Many people quote the narration of Sugriva in Sarga 41 of Kishkinda Kanda to state that
- Sugriva had the knowledge of entire Earth of his times, as he roamed the Earth due to fear of his brother Vali and finally settled in Rishyamuka mountain.
- the kingdoms Andhra, Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Keralam , etc, were existing even in the times of Ramayana
- Sugriva mentions about Lanka in the midst of ocean and areas beyond Lanka.
However, if we cross-check subsequent Sargas in Kishkinda Kanda,
we can find out that the above claims are wrong, due to the following reasons.
====
a) It was the Divinity, who emerged from the incinerated
monstrous demon Kabandha and directs Shri Rama to approach Sugriva and make
friendship with him, help Sugriva who is in need of help and get help in order
to know the whereabouts of abducted Sita - quid pro quo.
He says the following
about Sugriva.
वानरेन्द्रो महावीर्यः तेजोवान् अमित प्रभः |
सत्य संधो विनीतः च धृतिमान् मतिमान् महान् || ३-७२-१३
"He that Sugreeva is a masterful one among vanara-s, highly
mettlesome, self-resplendent, and illimitable is his self-radiance... and he is
also truth-bound and culture-bound... a mastermind, master-hand and a
taskmaster.
न तस्य अविदितम् लोके किंचित् अस्ति हि राघव || ३-७२-२३
यावत् सूर्यः प्रतपति सहस्रांशुः अरिन्दम |
"Oh, enemy-subjugator Rama, as far as the thousand rayed
sun manifestly irradiates the world, oh, Raghava, thus far, nothing in the
least is unfamiliar to him, isn't it.
स नदीः विपुलान् शैलान् गिरि दुर्गाणि कंदरान् || ३-७२-२४
अन्विष्य वानरैः सार्धम् पत्नीम् ते अधिगमिष्यति
|
"He makes the monkeys to purposefully rake over the
expansive rivers, extensive mountains and their impassable cliffs and caves in
locating your wife.
====
b) Sugriva and his 4 ministers did see Ravana flying away with
Sita, when Sita drops her ornaments in the midst of those Vanaras, with the
hope that they might guide Shri Rama about her. However, Sugriva did not know about Ravana, as he himself admits that fact.
ततः तु राघवो वाक्यम् सुग्रीवम् इदम् अब्रवीत् || ४-६-२३
ब्रूहि सुग्रीव कम् देशम् ह्रियन्ती लक्षिता त्वया |
रक्षसा रौद्ररूपेण मम प्राणप्रिया प्रिया || ४-६-२४
" Then Rama sadly asked to Sugreeva, "tell me
Sugreeva, towards which country that ferocious looking demon abducted my dear
one dearest than my lives, as spotted by you...
एवम् उक्तः तु सुग्रीवः रामेण आर्तेन वानरः |
अब्रवीत् प्राञ्जलिः वाक्यम् सबाष्पम् बाष्प गद्गदः || ४-७-१
Thus said by Rama in agony that monkey Sugreeva with his palms
adjoined, and with tears rolling in eyes and also voice trembling with tears
said this to Rama.
न जाने निलयम् तस्य सर्वथा पाप रक्षसः |
सामर्थ्यम् विक्रमम् वा अपि दौष्कुलेयस्य वा कुलम् || ४-७-२
"Unfamiliar is the residence, or capability, or valour, or
lineage of that sinning demon from a sinister dynasty, in any wise.
====
c) We can find the following statement of
Sugriva in the 41st Sarga of Kishkinda Kanda about the
kingdoms Andhra, Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Keralam , etc, and about Lanka and
areas beyond Lanka.
तथा वन्गान् कलिन्गाम् च कौशिकान् च समंततः |
अन्वीक्ष्य दण्डक अरण्यम् स पर्वत नदी गुहम् || ४-४१-११
नदीम् गोदावरीम् चैव सर्वम् एव अनुपश्यत |
तथैव आन्ध्रान् च पुण्ड्रान् च चोलान् पाण्ड्यान् केरलान् || ४-४१-१२
"Like that Vanga, Kalinga territories shall be searched
along with Kaushika territories available on their fringes, then cast about the
Dandaka forest all over its mountains, rivers, and its caves, then River
Godavari that courses through Dandaka forest, and then the provinces of Andhra,
Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Kerala are to be searched thoroughly.
द्वीपः तस्य अपरे पारे शत योजन विसृतः || ४-४१-२३
अगम्यो मानुषैः दीप्तः तम् मार्गध्वम् समंततः |
"There is a dazzling island on the other side of the
shore of Mt. Mahendra, which is breadthwise a hundred yojana-s, and which is
an impassable one for humans, and you have to search that island up to its
fringes.
तत्र सर्व आत्मना सीता मार्गितव्या विशेषतः || ४-४१-२४
स हि देशः तु वध्यस्य रावणस्य दुरात्मनः |
राक्षस अधिपतेः वासः सहस्राक्ष समद्युतेः || ४-४१-२५
"Anywise Seetha is searchable especially there on that
island because it is the dwelling place of the king of demons Ravana, who is
the coequal of Indra in his resplendence and which vile-minded demon is to be
rooted out.
====
If Sugriva really knew
about the kingdoms that existed in Southern side of the then India, then why
did he himself admit that he does know the whereabouts of Ravana in the first
meeting with Shri Rama?
Further, if really knew about the exact location of Lanka, why
should he send Vanara troops in 4 directions?
===
d) Even, elderly Jambavan and Shri Hanuman were also clueless
about Ravana or Lanka, and the Vanara troop, including Angada, resorted to fast
unto death after failing in their search for Sita.
It was Sampati,
the brother of Jatayu who gives the actual location of Lanka and
the existence of Sita in Lanka, located in the midst of ocean.
तरुणी रूप संपन्ना सर्व आभरण भूषिता |
ह्रियमाणा मया दृष्टा रावणेन दुरात्मना || ४-५८-१५
क्रोशन्ती राम राम इति लक्ष्मण इति च भामिनी |
भूषणानि अपविध्यन्ती गात्राणि च विधुन्वती || ४-५८-१६
"I have seen a youngish lady while she is being stolen away
by the black-hearted demon Ravana. She richly in her mien, embellished with
every befitting jewellery for a princess, and that lady in fury was bewailing
calling, 'Rama... Rama...' even calling 'Lakshmana...' and she was throwing her
ornaments down and her limbs were highly wriggly to set herself free from that
demon..
पुत्रो विश्रवसः साक्षात् भ्राता वैश्रवणस्य च |
अध्यास्ते नगरीम् लंकाम् रावणो नाम राक्षसः || ४-५८-१९
"Literally, he is the son of Vishravasa and brother of
Kubera, and he presides over the city named Lanka and he is known as Ravana.
इतो द्वीपे समुद्रस्य संपूर्णे शत योजने |
तस्मिन् लंका पुरी रम्या निर्मिता विश्वकर्मणा
|| ४-५८-२०
"There is a lavish city in the oceanic island afar a
hundred yojana-s all in all from here, which Vishvakarma, the Divine-Architect,
has built, and it is called Lanka
तस्याम् वसति वैदेही दीना कौशेय वासिनी || ४-५८-२२
रावण अन्तःपुरे रुद्धा राक्षसीभिः सुरक्षिता |
जनकस्य आत्मजाम् राज्ञः तस्याम् द्रक्ष्यथ मैथिलीम् || ४-५८-२३
"Therein that Lanka pitiable Vaidehi wearing ochry silk
sari is lodged in the palace-chambers of Ravana, highly sentineled and baulked
by demonesses, and you can find king Janaka's daughter Maithili in there
===
e) Finally, if Sugriva had the knowledge of Lanka, he should
have jumped 100 Yojanas or 1,200 Kms distance over ocean.
However, except Shri Hanuman no other Vanara has the capacity to
fly that distance over ocean.
===
Hence, those portions of Ramayana, which state that Sugriva had
the knowledge of the then Earth and kingdoms existing in it, are
interpolations.
