PANDYAS OF TAMIL NADU AND THE SANSKRIT SOURCES

 

The Pandyas were one of the ancient and important Tamil dynasties of South India. Their kingdom occupied the southern part of present-day Tamil Nadu and was closely connected with the Tamraparni River, the southern coast, pearl fishing and maritime trade. Sanskrit literature provides valuable evidence for understanding the historical background of the Pandya country and its connection with the ancient port of Korkai.

The Valmiki Ramayana, particularly the Kishkindha Kanda, mentions the Cholas, Pandyas and Keralas as important southern regions. It also refers to the Tamraparni River, thereby providing an important geographical framework for the Pandya country.

The Mahabharata gives further information. In the Sabha Parva, the Pandya king Malayadhvaja receives Sahadeva and offers him valuable gifts including gems, pearls and coral. The same narrative subsequently mentions the Tamraparni River. Thus, the connection between Pandyas, pearls and Tamraparni is clearly visible. The Vana Parva also describes Tamraparni as a sacred river in the Pandya region.

The Arthashastra of Kautilya mentions Tamraparnika and Pandyakavataka among varieties or sources of pearls. Although Pandyakavataka has been associated by some scholars with the pearl-producing Pandya region, identifying it specifically with Korkai remains a matter of scholarly discussion.

Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsha provides particularly significant evidence. It describes the Pandyas offering Raghu a collection of pearls obtained from the ocean where the Tamraparni joins it.

Similarly, Varahamihira’s Brihat Samhita lists Tamraparni and Pandyavataka among important pearl-producing regions.

Thus, although Korkai is not directly named, these Sanskrit references establish a strong historical association between the Pandyas, Tamraparni, pearls, maritime resources and the southern coast, providing an important literary background for understanding ancient Korkai.