Kerala Kingdom

Keralas or "Udra Keralas" were mentioned in the epic Mahabharata as a kingdom which took part in the Kurukshetra War on the side of the Pandavas. The navigators of Dwaraka also settled in Kerala resulting in the cult of Krishna worship. So does the Sinhalas of Lanka. Remnants of Naga culture also is found here.

Pandyas, Cholas and Keralas (also known as Cheras) were also mentioned in Tamil literature (constituted by Chilappatikaram, Tirukkural etc) complementing their mention in the Sanskrit literature (constituted by Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and Vedas).

The myth of Mahabali, the king of Keralites

Remembrance of King Mahabali

The modern people of Kerala, a southern state of India, remembers their king Mahabali of bygone era, with an astonishing intensity. The biggest festival of Kerala is Onam, celebrated in the remembrance of king Mahabali. King Mahabali was described in ancient Indian texts as belonging to the Asura clan of kings.

Relationship of Asuras and Bhargavas

Small pockets of Asura regions existed in northern India and regions beyond Himalays as well. "Vrishaparvan", was a famous Asura king, who ruled some unknown kingdom in the Himalayas. The founder of the "Puru dynasty" of kings in north India (described in the epic Mahabharata as the forefather of the Pandavas and Kauravas), viz king Puru, was the son of Sarmishta, the daughter of king Vrishaparvan. Vrishaparvan's priest was the sage Sukra, (alias Usanus), who was a Bhargava (the son or a descendant of the sage Bhrigu.) Often the Asura kings chose, sages in the line of Bhrigu as their priest, whereas the Devas chose, sages in the line of Brihaspati or Angiras, as their priests. Mahabali was yet another king whose priest also was named Sukra, in the line of Bhrigu.

The role of Vamana

The myth of Vamana coming and disrupting the sacrifice of Mahabali is as follows:- "Vamana (meaning a dwarf-bodied man), who was a small Brahimin boy, came and asked the king Mahabali, three foot of land for his daily use, for practicing his daily ceremonial customs. Mahabali agreed to it, in spite of the warning by the Bhargava Sukra, his priest. Vamana, getting the consent of the king started to measure the three foot of land he wanted. But he grew his size in large proportions and the land he measured by two steps itself, in effect, covered the whole of Mahabali's kingdom. Vamana placed the third step onto the head of king Mahabali and sent him to the nether worlds. Vamana gave a boon that Mahabali's subjects will remember him as a great king for ever, and every year they will celebrate his arrival to see them, as a festival (Onam)."

This myth can be interpreted as follows. Vamana represents the arrival of a new foreign tribe, into the kingdom of Mahabali. Since Vamana was describes as the son of sage Kasyapa, this new tribe could be the Kasyapa tribe. They asked the king for a small land for their settlement in his new kingdom. The king consented it, in spite of the warning of his priest, the Bargava Sukra. Bhargavas were already aware of Kasyapas, as another priest-class, but as having adherence to the Deva group of ancient people. The consequence of this consent by Mahabali was that the Kasyapas, starting from their small settlement, permitted for occupation by the king, spread through out the kingdom of Mahabali and overthrew him from his kingship. Mahabali was latter forgotten and existed only in the minds of his loyal subjects, as a great king.

The transfer of power from the Bhargavas to Kasyapas was, also evident in the history of Bhargava Rama, where it is described that, Bhargava Rama, after overthrowing the Kshatriya rulers of central India, took the rulership of their land and latter transferred the ownership of this land to the hands of Kasyapas, and retired to woods.

Thus the myth of Vamana signifies the transfer of power from the Asura kings and their Bhargava priests to the Deva worshiping rulers and their Kasyapa priests.

Role of sage Agastya and Vasistha

The sage Agastya was very popular in south Indian kingdoms, including the Kerala Kingdom. Agastya was described as a brother of sage Vasistha. Sage Vasistha is also linked with the story of the birth of the Kerala tribe, as per the epic Mahabharata. (See Mbh 1.177, and the section, named The Myth regarding the birth of Kerala Tribe) This epic also tells that Agastya and Vasistha were the sons of ancient gods Mitra and Varuna. Both were gods common to the Deva and Asura group of ancient people, who inhabited, ancient India, Iran, Iraq and Syria. But the Deva group demoted Varuna, who was the main god of both the groups, to the status of a sea-god, while Indra took the role of Varuna as the main god for them. Asura group maintained their reverence to Varuna and Mitra. The designation of Varuna as a sea-god or the god of the sea, was probably because, the Asuras who gave this god, a very high position, was good at seas, as fishermen, navigators and as sea-traders.

Most historians believe that Agastya and his kinsmen, arrived at south India including Kerala, by migration through land. Agastya is said to have opened a path across the Vindhya ranges in central India to the southern India. There was a hermitage of Agastya near Panchavati or Nasik where Raghava Rama made his temporary abode. There is now, numerous places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu related to Agastya like, "Agastyavata", "Agasteswara" etc. The attribution of sage Agastya, as a son of the sea-god (Varuna), could be due to him being good at sea navigation and probably sea warfare. Indra and other Deva sought the help of Agastya in defeating a clan of Asuras called "Kalakeyas" who were ferocious sea-warriors. Thus Agastya's arrival at Kerala and Southern India could be from a sea route as well.

Agastya was mentioned in Tamil literature also, as "Akattiyar". He is said to develop a grammar for the Tamil language and probably introduced writing in Tamil using Tamil Brahmi script. Malayalam, the language spoken in Kerala is derived from this Tamil.

References of Keralas in Mahabharata

The myth about the origin of the Kerala Tribe

*Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 177

When the sage Vasistha was attacked by king Viswamitra's army, Vasistha's cow, Kamadehnu, brought forth from her tail, an army of Palhavas, and from her udders, an army of Dravidas and Sakas; and from her womb, an army of Yavanas, and from her dung, an army of Savaras; and from her urine, an army of Kanchis; and from her sides, an army of Savaras. And from the froth of her mouth came out hosts of Paundras and Kiratas, Yavanas and Sinhalas, and the barbarous tribes of Khasas and Chivukas and Pulindas and Chinas and Hunas with Keralas, and numerous other Mlechchhas.

"In the ancient Indian literature, cow is a symbol of earth or land. Thus the myth mentioned above simply means that, these tribes gathered for the protection of sage Vasistha's land against the army of king Viswamitra. "

List of provinces of Bharata Varsha (Ancient India)

Chapter (6:9) of Mahabharata mentions about the kingdoms and provinces of ancient India (Bharata Varsha). In this list we found mention of Keralas two times, on along with many north Indian kingdoms like Videha and Magadha and the other along with south Indian kingdoms like the Dravidas, the Mushikas, Karanatakas, the Mahishakas theCholas etc.

Keralas in North India:- .....the Aswakas, the Pansurashtras, the Goparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the Kuladyas, the Malla-Rashtras, the Keralas, the Varatrasyas, the Apavahas, the Chakras, the Vakratapas, the Sakas; the Videhas, the Magadhas,....

Keralas in South India:- There are other kingdoms in the south. They are the Dravidas, the Keralas, the Prachyas, the Mushikas, and the Vanavashikas; the Karanatakas, the Mahishakas, the Vikalpas, and also the Mushakas; the Jhillikas, the Kuntalas, the Saunridas, and the Nalakananas; the Kankutakas, the Cholas, and the Malavayakas; the Samangas, the Kanakas, the Kukkuras, and the Angara-marishas; the Samangas, the Karakas, the Kukuras, the Angaras, the Marishas.....

ahadevas military campaign

*Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 30

Sahadeva vanquished and brought under his subjection numberless kings of the Mlechchha tribe living on the sea coast, and the Nishadas and the cannibals and even the Karnapravarnas, and those tribes also called the Kalamukhas who were a cross between human beings and Rakshasas, and the whole of the Cole mountains, and also Surabhipatna, and the island called the Copper island, and the mountain called Ramaka. He, having brought under subjection king Timingila, conquered a wild tribe known by the name of the Kerakas who were men with one leg ("probably mentioning about people living along with the trees with one trunk i.e. the coconut tree").

He also conquered the town of Sanjayanti and the country of the Pashandas and the Karanatakas by means of his messengers alone, and made all of them pay tributes to him. The hero brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas and the Dravidas along with the Udra-Keralas and the Andhras and the Talavanas (Telingas?), the Kalingas and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas. Having arrived at the sea-shore, he then dispatched messengers unto the illustrious Vibhishana (of Lanka), the grandson of Pulastya.

Keralas role in the Kurukshetra War

*Mahabharata, Book 8, Chapter 12

The Pandavas, headed by Vrikodara (Bhima), advanced against the Kauravas. They consisted of Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the five sons of Draupadi and the Prabhadrakas, and Satyaki and Chekitana with the Dravida forces, and the Pandyas, the Cholas, and the Keralas, surrounded by a mighty array, all possessed of broad chests, long arms, tall statures, and large eyes.

Karna's opinion about the Keralas

*Mahabharata, Book 8, Chapter 44

"Karna, due to his enmity towards Shalya, who was from the Vahlika tribe of Madra, dislikes all these tribes that had culture similar to that of Shalya. Thus he rebuke many cultural traits of this group, including that of sister's son inheriting property rather than ones own son."

There (Punjab) where the five rivers flow just after issuing from the mountains, there among the Aratta-Vahikas, no respectable person should dwell even for two days. There are two Pishacas named Vahi and Hika in the river Vipasa. The Vahikas are the offspring of those two Pishacas. The Karashakas, the Mahishakas, the Kalingas, the Keralas, the Karkotakas, the Virakas, and other peoples of no religion, one should always avoid.

ee also

*Kingdoms of Ancient India

*Kerala, Cheras, Tamil, Odra Kingdom, Konkana Kingdom, Dwaraka Kingdom, Sinhala Kingdom, Vanga Kingdom, Lanka Kingdom.

References

*Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated into English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli