Legendary Meluhha is treated as a Country, perhaps ancient India. But this author finds it as a City, city of Meluhha (𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠). The ancient city of Mohenzo daro of Indus Valley civilization.
Ravana’s Lanka
Some believe that the present day Sri Lanka is the ancient city of Lanka of Ravana. Comparison of Sri Lanka with Lanka of Ravana is made with the presumption that Samudra that was crossed by Rama and Hanuman was a Sea ( recognised as Gulf of Mannar which separates mainland India and the Island of Sri Lanka. ).
But it must be remembered that word Samudra is used in Vedas to refer to a river or a pond also.
And nowhere in Ramayana, Lanka was mentioned as an Island. It was referred to as a City only. So we cannot agree with the argument that ancient Lanka city of Ramayana is the present day Island of Sri Lanka. Then where should the ancient Lanka be located on earth ?
(This page is an extract from Chapter 12 titled ‘ The Alakapuri ‘ in author’s Book, ” A Tribute to the Ancient world of India “, ©)
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If we go through the slokas of Ramayana we will find that the descriptions of the city of Lanka in Ramayana match well with the archeological findings at ancient city of Mohenzo daro. Let us look at the following slokas from Ramayana,
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दीर्घिकाः पुष्करिण्यश्च नानावृक्षसमन्विताः
रावणॊ दर्शयामास सीतां शॊकपरायणां
dIrghikaaH puShkariNyaSca naanaavRukShasamanvitaaH
raavaNO darSayaamaasa sItaaM SOkaparaayaNaaM
(SlOka 12, sarga 55, araNya kaaMDa)
After Sita was abducted by Ravana from Panchavati and taken to Lanka, Ravana shows his Capital city of Lanka to Sita Devi and says like this,
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“Meluhha” (𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠) actually appears on the beginning of the other side (column II, 1) in the sentence “The granary of the village of Meluhha”, picture courtesy: Wiki commons Zunkir
विमानं पुष्पकं तस्य कामगं वै जहार यः
वनं चैत्ररथं दिव्यं नळिनीं नंदनं वनं
“Look at these Deep Wells and / or rectangular Ponds surrounded by Trees in the gardens. But Sita was disinterested in what Ravana was telling because she was in deep sorrow (for having got detached from Rama). “
vimaanaM puShpakaM tasya kaamagaM vai jahaara yaH
vanaM caitrarathaM divyaM naLinIM naMdanaM vanaM
(SlOka 15, sarga 32, araNya kaaMDa, Ramayanam)
Ravana continues to tell like this, ” O Sita ! Look at this Sacred Pond (Vimanam) full of Lotus flowers. This Garden is called Chaitraratha. Lotus flowers have divine powers and they fulfill our wishes.” (Generally Vimana is translated as a flying machine or an airplane of the ancients. But this sloka clearly says that Vimana is a Pond filled with full of Lotus flowers.)
