Kerala

Kerala

Kerala has other meanings too: see all meanings of Kerala.

Kerala is a country of Bhārata-varsha, one of the lands where the kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra jātis live. The Brahma Purāṇa names it in its description of Bhārata-varsha, and it tells that the Keraḷas were among the peoples, kshatriyas by name, whose dharma King Sagara rejected at the word of his guru Vasishṭha. It is not Kerala, son of Āhlīda, named in the line of Turvasu.

Among the countries of Bhārata-varsha

Brahmā, the lotus-born, tells Bhṛgu and the munis of Bhārata-varsha, the karma-bhūmi, the land where karma bears its fruit, which even the suras and asuras long to live in. He names its countries region by region. Among the countries where kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra jātis live he names Kerala, in this order: Vāhlīka, Vāṭadhāna, Sutīra, Kālatoyada, Aparānta, Śūdra, Bāhlika, Kerala, Gāndhāra, Yavana, Sindhu, Sauvīra, Madraka, Śatadruha, Kaliṅga, Pārada, Hārabhūshika, Māṭhara, Kanaka, Kaikeya and Dambhamālika.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 27

The Keraḷas and King Sagara

Lomaharshaṇa tells the munis the solar line. Sagara set out to wipe out the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas and Pahlavas, and they took refuge with Vasishṭha, who gave them abhaya and restrained Sagara. Heeding his guru’s word, Sagara did not kill them, but rejected their dharma, changed their appearance and kept them away from svādhyāya (the study of the Veda) and vashaṭkāra (the calls of the yajña). The Śakas and the others, the Koṇisarpas, the Mahishakas, the Darvas, the Coḷas and the Keraḷas were all kshatriyas by name, but their dharma was rejected and they were put outside. All this Sagara did only at Vasishṭha’s command.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 8

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 8, 27