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________________ Lradition of the Vaisali Region 219 islands, in the Epic period. It is to be noted that Patali fort was founded in the sixth century B. C. by the Sisu-Nagas, to check these depredations of Vaisalian ships. One such 'Simbika', evidently of the Vaisalian fleet captured and utilized by the Iraivan, is said, in the Ramayana, to have intercepted 'Hanumant' on the high seas, while he was crossing over to Lanka (probably on board a Vanara' that is "Vanavar' ship). From the ethnological standpoint, it is interesting to note that Buddhistic literature knew of 'Vaoara' people in Vaisali. Hieun-Tsang saw a statue of a <<Vanara: chief at the Asokan Pillar in Vaigali beside the "Rama'-Kunda tank,-representing evidently the adherence of the Vanara' people to the Buddha. The statue may have been of Hanumant. It is to be noted that 'Hanumant' of later legends is an amalgam of two elements : (1) Bhanu-mant, son and successor of Siradhvaja, at Mithila, brother of Sita and brother-in-law of Rama and therefore his prime assister in the rescue of Sita, and (2) 'As-manti' a Dravidian deity, the name meaning the Male Monkey=the Rg-Vedic Vtsa-Kapi, an aspect of Indra, that is incorporated into the North Indian Indra worship even in early Rg-Vedic times. As such, Vrsa-Kapi - An-manti (Sanskritized into 'Hanumant') was a war-like divinity, the great helper of warriors in their efforts. The 'Vanavars' (Sanskritized into Vapara's) of southeast India, worshipping the great An-manti, secured Sita's release, as also did her own brother, Bhanumant : a mixing up of the two was easy, especially because, from the evidence of the Ramayana, the .Vanara's and the Kosalas or Iksvakus were very much allied kindred people, and the 'Male Monkey' worship must have prevailed in north-east India as well, otherwise the Vrsa-Kapi cult would not have been referred to in the RKSamhita, The Vaisalians, as sea-farers, could also be classed as "Vanavars' or 'rulers of the waves.' According to the Ramayana, 'Rksa's were a class of 'Vanara's who were strong adherents of Rama. These 'Rksas' are clearly the 'Ricchas' or 'Licchai' of the subsequent Buddhistic age. The Rksa chief, Jambavant, 2-correctly 'Jambha-vant' or Jambha'-is clearly a title of the Kauveraka-Vaisalian princes, for 'Kuvera'=Jambha, as is well known. Buddhistic historical tradition asserts that the Licchai (Rksas) were Iksvakus, and this is also borne out by Epic-Puranic tradition regarding 1. Cf. Elizabethan & Spanish bucaneers', or flying Dutchman (like 'puspaka vimapa's of Vaisali). 2. In the later Mahabharata period as well, Rksa chiefs were called Jamba-vant', and thetr princesses called Jambavati'.
| SR No. | 012088 |
| Book Title | Vaishali Abhinandan Granth |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Yogendra Mishra |
| Publisher | Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology and Ahimsa |
| Publication Year | 1985 |
| Total Pages | 592 |
| Language | Hindi, English |
| Classification | Smruti_Granth |
| File Size | 17 MB |