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Red Lake
[Branched from   V-Raamaayan, 4/17/40]

There is clear reference of a red lake in Vaalmeeki Raamaayan also, in Kishkindhaa Kaand, chapter 40, Shlok 30-39.

yatnavanto yava dweepam sapta raajya upashobhitam |
suvarn roopyakam dweepam suvarna aakaar manditam || 4-40-30
yava dweepam atikramya shishiro naam parvatah |
divam sprishati shringena dev daanav sevitah || 4-40-31
eteshaam giri durgeshu prapaateshu vaneshu cha |
maargadhwam sahitaah sarve raama patneem yashasvineem || 4-40-32.

Word Meaning
sapta raajya upa shobhitam = with seven, kingdoms, splendorous;
yava dweepam = Yava, in island;
suvarNa aakara manditam = with gold, mines, enwreathed;
suvarn roopyakam dweepam = Golden, Silver, islands;
yatnavantah = you strive in there;
yava dweepam atikramya = Yava, island, crossing over;
shishirah naam = Shishir, named;
deva daanav sevitah = god, demons, which is adored by;
parvatah = [there is a mountain;
shringen divam sprishati = with its peak, heaven, which touches;
sarve sahitaah = you all, collectively;
eteshaam = in these - islands;
giri durgeshu = mountains, impassable [mountains];
pra paateshu = in great, falls [waterfalls] ;
vaneshu ca= in forests, also;
yashasvineem raama patneem maargadhwam = for glorious one, Raam's, wife, you rake through."

You strive hard in the island of Yava, which will be splendorous with seven kingdoms, like that even in Golden and Silver islands that are enwreathed with gold-mines, in and around Yava islands. On crossing over Yava Island, there is a mountain named Shishir, which touches heaven with its peak, and which gods and demons adore. You shall collectively rake through all the impassable mountains, waterfalls, and forests in these islands for the glorious wife of Raam. [4-40-30, 31, 32]

The Yava Island is taken as the present day Jaavaa Island, and the seven kingdoms referred may compare to Jaavaa, Sumaatraa, Baali, Indonesia etc islands. It is believed that around 10 to 8 millennia BC, there used to be a continuous landmass from Burmaa to Central America, which is why Maayaa civilization flourished there via this route. Later in time due to tectonic activity, the Northern India's landmass rose up and Southern part sunk down.
[Chronology of Ancient Bharat, by K Srinivasa Raghavan, published by 'Sri Aurobindo Study Circle, Triplicane, Chennai, 1896]

It is therefore presumable that the islands of Indian Archipelago are so numerous and so nearly situated. However, this splintering of islands may have happened by the time of Raamaayan, since the Sage-poet of Raamaayan is citing them as Dweep, islands. Regarding the difference between the names of Yava and Jaavaa the word "ya" in Sanskrit becomes "Ja" in vernaculars Tadbhav Pad. Hence Yava became Java, as Sinh Puree "lion-city" became the present day Singapore.

The readers may note here that Jaavaa Dweep described as consisting of seven kingdoms was probably the group of islands now called the Indian Archipelago, of which Java was at that time the most powerful. The chief islands of this group are Sumaatraa, [say, su mitra = good friend, Jaavaa, Baali, [the benefactor; Borneo, [or Varun, the Rain-god], and Celebes. More details are with: Vivekaanand Kendra, Kanyaa Kumaaree,

Locatortato rakt jalam praapya shon aakhyam shiighra vaahiniim |
gatwaa paaram samudrasya siddha chaaran sevitam || 4-40-33
tasya teer.htheshu ramyeshu vichitreshu vaneshu cha |
raavanah saha vaidehyaa maargitavyah tatah tatah || 4-40-34

Word Meaning
tatah = then;
rakt jalam= that has red, waters;
sheeghra vaahineem = speedily, drifting;
shon aakhyam [agaadham = Shon, reputed as, [or a very deep river];
praapya = on getting at;
samudrasya = of ocean;
siddha chaaran sevitam = siddha-s, Chaaran-s, adored; such a;
paaram= other coast;
gatwaa= having gone to;
tasya ramyeshu teertheshu = at its [Shon river's, beautiful, Ghaat [declivities] ;
vichitreshu vaneSu ca = in amazing, forests [alongshore, also;
tatah tatah = there, and there;
vaidehyaah = of Vaidehi; saha= together with - as well as;
raavanah = Ravana;
maargitavyah = be scouted around;
then you proceed to Plaksh Island."

Then, having gone to the other coast of the ocean you reach River Shona, waters of which will be reddish with deep and speedy drift, and which is adored by siddha-s and Chaaran-s. You have to scout thereabout for Vaidehee as well as for Raavan, at those beautiful Ghaat, say littorals of that Shon River, and in the amazing forests alongshore. Then proceed to an island called Plaksh Island.

Locatorparvat prabhavaa nadyah subheem baahu nishkutaah |
maargitavyaa dareemantah parvataah cha vanaani cha || 4-40-35

Word Meaning
su bheem = very vast;
bahu nishkuTaah = with many, [pleasure gardens;
parvat prabhavaa nadyah = from mountain, emerging, rivers;
dareemantah parvataah cha = cavernous, mountains, also;
vanaani cha = forests, also;
maargitavyaa = are to be searched;

then proceed to Ikshu island. On that Plaksh Island very vast rivers emerge from mountains, but alongshore they have many pleasure gardens. You have to search in those gardens and at rivers together with cavernous mountains and forests of that island, and then proceed to Ikshu Island.

Locatortatah samudra dvwepaan ca subheemaan drashtum arhat |
oormimaantam mahaa raudram kroshaantam anila uddhitam || 4-40-36

Word Meaning
tatah = then;
su bheemaan samudra dveepaan cha = extremely, ghastly, ocean's, [Ikshu islands, also;
mahaa raudram = terribly, furious;
anila uddhitam= by wind, up-heaved tempestuous;
kroshantam = blaring;
oormimantam = tide-ripped;
[ikshu samudram cha = salt ocean, also];
drashtum arhata = to see, apt of you.
"It will be apt of you to proceed from there and see the terribly furious, tempestuous, blaring, and tide-ripped ocean called Ikshu Samudra, Salt Ocean, and that ocean's islands which will be extremely ghastly.

Locatortatra asuraa mahaakaayaah Chaayaam grihnanti nityashah |
brahmanaa samanugynaataa deergh kaalam bubhukshitaa || 4-40-37
tam kaal megh pratimam mahoraga nishevitam |
abhigamya mahaanaadam teerthen eva mahodadhim || 4-40-38

Word Meaning
kaal megh pratimam = dark, cloud, mirroring;
mahaa uraga nishevitam = great, by serpents, hallowed by;
mahaa naadam = blatantly, blaring; such a;
tam mahaa udadhim = that, great, ocean;
teerthen eva = by shores or by tact, only;
abhigamya = traversing, on navigating;
tatra = there;
mahaa kaayaah = colossal, bodied ones;
deergh kaalam bubhukshitaah = for a long, time, who are in hungriness;
brahmanaa sam anujaanaataa = by Brahmaa, well, endued by;
nityashah chhaayaam grihnanti = always, by shadow, who capture; such;
asuraa = demons;
prekshyat = you will see.

That ocean which mirrors a dark cloud and hallowed by great serpents, and which blares blatantly is to be traversed only by it shores or tactfully, to avoid shadow-capturing of its inhabitants. There you will see colossal bodied demons with everlasting hunger inhibiting that ocean, which demons always capture prey by the shadow of prey as endued by Brahmaa.

Locatortato rakt jalam bheemam lohitam naam saagaram |
gatwaa prekshyatha taam chaiv brihateem koot shaalmaleem || 4-40-39.

Word Meaning
tatah rakt jalam = from there, red, water;
bheemam = disastrous;
lohitam naam saagaram = Lohit [Red Ocean], named, ocean;
gatwaa = on getting at;
brihateem taam koot shaalmaleem = colossal, that one, Koot Shaalmali tree;
prekshyatha = you shall see.

From there, on going to the disastrous ocean named Lohit, Red Ocean, for its waters are red, you shall see the colossal tree Koot Shaalmali. This island is called Shaalmali Dweep, because of this tree. This Koot Shaalmali tree in Indian variety is Andersonia Rohitaka, and in Malayan (Malaysian variety it is called Kapok tree - Ceiba pentandra, the seeds of which are covered with silk cotton. Because it is on Shaalmali Island, one among Jaavaa, Sumaatraa etc, islands, it is called Koot Shaalmali tree. The Red Ocean is also called Madhu Samudra "Wine Ocean".

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