Wikipedia Trail: From Nila to South Asian River Dolphins
I knew I needed to do a little research on some of the characters featured in my storybook for Rama's Bridge, and I decided to look a little harder at the Vanara brothers this week. Nila, the brother of Nala, was my starting point.
Nila (Ramayana)
Both of the brothers have some amazing credentials, but Nila is no less than the commander-in-chief of the Vanara army, while Nala is the architect of the bridge. Sources vary explaining precisely who built the bridge and who carried the rocks for it, but Nila has a rich military history and is regarded as a legendary general, as well as the son of Agni, the fire-god. Both of the brothers apparently have the ability to make stones float on water, which is related to Rama by Varuna during the Ramayana pre-bridge effort.
Varuna
While the sea-god Varuna has a brief mention in the Ramayana, he is one of the oldest known deities associated with Hinduism, and he is also associated with Buddhism and Jainism. Rama conducts a three-day, three-night prayer to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans, but is met with no response, as Varuna is described only to listen to violence and extremities. After quite a bit of destruction of the ocean, Varuna eventually regards Rama's plight and suggests that the Vanara build a bridge across the gulf. I found it interesting that each of the water deities Ganga, Narmada, and Varuna all utilize Makara as their vehicles.
Makara
The makaras are fascinating! They are usually the head of a land creature and the body of a water creature, and are used by several water deities as a method of transportation. Almost like water horses, they are described as "water monster vehicles," and they are quite popular in modern culture for decor, jewelry, and pottery inspiration. However, the best part of the makara trail for me was that there is actually a cryptozoology theory regarding their incorporation into ancient myths, which brings us to the...
South Asian River Dolphin
An endangered species, these freshwater / river dolphins actually represent two subspecies: the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin. They are theorized to have been partially responsible for the depictions of Varuna riding his makara, and that's such a fun mental picture for me. The Lord of Oceans, majestically skimming the waters atop his dolphin. Also, their dorsal fins are almost non-existent, which is what produces that nearly flat and horizontal stretch along their spine (and probably why they were rumored to carry riders). These guys impressed me so much they may make a surprise appearance in the Suvannamaccha portion of my Rama's Bridge project.
Nila (Ramayana)
Both of the brothers have some amazing credentials, but Nila is no less than the commander-in-chief of the Vanara army, while Nala is the architect of the bridge. Sources vary explaining precisely who built the bridge and who carried the rocks for it, but Nila has a rich military history and is regarded as a legendary general, as well as the son of Agni, the fire-god. Both of the brothers apparently have the ability to make stones float on water, which is related to Rama by Varuna during the Ramayana pre-bridge effort.
Varuna
While the sea-god Varuna has a brief mention in the Ramayana, he is one of the oldest known deities associated with Hinduism, and he is also associated with Buddhism and Jainism. Rama conducts a three-day, three-night prayer to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans, but is met with no response, as Varuna is described only to listen to violence and extremities. After quite a bit of destruction of the ocean, Varuna eventually regards Rama's plight and suggests that the Vanara build a bridge across the gulf. I found it interesting that each of the water deities Ganga, Narmada, and Varuna all utilize Makara as their vehicles.
Makara
The God Varuna on his mount Makara, 1675-1700 C.E. LACMA museum.
Varunadeva - Wikimedia Commons
Sasashima ware square bowl, makara design. Edo period, 19th century
Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum - Wikimedia Commons
Ganges river dolphin leaping out of the water
Platanista gangetia noaa - Wikimedia Commons
An endangered species, these freshwater / river dolphins actually represent two subspecies: the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin. They are theorized to have been partially responsible for the depictions of Varuna riding his makara, and that's such a fun mental picture for me. The Lord of Oceans, majestically skimming the waters atop his dolphin. Also, their dorsal fins are almost non-existent, which is what produces that nearly flat and horizontal stretch along their spine (and probably why they were rumored to carry riders). These guys impressed me so much they may make a surprise appearance in the Suvannamaccha portion of my Rama's Bridge project.
Indus River Dolphin, 1927 illustration
Schnabeldelphin-drawing - Wikimedia Commons
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