1. Kerala in the Mahabharata, Harivamsa and Ramayana

There are some other miscellaneous works in Sanskrit which throws some light on the dark periods of ancient Kerala history.

The earliest Sanskrit work which contains reference to Kerala is perhaps Aitareya Aranyaka. It refers to the Cherapadah as one of the three peoples who violated some of the ancient in junctions.

Katyayana (4th century BC) and Patanjali (2nd century BC) also show acquittance with the geography of Kerala. The reference in Kautilyas Arthasastra (4th century BC) to the river churni as one of the rivers of the land where pearls could be found^[1].

Mahabharata

The great epic Mahabharatha contain references to Kerala. The Mahabharata refers to the Chera king as having supplied provisions and large contigents of fighting men for the belligerent armies of in the battle of Kuruksetra. Some other reference also can be seen in the Mahabharata^[2].

Nandini created the Cibukas, Hunas, Keralas etc. with the foams squeezed out of the nostrils to attack Visvamitra. Sahadeva who was sent to the south to defeat the rulers, while Yudhistira was performing the Rajasuya, is referred to have vanquished the rulers of Kerala and collected taxes from them. The genealogies in M.B. also of some historical importance.

The Mahabharata has used both the terms Musaka and Musika to refer to a country and its people. It groups the Musikas with distinctly southern countries such as Dravidas, Keralas, Pracyas and Vanavasakas.

Bhismaparvams of the epic contain the following reference.—

draviḍāḥ keralāḥ prācyāḥ mūṣikāḥ vānavāsikāḥ |

According to another version the passage is as follows:—

unnatyakā māhiṣakā vikalpā mūṣakāstathā^[3]

A third version of the epic gives the above lines as—

karṇāṭakā māhiṣakā vikalpā mūṣakastathā

The Bombay editions of the epic gives the reading Bhusaka for Musaka^[4].

The Harivamsa refers to Kola along with Kerala, Pandya, and Cola as a southern region. But the reference is vague and it is doubtful whether it actually mentions the Kolattunad region located in Kerala.

The great epic Ramayana contain reference to Kerala. It is stated that Kerala was one of the countries to which Sugriva sent emissaries in search of Sita^[5].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Arthasastra VII -29 -Hear Curni is referred to the river Periyar

[2]:

cibukāṃśca pulindāṃśca cīnān hūṇān sa keralān
sasarja phenatassādau mlecchān bahuvidhānapi

[3]:

Critical edition of the Mahabharata, Puna, 1947 -VI -10; 57

[4]:

Monier Williams, A Sanskrit Eng. dictionary, Oxford, P 827

[5]:

nadīṃ godāvarīṃ caiva sarvamevātha paśyata |
tathaivāndhrāṃśca pauṇḍrāṃśca colān pāṇḍyāṃśca keralān |