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What is Vadamukagni --‘ Sub marine Fire’?

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Tamil version has been posted already.

horse-head-big1.jpg



Picture shows Horse head Nebula.

“ Siva’s fiery wrath must still burn in you
Like Fire smouldering deep in the ocean’s depths.
Were it not so, how can you burn lovers like me,
When mere ashes is all that is left of you?—Sakuntalam III-3 of Kalidasa

Like the fire that is hidden in the sea brightens the world
When Shiva that is hidden in us going to enlighten us?—Badragiri, Tamil Siddha


Hindu mythology has many stories about the mysterious sub marine fire that is hidden at the bottom of the sea. Hindus believe that it is in the northern part of the ocean and it will come out on the final day (Armageddon) to destroy the world. People like me have been wondering for long what our Puranas (Hindu Mythology) mean by hidden fire at the bottom of the sea. Is it Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights? Or Is it the lava that comes out from the sub marine volcanoes in areas like Hawai and Iceland? Is it something like Fire Tornados? None of these can destroy the world. So it must be something else.

Vadava or Vadamukagni, Vadavanala or Badapagni in Sanskrit is known as Uzi Thee or Vadavai or Madangal in Tamil. Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sangam Tamil Literature and Puranas narrate the story of vadavagni. The shape of the fire is horse head, a head of a mare. There is no scientific explanation for this. The only horse head we see is in the sky what is known as Horse Head Nebula in the Orion constellation that is 1500 light years away from earth.
Recently British newspapers published a rare photo of a Fire Tornado that occurred in Alice Springs in Australia. It lasted for 40 minutes. Although rare, the phenomenon has been to known to inflict terrible loss of life. In 1923, a fire whirl that emerged during Japan’s Great Kanto earth quake killed 38,000 people in just 15 minutes.

Fire in Sea Waves

In 1977, a big cyclone crossed the coast of Andhra Pradesh that cost the life of 50,000 people. Wall of water entered the land and the fiery waves travelled up to 10 miles and wiped out 150 villages in a few hours. Villagers who escaped the wrath of the storm told the reporters that they saw fire on top of the waves. Officials pointed out that it had happened earlier in Machilipattinam during the East India company rule. Such fire was seen in Key West of Florida area in the past. Is it what our forefathers mentioned in the Puranas as Vadavanala?
Scientists explain the fire in the ocean waves is due to tremendous electricity that is produced when millions of sand particles are disturbed by the great rush of waves. In Andhra the waves travelled at 200 kilometres per hour.


fire_tornado.jpg


Picture shows Fire Tornado in Alice Springs, Australia, which lasted 40 minutes.

Story of Ascetic Fire

According to Harivamsa, Aurva is the son of the sage Urva who had gained great power by his austerities, and who was requested by the gods to beget children to perpetuate his race. He consented but warned them that his off spring would consume the world. So from his thigh he created a devouring fire which would have consumed the world, had not Brahma assigned to it the ocean as its habitation and the waters as its food.

In the Mahabharata, a different version appears: Aurva was the son of Chyavana and Arushi. He wanted to take revenge upon Kshatria kings who persecuted Brahmins. Even after the Kshatrias begged for forgiveness, Aurva continued to harbour anger and hatred. His ancestors appeared before him and asked him to forgive his enemies. Aurva then discarded the flames of anger and hatred into the sea.

(Earlier in my blog under ‘Sea in Kalidasa and Tamil Literature’, I reported it may be the submarine volcanoes. But now I doubt it).

Kalidasa’s reference to Vadavagni is given at the top.Like Sakuntalam, we have references in Raguvamsam 9-82,11-75,13-4,13-7 (sub marine fire) as well. When Dasaratha killed the son of an ascetic by mistake during hunting, the ascetic cursed that Dasaratha should also die due to agony on account of his son. This curse remained in his mind like submarine fire called Vatavagni (Ragu9-82).

Tamil References

Tamil :Kuru.373 (Kollan Pullan), Nar.201,, 289, Pathitru. 62 (Kapilar),72-8 (Arisil kizar), Puram.34-5,,Kali-105 (Naluruthiran).

Kapilar compared the Chera king Selakadunko Vaziyathan to “Vatamukagni”-horse shaped sub marine fire- that destroy the world (Pathiru.62); Arisil Kizar praised Peruncheral Irumporai in the same way (Pathr.72); Both the Chera kings were able to destroy his enemies like the Vadavagni destroys the world. Also is a reference in Kali. 105 Nalluruththiran.

Some people in North India have Badapagni as surname. Tamil word for this clearly show that the fire will come during the great floods (Uzi Thee). Another beautiful Tamil word for this is Madangal which means Big Shrink.


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