them. This is what Arun Shourie has called ‘Hideaway Communalism’. We shall be looking at this phenomenon in the next chapter, but here are a few excerpts beginning with Harsh Narain’s observations on recent negationist efforts.

 

All relevant British government records followed by District Gazetteer of Faizabad compiled and published by the Congress government in 1960 declare with one voice that the so-called Babri mosque at Ayodhya is standing on the debris of a Ramajanmasthan temple demolished by the order of Babar in 1528. Syed Shahabuddin, JNU historians, and self-styled ‘secular’ scholars and leaders are hotly contesting the proposition, contending that the existence and demolition of a temple is a myth floated by the British in pursuance of their policy of divide and rule. … (p 102)

Now I proceed to cite certain purely Muslim sources beyond the sphere of British influence to show that the Babri mosque has displaced a Hindu temple … (pp 103-4)

 

Then Harsh Narain goes on to cite a few significant examples. I will refer to a few — and a few others will be noted later. The interested reader on the Ayodhya dispute can refer to Narain’s book. Sita Ram Goel’s two-volume magnum opus gives a more comprehensive summary of the record of the Islamic vandalism in India. We shall be concerned, however, mainly with Ayodhya. (JNU is the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi which is considered the Meccah of Secularists with AMU, the Aligarh Muslim University a close second.)

In 1855, Amir Ali Amethawi led a Jihad (Islamic religious war) for the recapture of Hanuman Garhi, situated a few hundred yards from the Babri Masjid which at that time was in the possession of Hindus. This Jihad took place during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. It ended in failure. A Muslim writer, one Mirza Jan, was a participant in that failed Jihad. His book Hadiqah-i-Shuhada was published in 1856, i.e. the year following the attempted Jihad. Miza Jan tells us:

 

… wherever they found magnificent temples of the Hindus ever since the establishment of Sayyid Salar Mas’ud Ghazi’s rule, the Muslim rulers in India built mosques, monasteries, and inns, appointed mu’azzins, teachers and store-stewards, spread Islam vigorously, and vanquished the Kafirs. Likewise they cleared up Faizabad and Avadh, too from the filth of reprobation (infidelity), because it was a great centre of worship and capital of Rama’s father. Where there stood a great temple (of Ramajanmasthan), there they built a big mosque, … Hence what a lofty mosque was built there by king Babar in 923 A.H. (1528 A.D.), under the patronage of Musa Ashiqqan! (Harsh Narain: p 105)

 

Harsh Narain goes on to add: “It must be borne in mind that Mirza Jan claims to write all this on the basis of older records (kutub-i sabigah) and contemporary accounts.” Except for its tone of triumph the account is not very different from what the Garuda Purana has to say. Similar accounts are found in a few other Puranas as already noted.

Another interesting piece of evidence unearthed by Harsh Narain is a chapter in the book Muraqqah-i-Khusravi, known also as the Tarikh-i-Avadh. Its author is one Shaikh Azmat Ali Kakorwi Nami (1811-1893). He was a contemporary of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and an eyewitness to the events of the era, including the failed Jihad to recover Hanuman Garhi from the Hindus. His work was completed in 1869, but languished in manuscript form for over a century in the Tagore Library in Lucknow. It saw the light of day only in 1986 when it was published by Dr. Zaki Kakorawi. But this was a censored version in which the F.A. Ahmad Memorial Committee which funded it removed crucial parts. The reason given for this extraordinary action was that Kakorawi’s edition contained accounts pertaining to the Jihad against Hanuman Garhi. This, the Committee found politically unacceptable.

Fortunately, a year later (1987), Kakorawi published the missing portion at his own expense under the title Amir Ali Shahid aur Ma’rakah-i-Hanuman Garhi. The author pointedly observed that “suppression of any part of any old composition or compilation like this can create difficulties and misunderstandings for future historians.” (Harsh Narain: p 106) May our Secularists heed his words! What is there in the work that made the F.A. Ahmad Committee so sensitive? Well, here is the passage for the reader to judge.

 

According to old records, it has been a rule with the Muslim rulers from the first to build mosques, monastaries, and inns, spread Islam, and (put a stop) to non-Islamic practices, wherever they found prominence of (kufr). Accordingly, even as they cleared up Mathura, Brindaban, etc. from the rubbish of non-Islamic practices, the Babari Mosque was built up in 923 (?) A.H. under the patronage of Sayyid Musa Ashiqan in the Janmasthan temple (butkhane Janmasthan mein) in Faizabad-Avadh, which was a great place of (worship) and capital of Rama’s father. (Harsh Narain: p 106)

 

In another work also known as Tarikh-i-Avadhi, by one Alama Muhammad Najamulghani Khan Rampuri (1909) tells us:

 

Babar built a magnificent mosque at the spot where the temple of Janmasthan of Ramachandra was situated in Ayodhya, under the patronage of Saiyad Ashikhan, and Sita-ki-Rasoi is situated adjascent to it. The date of construction of the mosque is Khair Baqi (923 AH) [or 1528 AD with the correction]. Till date, it is known as Sita ki Rasoi. By its side stands that temple. It is said at the time of the conquest of Islam there were three temples, viz. Janmasthan, which was the birthplace of Ram Chanderji, Swargadwar alias Ram Darbar, and Treta ka Thakur. Babar built the mosque having demolished Janmasthan. (History versus Casuistry, p 17; emphasis added.)

 

The translation is again by the redoubtable Zaki Kakorawi. It is important to note that the conscientious author of Tarikh-i-Avadhi used as many as eighty one books and manuscripts. The fact they were available to him in 1909 suggests that a few of them might lie concealed in some libraries and archives. In fact, as late as 1923, the book Asrar-i-Haqiqat written by the Hindu scholar Lachmi Narain Qunango assisted by Maulvi Hashmi confirms all of the above details. The book leaves one with the impression that many sources were still available to them, especially to the Maulvi who served as Pandit Lachmi Narain’s munshi. It is to be hoped that they are not being destroyed in the interests of ‘Secularism’.

The Imperial Gazetteer of Faizabad (1881) confirms the construction of three Moghul mosques at Ayodhya on the site of three celebrated shrines: Janmasthan, Swargadwar and Treta-ka-Thakur. Archaeological Survey of India tells us that Mir Khan (on Babar’s orders) built the mosque at Janmasthan using many of its columns. Aurangazeb had the other two mosques built. We see therefore that demolition of temples and replacing them with mosques was a systematic practice under Moghuls. It was simply a continuation of earlier policies of all Muslim rulers as both Hindu and Muslim records testify.

This brings us to a Persian text known as Sahifah-i-Chihal Nasa’ih Bahadurshahi written in 1707 by a grand-daughter of the Moghul emperor Aurangazeb, and noted by Mirza Jan in his Urdu work Hadiqah-i Shuhada previously cited. Mirza Jan quotes several lines from it which tell us:

 

… keeping the triumph of Islam in view, devout Muslim rulers should keep all idolaters in subjection to Islam, brook no laxity in realization of Jizyah, grant no exceptions to Hindu Rajahs from dancing attendance on ‘Id days and waiting on foot outside mosques till end of prayer … and ‘keep in constant use for Friday and congregational prayer the mosques built up after demolishing the temples of the idolatrous Hindus situated at Mathura, Banaras and Avadh … (Harsh Narain: pp 23-24; emphasis added.)

 

Spoken like a true child of Aurangazeb!

Mirza Jan is not the only writer to cite this work. Mirza Rajab ‘Ali Beg Surur in his work describing the destruction of the Rama temple at Ayodhya states that in the Sahifah-i Bahadurshahi (as the work was also known) “it has come to be described in detail with reference to year and date. Whoever may choose may look into it.” (Harsh Narain: pp 25-26) This last remark suggests that the work was widely available in the nineteenth century, possibly even in print. It evidently contained details concerning the destruction of the temple and the building of the Babri mosque at Janmabhumi.

Then there is the evidence of the three inscriptions at the site of the mosque itself, at least two of which mention its construction by Mir Baqi (or Mir Khan) on the orders of Babar. Babar’s Memoir mentions Mir Baqi as his governor of Ayodhya. Some parts of the inscription were damaged during a riot in 1934, but later pieced together with minor loss. In any event, it was well known long before that, recorded for instance in Mrs. Beveridge’s translation of Babur-Nama published in 1926.

Overwhelming as all this evidence is, the archaeological evidence is even stronger.

 

ARCHAEOLOGY TOUR

Discoveries at the site I: The Temple City of Ayodhya

Until recently, much of the evidence was literary, based on accounts in chronicles, supplemented by some archaeology around the site. Even then, archaeology left little doubt regarding the existence of a previous temple at the site at which the Babri Masjid is situated. Ayodhya has drawn the attention of competent archaeologists including a few internationally known experts like B.B. Lal and S.P. Gupta. As a result, the volume of data available is huge running into several volumes. Some of it has probably been rendered obsolete by discoveries following the demolition of December 6, 1992. They settle once and for all the question: Was there a Hindu temple at the site before Babri Masjid was built in 1528?

Let us next look at what archaeology has to say about the Ayodhya site. The first point to note is that Ayodhya lies in a region that is generously watered, and has therefore been densely populated since time immemorial. As a result, archaeological work at Ayodhya is more difficult, and has not been on the same scale as at Harappan sites lying a thousand miles to the west. And for the same reasons, luck plays a large role in the success of any exploration at Ayodhya, which is true of archaeology in general. Here is what a leading archaeologist, Dr. S.P. Gupta (former director of the Allahabad Museum), has to say about recent excavations at Ayodhya. Gupta probably has the most extensive experience among the archaeologists to have explored the site.

 

From 1975 through 1980, the Archaeological Survey of India under the Directorship of Professor B.B. Lal, a former Director General of the Survey, undertook an extensive programme of excavation at Ayodhya, including the very mound of the Ramajanmabhumi on which the so-called “Janmasthan Masjid” or Babri Mosque once stood and was later demolished on 6th December 1992.

 

This is an interesting observation: the Babri Mosque was known also as the ‘Janmashtan Masjid’ even to the Muslims! Obviously they believed it to be the birthplace of Rama — not Babar. We shall see later that until the Secularists showed them the value of it, the Muslims never used Negationism; far from it, they took great pride in their record of vandalization of Hindu sacred places. To continue with Gupta’s account:

 

At Ayodhya, Professor Lal took as many as 14 trenches at different places to ascertain the antiquity of the site. It was then found that the history of the township was at least three thousand years old, if not more … . When seen in the light of 20 black stone pillars, 16 of which were found re-used and standing in position as corner stones of piers for the disputed domed structure of the ‘mosque’, Prof. Lal felt that the pillar bases may have belonged to a Hindu temple built on archaeological levels formed prior to 13th century AD …

 

On further stratigraphic and other evidence, Lal concluded that the pillar bases must have belonged to a Hindu temple that stood between 12th and the 16th centuries. “He also found a door-jamb carved with Hindu icons and decorative motifs of yakshas, yakshis, kirtimukhas, purnaghattas, double lotus flowers etc.”  (See below.)

 

 

Pillar bases found at the site of the ‘mosque’

What this means is that Lal had found evidence for possibly two temples, one that existed before the 13th century, and another between the 13th and the 16th centuries. This corresponds very well indeed with history and tradition. We know that this area was ravaged by Muslim invaders following Muhammad of Ghor’s defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain in 1192 AD. This was apparently rebuilt and remained in use until destroyed again in the 16th century by Babar.

Impressive as these discoveries are, Lal had actually been somewhat unlucky. He had barely missed striking a trench containing a treasure trove of Hindu artifacts from the medieval period. As Gupta tells us:

 

Prof. Lal had hard luck at Ramajanmabhumi. His southern trenches missed a huge pit with 40 and odd sculptures just by 10 to 12 feet. But he did get the pillar bases of the pre-16th century demolished-temple which others did not get.

 

Excavation was resumed on July 2, 1992 by S.P. Gupta, Y.D. Sharma, K.M. Srivastava and other senior archaeologists. This was less than six months before the demolition (which of course no one then knew was going to take place). Their particular interest lay in the forty-odd Hindu artifacts that had been discovered in the pit missed by Lal. These finds had been widely reported in the newspapers. Gupta, a former Director of the Allahabad Museum and an expert on medieval artifacts had a special interest in examining the finds. He tells us:

 

The team found that the objects were datable to the period ranging from the 10th through the 12th century AD, i.e., the period of the late Pratiharas and early Gahadvals. The kings of these two dynasties hailing from Kannauj had ruled over Avadh and eastern Uttar Pradesh successively during that period.

These objects included a number of amakalas, i.e., the cogged-wheel type architectural element which crown the bhumi shikharas or spires of subsidiary shrines, as well as the top of the spire or the main shikhara … This is a characteristic feature of all north Indian temples of the early medieval period and no one can miss it — it is there in the Orissa temples such as Konarak, in the temples of Madhya Pradesh such as Khajuraho and in the temples of Rajasthan such as Osian.

 

There was other evidence — of cornices, pillar capitals, mouldings, door jambs with floral patterns and others — leaving little doubt regarding the existence of a 10th – 12th century temple complex at the site of Ayodhya. So Lal had been right in believing there was an earlier temple — prior to the one destroyed by Babar. More discoveries were made following the demolition of December 6. All these discoveries leave no doubt at all about the true picture.

 

The discovery of a number of Kushana period terracotta images of gods and goddesses earlier made it clear, first, that at the Janmabhumi site Hindu temples were built several times during the 2000 years with the interval of only 450 years, from 1528 to 1992, when the Muslims destroyed the temple and occupied the site and also built a new structure they called ‘Janmabhumi Masjid’ in their own record; … (See below.)

And finally, the temple was destroyed sometime after the 13th century AD, in every likelihood in the early 16th century, as is fully borne out by the inscriptions of Mir Baqi found fixed in the disputed structure from back in time, during the British days as is clear from the accounts given by Mrs. A. Beveridge in her translation of Babur-Namapublished in 1926.

 

 

Kushana period artifacts from the ‘mosque’ site

So archaeology also leaves little doubt about the existence of the prior temple. Then came the explosion of Decembr 6, 1992. This demolished not only the Babri Masjid but the whole case of the Secularists and their allies. It revealed a major inscription that settles the question once and for all.

 

Discoveries at the site II: the Hari-Vishnu inscription

The demolition on December 6, 1992 changed the picture dramatically, providing further support to the traditional accounts — both Hindu and Muslim. Some of the kar-sevaks, no doubt influenced by all the publicity about history and archaeology, went on to pick up more than two hundred pieces of stone slabs with writing upon them. These proved to belong to extremely important inscriptions, more than a thousand years old. In effect, the kar-sevaks had done what archaeologists should have done years ago; they had unearthed important inscriptions — in howsoever a crude form — something that should have been done years ago by professional historians and archaeologists. The inscriptions, even the few that have been read so far, shed a great deal of light on the history of not only Ayodhya and its environs, but all of North India in the early Medieval, and even the late ancient period.

In any other society, these inscriptions and other archaeological artifacts would not only be greeted with glee — as Biblical scholars did the Dead Sea Scrolls — but there would also be a mad scramble among researchers to see what new discoveries they could make. But the Secularists’ reaction was the exact opposite of this: they wanted the whole thing suppressed. They claimed, without examination, that all the two-hundred and fifty odd pieces of epigraphical records were forgeries planted during the demolition, and demanded a police investigation. This is a point worth noting: they wanted not an investigation of artifacts by scholars, but a police investigation.

To return to the inscriptional finds, it will be years before scholars can come up with a complete picture, but they have already yielded much valuable information. Here is what S.P. Gupta found upon examining the two-hundred and fifty or so stone pieces with writing upon them:

 

Not all were ancient, since scores of them, generally rectangular marble tiles, bore the dedicatory inscriptions in the Devanagari script of the 20th century. However, at least three dozens of them were certainly ancient, belonging to the period bracketed between 10th and 12th centuries AD. (In The Ayodhya Reference: pp 117-18)

 

The most important of these deciphered so far is the Hari-Vishnu inscription that clinches the whole issue of the temple. It is written in 12th century AD Devanagari script and belongs therefore to the period before the onslaught of the Ghorids (1192 AD and later). Gupta tells us:

 

This inscription, running in as many as 20 lines, is found engraved on a 5 ft. long, 2 ft. broad and 2.5 inches thick slab of buff sandstone, apparently a very heavy tablet … Three-fourths of the tablet is found obliterated anciently. The last line is also not complete since it was anciently subjected to chipping off. A portion of the central part is found battered, maybe someone tried to deface it anciently. The patination [tarnishing including wearout] is, however, uniform all over the surface, even in areas where once there were inscriptions. (op. cit. pp 118-19) (See below.)

 

The 12 century ‘Hari-Vishnu’ inscription found at the ‘mosque site’

Gupta is an archaeologist and not an epigraphist trained to read ancient inscriptions. It was examined by Ajay Mitra Shastri, Chairman of the Epigraphical Society of India. Shastri gave the following summary. What the inscription tells us is of monumental significance to the history of Medieval India.

 

The inscription is composed in high-flown Sanskrit verse, except for a very small portion in prose, and is engraved in chaste and classical Nagari script of the eleventh-twelfth century AD. It has yet to be fully deciphered, but the portions which have been fully deciphered and read are of great historical significance and value … [It has since been fully deciphered.] It was evidently put up on the wall of the temple, the construction of which is recorded in the text inscribed on it. Line 15 of this inscription, for example, clearly tells us that a beautiful temple of Vishnu-Hari, built with heaps of stones … , and beautified with a golden spire … unparalleled by any other temple built by earlier kings … This wonderful temple … was built in the temple-city of Ayodhya situated in Saketamandala. … Line 19 describes god Vishnu as destroying king Bali … and the ten headed personage (Dashanana, i.e., Ravana). (op. cit. 119; emphasis mine. Original Sanskrit quotes given by Shastri are left out.)

 

Need we say more — a temple for Hari-Vishnu who killed the ten-headed Ravana, in the temple city of Ayodhya? So Ayodhya was known as a temple city even then; Saketa was the ancient name of the district. The inscription confirms what archaeologists Lal and Gupta had earlier found about the existence of a temple complex. And yet the Secularists and their allies have been telling the world that there was no temple!

 

Part of dwara-palaka (gate keeper) found at the ‘mosque’ site

Summary of findings

We may now sum up the findings based on both literary and archaeological/epigraphic evidence:

 

1          All the literary sources without exception, until the Secularists began their negationist masquerade, are unanimous that a Rama temple existed at the site known since time immemorial as Rama Janmabhumi.

 

2. Archaeology confirms the existence of temples going back to Kushan times, or about 2000 years. This date may well be extended by future excavations assuming that such excavations will be permitted by politicians.

 

3. Archaeology records at least two destructions: the first in the 12th-13th century; the second, later, in all probability in the 16th. This agrees well with history and tradition that were temple destructions following the Ghorid invasions (after 1192 AD) and restored, and was destroyed again in 1528 by Babar who replaced it with a mosque. This is the famous — or infamous — Babri Masjid that was demolished by kar-sevaks on December 6, 1992.

 

Another 12th century inscription found at the ‘mosque’ site

4. A large inscription discovered at the site dating to 11th-12th century records the existence of numerous temples including a magnificent one in which Hari-Vishnu was honored as destroyer of the ten-headed Ravana. Ayodhya was always known as a temple city.

 

These facts drawing upon several literary and archaeological sources leave no doubt at all that a temple located at a site sacred to the Hindus was destroyed to build a mosque under Babar’s express orders.

Rama – History behind the Legend

http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/

Aum Namah Raghukul-shiromani Kaushalya-nandan Dashrath-putra Shri Raam

{I bow to Lord Rama, The Son-of Dashrath, Born-of-Kaushalya, Scion-of-the-Raghu clan}

 

 

 

 

Since the auspicious home-coming of Shri Raam (Deepawali) is nigh, I thought of writing a post on my favorite Lord. As recognized by the Supreme Court of India, the existence of Shri Raam can not be decided only by historical or scientific evidence, it is a matter of faith to millions of people.

Yet, it is my effort in this post to analyze the historical and literary evidence pertaining to Lord Raam just as we did in the post on Lord Krishna {Krishna – The Historical Enigma}.

The primary source of life and journey of Shri Raam is the epic Ramayana composed by MaharishiValmiki. The learned sage wanted to write an epic that would serve as an inspiration for generations to come, and highlight the ideals of human behavior in various roles assigned by the society. 

Devarishi Narad, the spiritual mendicant of the Heavens, suggested to him to write about the life and times of Shri Raam, the doyen of the Suryavanshi clan and the most beneficient ruler the land had ever seen. 

This acknowledgement is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan itself and is our first suggestion that the story was based on an actual historical figure. Ramayan itself declares that it belongs to the genre ofItihasa (History) and the only other two sacred books in that genre are the Mahabharat and theHarivamsha.

Other Literary Evidence for Rama

Besides Valmiki Ramayan (4th century BCE), many other scriptures also attest to Shri Raam’s existence.Vishnu Puraan declares Rama as Lord Vishnu’s seventh incarnation, and the Bhagavat Puraan, recounts the story of Lord Rama in the 9th Skanda and counts him amongst the 24 major incarnations of the Vishnu Tattva. 

The Epic Battle between Forces of Good and Evil

 {Image courtesy – Grant Morrison’s 18 Days}

 

 

Mahabharat also mentions the story of Rama in the Aranyak Parva, Dron Parva and the Raam-opakhyanwhere its is narrated to the eldest Pandav, Yuddhishthir. Shri Raam Avatar also finds place in theHarivansh and the Agni Puraan.

Not only these scriptures from Hindu literature, but Buddhist and Jain texts also record the story of Rama and mention it in their own respective styles:

In Buddhism, Ramayan is present in the form of Dasarath Jatak, Dasrath Kathanak and Anamak Jatak, the first of which was composed in the 2nd century BCE. This version talks of Rama and Sita as siblings (which is a common symbolic imagery in early Buddhist literature to denote purity of a dynasty).

In Jain literature, Ramayan exists as the Padma Charita, Charitra Puran, Padmachariyam etc. where, Rama, Lakshman and Ravan represent the Baladev, Vasudev and Prati-vasudev concepts of Jain mythology respectively. Keepin with the Jain tradition of non-violence, it is Lakshman who kills Ravan and due to the use of violence, both go to hell while Lord Rama (known as Padma) goes back to heaven.

All these unrelated sources chronicling the life of Rama can not be false or fake.. There has to be SOMEreason that ALL these diverse traditions decided to write about Shri Raam and share His life story! 

However, even with all this literary evidence, we do not have much archaeologically to help us  in our endeavor like we did for Krishna in the post {Krishna – The Historical Enigma}, and the reason for that will be clear soon enough!

To illustrate my point, I share the following excerpts declaring the time of arrival of the 7th Avatar of lord Vishnu on our Planet:

Treta yuge chaturvinshe ravane tapseh shakshyat |
Ram dashrtathi prapiye sagane shakyamiyeewan ||  

[Vayu Puraan 70.88]

Chaturvinshe yuge chapi vishwamitra pure sare |
Loke ram iti khyate tejsah bhaskaropam ||  

[Harivansh 22.104]

Chaturvinshe yuge vats tretayaam raghuvanshaje |
Ramo naam bhavishyami chaturvhayu sanatane || 

[Brahmand Puraan 2.2.36.30]

On the basis of the given references it can be inferred that Shri Raam lived in the 24th Treta Yug.  The Mahabharat further elaborates the exact timeline to the juncture of the Treta and the Dvapar Yugs:

Sandho tu samanupraptre tretayaam dwaparisya cha |
Ramo daasrathirbhutva bhavishami jagatpati ||   

[Mahabharat 348.19]

 

Now this is ground-breaking information people and I will tell you why! 

We are currently in the Kaliyuga of the 28th YUGA CYCLE of the 51 st Day of Brahma. Hence Lord Rama was born not just Two Yugs ago but TWO YUGS plus THREE CHATUR-YUGS before present!!

THIS is why digging for archaeological data to corroborate the existence of Shri Raam would be futile. There is no way we could find any man-made artifacts after millenia as the scriptures put Shri Raam’s period to be 18 million years ago! Even if we consider this duration to be in Deva Years, it comes to more than 40,000 years. {For relation between Deva and Human Years, check the page Kalchakra of this blog}

For the same reason, 7323 BCE or 5114 BCE as the birth years of Shri Raam can not be correct. Even though the dates were arrived at through a thorough analysis of Lord Rama’s birth charts and have a very sound basis but based on what scriptures say, we have to make a correction in them. 

These analyses done by Prof. Vartak and Pushkar Bhatnagar show that at a certain point in time, the planetary configuration mentioned at the time of Lord Rama’s birth DID indeed exist and thus, the numerous astrological references in the Ramayan are not imaginary but refer to ACTUAL points in time.

Alignment of Stars at the time of Lord Rama’s birth

 

 

A solution to the apparent mismatch of dates can be found if we realize that because of a phenomenon known as the ‘Precession of Equinoxes’, stars as visualized from Earth, regain the same positions every 26,000 years! 

Hence, this particular permutation of stars could belong to 5114 BCE + 26,000 or 26,000 years before that or the similar period before that or the one before and so on and so forth.. 

What is amazing is that even today the places related to Lord Rama, the stories, the Geographical co-ordinates of the cities mentioned etc. are still remembered in the Hindu tradition! Therefore, what we can still do is track and analyze this GEOGRAPHICAL evidence in the literary masterpiece of Ramayan and find out if they help us in our cause.

Ramayan – The Adi-kavya 

Numerous versions of Ramayan exist throughout the length and the breadth of the country and even outside its boundaries but the oldest of these is the Valmiki Ramayan and for our analysis, we will stick to the original as it is the most ancient and accurate one.

Let me begin with a very interesting anachronism mentioned in this version of the Ramayan. Sundar Kanda [4.27.12] states that Hanuman, on entering Lanka, sees FOUR-TUSKED elephants guarding the palaces of Ravan. These elephants are tall and imposing and have been trained to protect Lanka from invaders.

A similar account is given by Trijata, the ogress guarding Sita ji in Chapter 27  of the same Kanda when she dreams of Lord Rama coming to Sita’s rescue riding an elephant high as a hill and bearing four-tusks.

So what is so special about these accounts?? Well, fossil remains show that there were many steps in the evolution of the ‘Modern Elephant’ and there DID exist four-tusked ancestors of elephants in various shapes and sizes such as Trilophodon, Tetralophodon, Gomphotherium etc around 20 million years ago! 

How in the world could Rishi Valmiki have known about the four-tusked ancestors of the modern elephant unless he had seen them himself or was told about them by Narad???

 

Four-tusked elephants mentioned in Valmiki Ramayan lived millions of years ago!

 

This apparent anachronism, though not rock-solid evidence,  is yet another point that puts us in a time frame closer to what the scriptures say. 

Let us now see what geographical evidence we can glean out of the masterpiece of Valmiki Ramayan that forms the foundation of cultural traditions right from India to the Far East and check whether the Ramayan contains accurate information or describes a make-believe land.

 

 

 

Geographical Evidence from Valmiki Ramayan

Ramayan (Travels of Rama) itself indicates a Geographical journey. The story begins in Ayodhya (The-Unconquerable-City), the center of power for the ruling Suryavanshi/Solar Dynasty kings.

Shri Raam’s mother Kaushalya was from the kingdom called Koshala, which corresponds to the state of Chattisgarh of today. Sumitra was from Magadh (Bihar) while Kaikeyi was from above Gandhar, the kingdom called Kaikeya which is today’s Waziristan. 

The journey of Lord Rama to recover Sita ji covers the length and breadth of the country and Valmiki Ramayan is extremely correct Geographically.

Major Kingdoms of the sub-continent in Ramayan Times

 

 

 

The authenticity of Geography right from Gandhar to Sri Lanka can not be the result of imagination! 

Before being judgmental, we should remember that this was in a time when the modern means of transport/communication/internet etc. were not available. It has to be based on actual witnessing of these places by either the author or the one narrating the story to him, who in this case was Devarishi Narad.

 

 

 

Sites within India

Let us begin with Shri Raam’s birthplace Ayodhya which although in dispute because of the political battle centered around it, can still yield a lot of information. 

To begin with, we have to answer the million dollar question – did an ancient temple exist at the disputed site in Ayodhya? Indeed, before the demolition of Babri Masjid, there had been excavations around the temple precinct which gave indications of not one but many older temple foundations existing there.

The Imperial Gazetteer of Faizabad (1881) confirms the construction of three Moghul mosques at Ayodhya on the site of three celebrated shrines: Janmasthan, Swargadwar and Treta-ka-Thakur. Archaeological Survey of India tells us that Mir Khan (on Babar’s orders) built the mosque at Janmasthan using many of its columns. The other two mosques were built later by Aurangzeb who was one step ahead of Babar in his zealotry. 

From 1975 to 1980, the Archaeological Survey of India had under the guidance of Prof. B.B. Lal, unearthed (literally) as many as 20 black stone pillars, 16 of which formed the base of the ‘Janmasthan Masjid’ as it was called colloquially even then. The pillars were much bigger in size than those of the mosque and clearly belonged to a much more grand structure.

Check out the man on the left as reference for the size of the pillars

On further stratigraphic and other evidence, Prof. Lal also found a door-jamb carved with Hindu icons and decorative motifs of yakshas, yakshis, kirtimukhas, purnaghattas, double lotus flowers etc.

Excavation was resumed on July 2, 1992 by S.P. Gupta, Y.D. Sharma, K.M. Srivastava and other senior archaeologists barely six months before the demolition. Prof. Lal’s southern trenches had missed a huge pit with 40 and odd sculptures just by 10 to 12 feet discovered by the team even though he DID get the pillar bases which others did not get later.

Excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi Sthal

 

 

The team found artifacts ranging from the 1st through the 12th century CE! These findings included religious sculpture, terracotta images from the Kushan period (100-300 CE) and a statue of Lord Vishnu.They concluded that these and other fragments such as the amakalas, or the cogged-wheel crown of the spire belonged to a temple of the North Indian Nagara style of Temple architecture (900-1200 CE).

The most important finding is what is known as the Hari-Vishnu Inscription written in 12th century CE Devanagari script. Line 15 of this inscription clearly tells us that –

A beautiful temple of Vishnu-Hari, was built with heaps of stones and beautified with a golden spire unparalleled by any other temple built by earlier kings… This wonderful temple was built in the temple-city of Ayodhya situated in Saketamandala.

Line 19 describes god Vishnu as destroying king Bali and the ten headed Dashanan, i.e., Ravan.

 Hari-Vishnu Inscription from Babri Masjid excavation

 

 

Archaeology records at least two destructions: the FIRST in the 12th-13th century; the SECOND in the 16th. This agrees well with history and tradition that temple destructions followed the Ghori invasions(after 1192 AD) and again in 1528 by Babar who replaced temples at major Hindu pilgrimage sites with mosques.

Moving on, Sita ji was discovered by Janak in Mithila which now lies in Nepal. It forms a region shared by both India and Nepal and gives birth to the language known as Maithili. The place where the Goddess was found by Raja Janak in a furrow is known as Sitamarhi, and is still revered along with the nearby pond called the Janaki kund. 

After their wedding, Shri Raam and Sita ji left for Ayodhya via Lumbini where we have an Ashoka Pillar from 249 BCE, with an inscription referring to the visits by both Rama and Buddha to Lumbini. 

When they were exiled, Lord Rama, Lakshman and Sita went to Shringverpur in Uttar Pradesh where they crossed the River Ganga. They lived on the Chitrakut hill where Bharat met and pleaded for their return. Thereafter, the three wandered through Dandakaranya in Central India, described as a land of Rakshasas and tribals. 

The Journey of Lord Rama

 

 

 

After spending some time there, they reached Nashik, near river Godavari, and the region throbs with sites related to the three Ayodhya-vasis. There is the place where they built their cottage known asTapovan; Ramkund where Rama and Sita used to bathe, Lakshmankund, for the younger brother’s bathing area, and several other caves associated with their lives in the forest.

Shri Raam, Lakshman and Sita ji inTapovan

 

 

The three then moved to Panchavati, from where Ravan, with the help of his uncle Mareech, was successful in abducting Sita ji. On the way to Lanka from Panchvati, Ravan was attacked by Jatayu but died a martyr’s death. Sita ji dropped her valuables all along the way that were gathered by the Vanarsbelow.

Shri Raam and Lakshman then reached Kishkindha, near modern Hampi, where they first met Hanuman and then Sugriv, the exiled King of the Vanars. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Sugriv is described to have lived at Mount Rishyamukha on the banks of river Pampa (Tungabhadra). Anjanadri, near Hospet, is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman (Anjaneya).

 

 

Kishkindha, modern Hampi

 

 

The Vanar army led by Shri Raam, Sugreev, and Jambvant then reached Rameshwaram, where they built a bridge to Lanka from Dhanushkodi on the Rameshwaram Island to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. While parts of the RAMA-SETU are still visible, NASA had in the early part of this millenium photographed an underwater man-made bridge of shoals in the Palk Straits, connecting India to Lanka.

Shri Rama Setu connecting Shri Lanka to the Indian mainland

The existence of Rama Setu had already been confirmed by several foreign travelers including the Venetian traveller Marco Polo (1254-1324), and British cartographers who prepared maps of the area in 1747, 1788 and 1804. 

The then Manual of the Administration of Madras Presidency mentions both the names Adam’s Bridgeand Rama Setu. It also says that the Setu was used for pedestrian traffic between India and Sri Lanka right until 1480 when a major cyclone destroyed it!!

The Bridge of Rama

 

Accurate dating of this bridge can help us in finding an answer but since different studies have come up with different dates, I prefer not to mention them here. Let us now shift our focus to Lanka and try to find out whether there is any geographical location matching with the descriptions in Valmiki Ramayan.

Sites in Sri Lanka

Once Ravan had captured Sita ji, he brought her to the place today known as Weragantota in Lanka close to Mahiyangana town; and surprise surprise the meaning of this name in the Sinhalese language is a’landing place for aircrafts’!!

According to the depiction of Pushpak Viman (which Ravan had snatched from his half-brother Kuber), it resembled a huge peacock. In Sinhala it is called the Dhandu Monara (flying peacock) and it is believed that Ravan had an aircraft repair center at Gurulupotha where Sita ji was first brought and quite fittingly, the name means “parts of birds”.  Right next to it is the Sita Kottuwa jungle in which once stood the city of Lankapura.

Ramayan sites in Sri Lanka

Ashok Vatika is the garden where Ravan is supposed to have held Sita ji captive and this is in the area ofSita Eliya, close to the popular hill station Nuwara Eliya. The Sita Pokuna is a barren area atop theHakgala Rock Jungle where Sita ji was kept captive and the Sita Amman Kovil (Temple) is located hereand I was fortunate enough to have paid it a visit last year :o)

 The Sita Amman Temple near Nuwara Eliya

About 50 Km from here is the Divrumpola Temple which is thought to be the place where Sita ji performed her ‘Agni Pariksha’. the name means ‘a place for making a vow’ and is seen inscribed in the moonstone guarding the Temple.

The summit of the mountain next to the Frotoft Tea Estate in Pussallawa is the place where Hanuman is believed to have first set his foot on Lanka! This mountain known as Pawala Malai stands between Ravan’s capital city and the Ashok Vatika. 

The Sita tear pond is found en route by the chariot route, and is believed to have been formed by the tears of Sita devi. The forest is also colored with the famed Sita Flowers which are endemic to this area. The peculiarity of these flowers is the configuration of the petal’s, stamen and pistils, which resemble a human figure carrying a bow, and is said to represent Lord Rama.

Sita flowers

Ella, a small mountain near Bandarawela, boasts of three locations linked to the Ramayan where, local legend dictates, Ravana hid Sita. First there is the Ravana Ella Cave situated in the massive Ella Rock. Then there is Ravana Ella Falls and a nearby pool bored out of the rock by the gushing waters. The tunnels in the Ravan cave believed to have served as a quick means of transport through the hills and also as secret passages.

Ravana Falls in Lanka

 

The Kelani River is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan and Vibhishan’s palace was said to be on the banks of this river. Vibhishan is still considered one of the four guardian deities of Sri Lanka, and temples for Vibishan are found throughout Sri Lanka unlike that of Ravan.

There are many more spots connected to the Legend of Shri Raam and a complete list can be found at the following link – {Ramayana_sites_in_sri_lanka}.

Ravan, the Lord of Lanka, a mighty warrior, a learned pandit, the master of Three Worlds, the posessor ofAmrit, was ultimately defeated by the hands of Shri Raam because in his hubris, he desired what belonged to the Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself. 

He sacrificed the lives of his brother, his sons and his entire army just to pander to his ego. Despite all his knowledge and erudition, he was not able to get a grip on his desires and lust which  ultimately led to his downfall.

 

Lord Rama ready to unleash the final arrow on Ravan

 {Image courtesy – Ramayana 3392 A.D.}

Outside India, the millenia old story of Rama is still sung by people all over Asia. While traveling to different countries in this part of the world, I have come across versions that are even older than the regional ones in India!!

• In China, collection of Jatak stories relating to various events of Ramayana, belonging to 251 AD were compiled by Kang Seng Hua based on the Buddhist texts mentioned earlier.

• Kumardasa, who ruled Srilanka in 617 BCE wrote the text called ‘Janakiharan’ which is the oldest Sanskrit literature available in Sri lanka.  

• Oldest written version of Ramayana, in Nepal is from 1075 BCE. 

• Yama Zatdaw in Myanmar is considered the National epic and is a Burmese version of the story of Rama which has again given theme to dance and art forms including tapestries and puppets.(In fact my Burmese friends even stressed that it is the true history of their land).

 

The retelling of Ramayana in Myanmar’s National Epic

 

 

• Hikayat Seri Rama in Malaysia makes Dashrath the great-grandson of Adam, the first man! (which is not too far from the truth as both Dashrath and Manu, the First Man were from the Suryavanshi/Solar dynasty!),  

• In the Phra Lak Phra Lam of Laos, Buddha is regarded as an incarnation of Rama (again not completely false as both are incarnations of Lord Vishnu!).

• Reamker, is the most famous story of Khmer Literature of Cambodia and is the source of classical dance, theater, poetry and of course the famous sculptures of Angkor Wat. Various rock inscriptions belonging to about 700 CE are also found in the Khmer region of Cambodia.  

 

 Ramayana depictions from Angkor Wat, Cambodia

 

 

• Maradia Lawana in the Phillipines is based on the Ramayana, 

• Ramakavaca in Bali is a major source of moral and spiritual guidance for the island and forms the basic story line of Balinese traditional dance, 

• Kakawin Ramayana in Java, Indonesia (9th century CE) is a mixture of Sanskrit and Kawi languages and is the basis of traditional Indonesian ballet and performances that are famous the world over.

 

Indonesian Ramayan Ballet

 

• Ramakien in Thailand is again considered the National epic and adds an element of incest to the story by making Sita the daughter of Ravan and Mandodari who is thrown away in the Sea as she is prophesied to bring destruction to Ravan’s Kingdom!! 

However, the abandoned baby Sita is found by Janak and grows up as his daughter only to be later abducted by Ravan and ultimately lead to the end of Ravan and his supremacy. 

 

Thai Khon Dance based on the Ramayana

 

 

Notably, the capital of the Thai kings was also referred to as Ayutthaya the Thai version of Ayodhya! Even the current king in Thailand has the title of Rama IX.. never imagined travel to these parts of the world would open my eyes to the richness of our own heritage. 

This Diwali, let us once again remember the story of the great personality that has influenced generations of humans and has survived over millions of years. I conclude this Deepawali post with the closing lines of the poetic rendition of Ramayan by  Romesh C. Dutta:

“Mark my love,” Rama told Sita, on the Pushpak car,
As the home-bound couple, left behind the field of war,

“Watch Lanka’s proud city below on the triple crest,
Like peaks of Kailash mansions where Immortals rest.

 
Mark the gory fields, where Vanars in their might,
Fought the charging Rakshasas, in the gory fight,

Where Indrajit and Kumbha-karna, Ravan and chieftains,
Fell down in battle with their blood soaking the plains.

See my love, around the island how the oceans roar,
Hiding pearls among corals, strewing shells upon the shore,

And the causeway mighty, monument of our fame,
‘Rama’s Bridge’ to distant ages shall our deeds proclaim!

 

See the rocky Kishkindha and her mountain-girdled town,
Where I slayed Vali, and placed Sugriv on the throne,

Watch the hill of Rishyamukh, where the Vanars first I met, 

Gave them word – Sugriv will be king ere the Sun had set.

 

Watch the sacred Pampa by whose wild and echoing shore,
I poured lamentations, when I saw my wife no more,

And the woods of Janasthan where Jatayu fought and bled,
From where the deceitful Ravan, with my trusting Sita fled.

 

Dost thou mark, doe-eyed Sita, the cottage on river bank,
Where in righteous penance, we laid down every plank,

And the mighty Godavari, with Saint Agastya’s home of love,
Where holy men through holy duties sanctify the grove.

 

Dost thou, o’er the Dandak forest, view the Chitrakut hill.
Where the deathless bard Valmiki, lives in the crystal rill,

Thither came the righteous Bharat and my army came,
Longing to take us back to Suryavanshi’s town of fame,

 

Dost thou, devoted Sita, see the Yamuna in her might,
Where in Bharadwaj’s ashram passed we, a happy night,

And the broad and ruddy Ganga sweeping in regal pride,
Where forest-dweller Guha crossed us to the southern side.

 

Joy! joy! gentle Sita! Fair Ayodhya looms above,
Ancient seat of Raghuvansh, Our Hope and our Love,

Bow, bow, to bright Ayodhya! Dark did our exile roam,
But tonight our weary toil ends, in Suryavansh’s ancient home!”

 

 

Jai Shri Raam and Happy Diwali :o)

Let there be Light 

. 

Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:

Sri Rama Janma Bhumi

Archaeological Excavations at Sri Rama Janma Bhumi

 http://karsevakindia.blogspot.com/

New Delhi, June 16, 2003. A few days ago a news item allegedly supplied by the Archaeological Survey of India was planted in the newspapers that no evidence of a pre-existing structure under the disputed Rama Janma Bhumi-Babri Masjid was found. The said news item was definitely deceptive, groundless, misrepresented and calculated to dupe the country. The misrepresented item was based on an unfinished progress report of the ASI. Three-fourths of the report have been concealed. The item was cooked up on the basis of the excavation report of a spot that was about 50 feet away from the western wall of the Rama Janma Bhumi structure. As such the inferences of the news item based on the report of this pit is reckless. In spite of this, even these pits gave away two-thousand year old molded bricks and ornate stone pieces of different shapes and sizes. The news item dishonored these facts.

The excavations so far give ample traces that there was a mammoth pre-existing structure beneath the three-domed Babri structure. Ancient perimeters from East to West and North to South have been found beneath the Babri fabrication. The bricks used in these perimeters predate the time of Babur. Beautiful stone pieces bearing carved Hindu ornamentations like lotus, Kaustubh jewel, alligator facade, etc., have been used in these walls. These decorated architectural pieces have been anchored with precision at varied places in the walls. A tiny portion of a stone slab is sticking out at a place below 20 feet in one of the pits. The rest of the slab lies covered in the wall. The projecting portion bears a five-letter Dev Nagari inscription that turns out to be a Hindu name. The items found below 20 feet should be at least 1,500 years old. According to archaeologists about a foot of loam layer gathers on topsoil every hundred years. Primary clay was not found even up to a depth of 30 feet. It provides the clue to the existence of some structure or the other at that place during the last 2,500 years.

More than 30 pillar bases have been found at equal spans. The pillar-bases are in two rows and the rows are parallel. The pillar-base rows are in North-South direction. A wall is superimposed upon another wall. At least three layers of the floor are visible. An octagonal holy fireplace (Yagna Kund) has been found. These facts prove the enormity of the pre-existing structure. Surkhii has been used as a construction material in our country since over 2000 years and in the constructions at the Janma Bhumi Surkhii has been extensively used. Molded bricks of round and other shapes and sizes were neither in vogue during the middle ages nor are in use today. It was in vogue only 2,000 years ago. Many ornate pieces of touchstone (Kasauti stone) pillars have been found in the excavation. Terracotta idols of divine fugurines, serpent, elephant, horse-rider, saints, etc., have been found. Even to this day terracotta idols are used in worship during Diwali celebrations and then put by temple sanctums for invoking divine blessings. The Gupta and the Kushan period bricks have been found. Brick walls of the Gahadwal period (12th Century CE) have been found in excavations.

Nothing has been found to prove the existence of residential habitation there. The excavation gives out the picture of a vast compound housing a sole distinguished and greatly celebrated structure used for divine purposes and not that of a colony or Mohalla consisting of small houses. That was an uncommon and highly celebrated place and not a place of habitation for the common people. Hindu pilgrims have always been visiting that place for thousands of years. Even today there are temples around that place and the items found in the excavations point to the existence of a holy structure of North Indian architectural style at that place.

So the excavation was to find the answer to the question as to whether Babur superimposed the domed structure on a preexisting structure after demolishing it or built it on virgin ground. The answer to this question has been found from the excavations.

राम जन्मस्थान स्थित मंदिर को गिराकर बाबर ने उसी मंदिर के स्तंभों का उपयोग करके मस्जिद बनाई

Vijay Bothra

4 hrs

BY Suresh Chiplunkar
1. History and Geography of India : by Joseph Typhentheller – सन 1785
राम जन्मस्थान स्थित मंदिर को गिराकर बाबर ने उसी मंदिर के स्तंभों का उपयोग करके मस्जिद बनाई… हिंदुओं ने हार मानने से इनकार कर दिया और मुगलों के कई प्रयासों के बावजूद लगातार संघर्ष जारी रहा…
2. Gazeteers of the Province of Oundh – सन 1877
जाँच से सिद्ध होता है कि मुगलों ने अयोध्या में कम से कम तीन प्रमुख हिन्दू मंदिर नेस्तनाबूद किए और उस ज़मीन पर मस्जिदें बनाईं… बाबर ने राम जन्मभूमि पर 1528 में मस्जिद बनाई..
3. Faizabad Settlement Report – सन 1880
अंग्रेज जिला अधिकारी की रिपोर्ट यह सुनिश्चित करती है कि 1528 में बाबर ने राम जन्मस्थान पर स्थित मंदिर को गिराकर मस्जिद बनाई थी…

Babri Masjid

శ్రీధర్ కోవూరు shared Dr. Subramanian Swamy‘s photo.

1 hr

Dr. Subramanian Swamy

Are we afraid of the trurth?
———————————–
1) As early as 1975, temple pillars were found in archaeological excavation at Babri site. They carried not only typical Hindu motifs and mouldings, but also figures of Hindu deities.
However, as soon as it was reported, all facilities were withdrawn and despite repeated requests the project was kept shut for 10-12 years

2) In July 1992, eight eminent archaeologists examined the findings which included religious sculptures and a statue of Vishnu, Shiva Parvati and numerous vaishnav deities.

3) The archaeologists also reported evidence of a large 10th century structure similar to a Hindu temple having pre-existed the Babri Masjid.

4) The findings also suggest that a Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) culture existed at the mosque site between 1000 BC and 300 BC.

These findings are corroborated by evidence provided by Canadian geophysicist Claude Robillard (who performed a search with a ground-penetrating radar.)

Thus, the excavations gave ample traces that there was a mammoth pre-existing structure beneath the three-domed Babri structure. It suggests a picture of a vast compound housing a sole distinguished and greatly celebrated structure used for divine purposes. Nothing has been found to prove the existence of residential habitation there.

However, the findings have been kept so hush hush that barely anyone in the country knows about them. Babri mosque is one of the many symbols of oppression of native Indian population in hands of the foreign invaders. It’s a reminder of a grim genocide of Hindus in the name of Jihad. No country in this world preserves such symbols of shame as we have.
When the masses wanted it taken down, the governments went against the people and put barriers around the structure. In 1990, Kar Sevaks (volunteers for the cause) were shot down by thousands by then Mulayam government (justice continues to evade the victims till date while Mulayam and his ilk roam free).
——————–

Ref.
1) B.B. Lal (Manthan,10/1990) and S.P. Gupta (Indian Express, 2 December 1990), and annexure 28 to the VHP document Evidence for the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.
2) Narain, Harsh. 1993. The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute
3) 2003 ASI Report
4) http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/mar/10josy.htm
5) http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl…&
6) http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/aug/25ayo1.htm

भगवान कृष्ण की 16108 पत्नियों का राज…

Prasad Davrani shared his photo.

7 mins ·

Prasad Davrani‎हम और हमारी संस्कृति

भगवान कृष्ण की 16108 पत्नियों का राज…

कहते हैं कि भगवान कृष्ण की 16,108 पत्नियां थीं। क्या यह सही है? इस संबंध में कई कथाएं प्रचलित हैं और लोगों में इसको लेकर जिज्ञासा भी है। आइए, जानते हैं कि कृष्ण की 16,108 पत्नियां होने के पीछे राज क्या है।

महाभारत अनुसार कृष्ण ने रुक्मणि का हरण कर उनसे विवाह किया था। विदर्भ के राजा भीष्मक की पुत्री रुक्मणि भगवान कृष्ण से प्रेम करती थी और उनसे विवाह करना चाहती थी। रुक्मणि के पांच भाई थे- रुक्म, रुक्मरथ, रुक्मबाहु, रुक्मकेस तथा रुक्ममाली। रुक्मणि सर्वगुण संपन्न तथा अति सुन्दरी थी। उसके माता-पिता उसका विवाह कृष्ण के साथ करना चाहते थे किंतु रुक्म चाहता था कि उसकी बहन का विवाह चेदिराज शिशुपाल के साथ हो। यह कारण था कि कृष्ण को रुक्मणि का हरण कर उनसे विवाह करना पड़ा।

पांडवों के लाक्षागृह से कुशलतापूर्वक बच निकलने पर सात्यिकी आदि यदुवंशियों को साथ लेकर श्रीकृष्ण पांडवों से मिलने के लिए इंद्रप्रस्थ गए। युधिष्ठिर, भीम, अर्जुन, नकुल, सहदेव, द्रौपदी और कुंती ने उनका आतिथ्‍य-पूजन किया।

इस प्रवास के दौरान एक दिन अर्जुन को साथ लेकर भगवान कृष्ण वन विहार के लिए निकले। जिस वन में वे विहार कर रहे थे वहां पर सूर्य पुत्री कालिन्दी, श्रीकृष्ण को पति रूप में पाने की कामना से तप कर रही थी। कालिन्दी की मनोकामना पूर्ण करने के लिए श्रीकृष्ण ने उसके साथ विवाह कर लिया।

फिर वे एक दिन उज्जयिनी की राजकुमारी मित्रबिन्दा को स्वयंवर से वर लाए। उसके बाद कौशल के राजा नग्नजित के सात बैलों को एकसाथ नाथ कर उनकी कन्या सत्या से पाणिग्रहण किया। तत्पश्चात उनका कैकेय की राजकुमारी भद्रा से विवाह हुआ। भद्रदेश की राजकुमारी लक्ष्मणा भी कृष्ण को चाहती थी, लेकिन परिवार कृष्ण से विवाह के लिए राजी नहीं था तब लक्ष्मणा को श्रीकृष्ण अकेले ही हरकर ले आए।

इस तरह कृष्ण की आठों पत्नियां थी- रुक्मणि, जाम्बवन्ती, सत्यभामा, कालिन्दी, मित्रबिन्दा, सत्या, भद्रा और लक्ष्मणा।

कृष्ण अपनी आठों पत्नियों के साथ सुखपूर्वक द्वारिका में रह रहे थे। एक दिन स्वर्गलोक के राजा देवराज इंद्र ने आकर उनसे प्रार्थना की, ‘हे कृष्ण! प्रागज्योतिषपुर के दैत्यराज भौमासुर के अत्याचार से देवतागण त्राहि-त्राहि कर रहे हैं। क्रूर भौमासुर ने वरुण का छत्र, अदिति के कुण्डल और देवताओं की मणि छीन ली है और वह त्रिलोक विजयी हो गया है।

इंद्र ने कहा, भौमासुर ने पृथ्वी के कई राजाओं और आमजनों की अति सुन्दरी कन्याओं का हरण कर उन्हें अपने यहां बंदीगृह में डाल रखा है। कृपया आप हमें बचाइए प्रभु।

इंद्र की प्रार्थना स्वीकार कर के श्रीकृष्ण अपनी प्रिय पत्नी सत्यभामा को साथ लेकर गरुड़ पर सवार हो प्रागज्योतिषपुरपहुंचे। वहां पहुंचकर भगवान कृष्ण ने अपनी पत्नी सत्यभामा की सहायता से सबसे पहले मुर दैत्य सहित मुर के छः पुत्र- ताम्र, अंतरिक्ष, श्रवण, विभावसु, नभश्वान और अरुण का संहार किया।

मुर दैत्य के वध हो जाने का समाचार सुन भौमासुर अपने अनेक सेनापतियों और दैत्यों की सेना को साथ लेकर युद्ध के लिए निकला। भौमासुर को स्त्री के हाथों मरने का श्राप था इसलिए भगवान श्रीकृष्ण ने अपनी पत्नी सत्यभामा को सारथी बनाया और घोर युद्ध के बाद अंत में कृष्ण ने सत्यभामा की सहायता से उसका वध कर डाला।

इस प्रकार भौमासुर को मारकर श्रीकृष्ण ने उसके पुत्र भगदत्त को अभयदान देकर उसे प्रागज्योतिष का राजा बनाया। भौमासुर के द्वारा हरण कर लाई गईं 16,100कन्याओं को श्रीकृष्ण ने मुक्त कर दिया।

ये सभी अपहृत नारियां थीं या फिर भय के कारण उपहार में दी गई थीं और किसी और माध्यम से उस कारागार में लाई गई थीं। वे सभी भौमासुर के द्वारा पीड़ित थीं, दुखी थीं, अपमानित, लांछित और कलंकित थीं।

सामाजिक मान्यताओं के चलते भौमासुर द्वारा बंधक बनकर रखी गई इन नारियों को कोई भी अपनाने को तैयार नहीं था, तब अंत में श्रीकृष्ण ने सभी को आश्रय दिया और उन सभी कन्याओं ने श्रीकृष्ण को पति रूप में स्वीकार किया। उन सभी को श्रीकृष्ण अपने साथ द्वारिकापुरी ले आए। वहां वे सभी कन्याएं स्वतंत्रपूर्वक अपनी इच्छानुसार सम्मानपूर्वक रहती थीं।