What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to uncover the geographic knowledge reflected in the naming of Kishkindha within the Ramayana.

May 16, 2026Open Access

What Geographic Knowledge Did Valmiki Possess? Kishkindha's Substrate-Marked Naming and the Question of Deccan Contact

Key Points

This research aims to uncover the geographic knowledge reflected in the naming of Kishkindha within the Ramayana.
Analyzes the -indha suffix using substrate linguistic methodology.
Cross-references Jain records from the 12th century and archaeological findings from Kaundinyapur.
Identifies correlations with early Deccan trade routes from 5th–3rd century BCE.
Identifies Kishkindha's naming as an authentic linguistic signal rather than poetic invention.
Confirms that the naming reflects early Deccan and non-Aryan societal influences.
Establishes connections between trade routes and the phonetic characteristics found in the place name.

Abstract

This research investigates a specific phonological anomaly in the Ramayana: the place name Kishkindha. Utilizing F.B.J. Kuiper’s substrate linguistic methodology, this paper identifies the -indha ending as a diagnostic marker for early Deccan and non-Aryan societies (e.g., Pulinda, Kalinda, Kundina). By cross-referencing the "Phonetic Port" of the K-nd isogloss with the 12th-century Jain records of Hemacandra and the archaeological stratigraphy of Kaundinyapur, the author argues that Valmiki’s nomenclature was not poetic invention. Instead, it represents an authentic linguistic signal derived from 5th–3rd century BCE trade routes, preserved even through the "Simian Filter" of the epic narrative.

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