Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: Thank Ishwa! [Re: Suprabha] #17624 - 06/19/02 02:57 PM Edit Reply Quote

Interesting questions, Suprabha. You're right that Indonesian culture has a very close relation with the Indian. I personally think them to be close from very ancient times, even more ancient then the history books tell us. The Ramayana does mention YavaDviipa already. South-East-Asia was called Dviipantara Bhaarata. The name Nusantara sounds very Sanskrit-like. Other names for Sout-East-Asia were Suvarna Bhuumi (between India and Indonesia) and Suvarna Dviipa (Indonesian Archipelago). Bhaarata has 9 Dviipas, one of which is Varuna Dviipa (presumably Borneo). etc. I wouldn't be surprised if some important events of the Ramayana would have taken place in Sout-East-Asia. (The sequence would even place Lanka more in Indonesia then in ShriLanka, which was called SimhalaDviipa! Even places beyond Lanka are mentioned, like Yama Vaivasvata's abode) We don't have to underestimate the sea trade from the Indian ports towards Indonesia from Sindhu-Sarasvata or even earlier times. About Vidhyadhari The word is actually Vidyaadharii phonetically, the female of Vidyaadhara. Vidyadharas are fairy-like supernatural beings who dwell in the Himalayas, also the region of Apsaras by the way, and have magical powers. [Actually they must be very ancient historical people who became mystified and deified when the Himalayan scene was out of the picture for the people of the Gangetic, just like it was done to the Gandharvas and Apsarasas. A Vidyaadharii is thus a fairly-like beautiful lady with magical powers, just like Apsarasas. About Suprabha 1. Suprabha was the wife of Krshna, who was housed in Padmakuuta mansion in Dvaarakaa. 2. Another was the daughter of Kashyapa Rishi, but called an Asura, because the mother was Svarbhaanu. 3. The name of that part of the Sarasvati River, which runs through the holy Pushkara tiirtha. 4. Daughter of Rishi Vadaanya, married to Rishi Ashtavakra. 5. Daughter of an archfather named Daksha. 6. Daughter of king Suratha and married to king Naabhaaga, and mother of king Bhalandana. At this moment I couldn't find about the connection of Suprabha and Arjuna, but I haven't searched thoroughly yet. The story of the Paashupataastra is the Kiraataarjuniya passage within the Vana Parvan of the Mahaabhaarata as you rightly observed.