Historicity of ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharta’
I am writing this post after a heated argument with some of my friends on existence of ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharta’. I did some research and so writing this post based on conclusion derived from my readings. I will be happy to accept any mistakes or unsupported arguments. It’s just my perception made after reading and can be changed if you can furnish some facts and logics. I will be largely writing on Mahabharta as text on internet could be found on that only.
Note: My take here is that I ‘doubt’ the existence of ‘Mahabharta’ and so furnishing some text on that. I believe, all these epics have been imagined, or an exaggerated version of some battle (as both Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharta’ are built around battle), written by great scholars to influence the forthcoming generations. Please do not debate on irrelevant topics by giving absurd examples, but if you do have a fact then do share it.
1. Battle of ten kings:
There was a mention about a battle of ten kings from different tribes with Bharata King, who eventually defeated them in an unlikely victory due to timely storms and floods. This battle of ten Kings resembles a lot with Mahabharata plot1) and Mahabharta can be an exaggerated version of this story. In fact many characters and even their descriptions are similar 2)
2. Archaeological evidences of epics?
a) Ramasetu bridge;
The Adam’s bridge over Palk Strait, said to be the remains of a bridge built by Lord Rama, dates back to only 3,500 years and not 1.7 million years as claimed earlier 3). Historians also do not subscribe to the claim linking this stretch to Ramayana.
b) Dawarka City:
There is nothing exceptional found that could be linked to Mahabharta 4)
i) Dates:
Although the adherents of western, empirical science date Dwaraka to 1443 B.C. or roughly 3,400 years ago, ancient Vedic astronomical texts and present-day practitioners of the Vedic tradition assert that the current epoch of Kali-yuga began in 3102 B.C. Lord Krishna's disappearance and the subsequent submergence of Dwaraka occured shortly before this date. Therefore, Dwaraka can be no less than 5,000 years old.
ii) Submergence:
In fact, its submergence is being linked to Tsunami from the coast of Gujarat. This is the account given by Arjuna in the Mahabharata:
"The sea, which has been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. It rushed into the city, coursing through the beautiful city streets, and covered up everything in the city. I saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged on by one. In a matter of a few moments, it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the city. Dwaraka was just a name; just a memory."
3. Most texts date the ‘Mahabharta’ around 950 BC. The recent discovery of large ruined
cities belonging to probably ‘the Harappan civilization1), (1900-3000 BC) along the bed
of the now dried up Ghaggar River, and a submerged site (believed to be ~1500 BC) at
Dvårakå, off the coast of Gujarat by S. R. Rao (1999). The presence of Mahabharata cannot be explained by the short period between the decline of the Indus valley civilization and the Rig Vedic period.
1) Link1
2) Journal of Indo-European Studies, Vol. 31, No.1-2: pp.107-185, 2003)
3) Link3
4) Link4
Note: My take here is that I ‘doubt’ the existence of ‘Mahabharta’ and so furnishing some text on that. I believe, all these epics have been imagined, or an exaggerated version of some battle (as both Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharta’ are built around battle), written by great scholars to influence the forthcoming generations. Please do not debate on irrelevant topics by giving absurd examples, but if you do have a fact then do share it.
1. Battle of ten kings:
There was a mention about a battle of ten kings from different tribes with Bharata King, who eventually defeated them in an unlikely victory due to timely storms and floods. This battle of ten Kings resembles a lot with Mahabharata plot1) and Mahabharta can be an exaggerated version of this story. In fact many characters and even their descriptions are similar 2)
2. Archaeological evidences of epics?
a) Ramasetu bridge;
The Adam’s bridge over Palk Strait, said to be the remains of a bridge built by Lord Rama, dates back to only 3,500 years and not 1.7 million years as claimed earlier 3). Historians also do not subscribe to the claim linking this stretch to Ramayana.
b) Dawarka City:
There is nothing exceptional found that could be linked to Mahabharta 4)
i) Dates:
Although the adherents of western, empirical science date Dwaraka to 1443 B.C. or roughly 3,400 years ago, ancient Vedic astronomical texts and present-day practitioners of the Vedic tradition assert that the current epoch of Kali-yuga began in 3102 B.C. Lord Krishna's disappearance and the subsequent submergence of Dwaraka occured shortly before this date. Therefore, Dwaraka can be no less than 5,000 years old.
ii) Submergence:
In fact, its submergence is being linked to Tsunami from the coast of Gujarat. This is the account given by Arjuna in the Mahabharata:
"The sea, which has been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. It rushed into the city, coursing through the beautiful city streets, and covered up everything in the city. I saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged on by one. In a matter of a few moments, it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the city. Dwaraka was just a name; just a memory."
3. Most texts date the ‘Mahabharta’ around 950 BC. The recent discovery of large ruined
cities belonging to probably ‘the Harappan civilization1), (1900-3000 BC) along the bed
of the now dried up Ghaggar River, and a submerged site (believed to be ~1500 BC) at
Dvårakå, off the coast of Gujarat by S. R. Rao (1999). The presence of Mahabharata cannot be explained by the short period between the decline of the Indus valley civilization and the Rig Vedic period.
1) Link1
2) Journal of Indo-European Studies, Vol. 31, No.1-2: pp.107-185, 2003)
3) Link3
4) Link4
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