Tamil's culture was ARYAN culture!!

No Aryan - Dravidian divide - it was one Aryavartha - (2)

All that were considered to be of Aryan culture

were found as an innate culture of Tamil lands!

Worship of Gods was very much there in Tamil regions.

TarpaNam and pindodhaha kriya for departed ones were also done.

Varnashrama dharma was in vogue

and people of each varna were doing their jobs as earmarked for them.

The Asrama dharma also followed in this land and

we have instances of even kings going on Vanaprastham.

Nimittha sashtram was in vogue.

It must be remembered that Ramayana also mentions nimitthas at many places.

Yajnas were regularly conducted.

This was apart from the regular yajnas done by Brahmins at their homes.

In the verse praising the Chera king who supplied food to the Kauravas in kurukshtra war

(mentioned in the previous blog)

the comparison between Himalayas and Podhigai was done

on the basis of the yajnas!

The poet says that the deers seeking warmth as evening progresses,

come and rest near the yajna kundas

that are warm with the evening homa of 3-agnis (mutthee)

(The 3 agnis are ahavaneeyam, gaargapathyam and dakshinaagni.)

This is a common sight in both the Himalayas and in the Cheran land of Podhigai!

We must remember that this description is about a time

that is 5000 years ago from the present day.

(5000 years because,

the Kali yuga started after the Kuruskhethra war

and the computation of time has been maintained from then onwards

which shows that 5000 years had lapsed after the birth of Kali yuga.

The rationale of arriving at this computation will be discussed by me in a future write-up.)

Vedic rituals have been followed by all the 3 kings of Tamil land, namely,

Cholas, ChEras and PAndyas.

A chola king by name ‘peru nar kiLLi’ conducted a Rajasooya and was called

“chozhan Rajasooyam vEtta naRkiLLi”

A chera king by name ‘pal yaanai chengezhu kuttuvan"

who was ‘Imaya varamban thambi’

conducted a homa for the sake of the poet Gouthamanaar,

who sang in praise of him in Padhittru-p-patthu.

In return for the praises by the poet,

the king obliged to conduct a yajna –

for making the poet and his wife reach Swarga!!!

The JyothistOmena yajna

which was done by kings of very olden times such as Dhasharatha

was conducted by the Cheran king and

wonder of wonders,

it has been recorded in Tamil texts that

on completion of this homa,

the poet and his wife vanished from mortal coils and were taken to Heaven!

Such kind of description does not exist even in Sanskrit texts.

It shows that the yajna was done in the best way so as to grant the result immediately.

There existed a Pandya king, called ‘mudu kudumi peru vazhuthi’

who was honoured with a title “pal yaaga shaalai” and was known as

“Pal yaaga shaalai Mudu kudumi peru vazhuthi’!

He was credited with having conducted numerous yajnas, that he got this title.

The verse in praise of him talk about the ‘yupa’ posts that were established

‘after’ the completion of yajnas.

This is a crucial information because

even Sanskrit texts are not clear about the posts (yupa)

apparently meant for ‘bali’ (sacrifice).

In the Ashwa yajna done by Dhasharatha before the Puthra kameshti yajna,

Valmiki Ramayana says that 300 sacrificial posts were established.

The different animals and birds that were tied in them also are mentioned.

But the description is not clear about whether the animals were killed or not.

The general impression among the people of today is that animals tied to these posts

were killed as a rule.

But we are depending on the translations which may be flawed.

I say this because

I find in the description in the verse on “Pal yaaga shaalai Mudu kudumi peru vazhuthi”

a different news

that the posts were established after the homas were over,

as though it is done to indicate

that it was a yaaga shaala

or that a homa had got over!

At another verse too, in purananUru

the description of a yajna is given.

It says 7 forest cows and 7 country cows (7 kaattu pashu and 7 naattu pashu)

were selected and brought to the yajna bhoomi,

to get their abundant produce.

The produce is explained as ghee produced from their milk.

Such kind of detailed versions are available in ancient Tamil texts which indicate

that vedic rituals were very much part of this land from times of yore.

I say ‘from times of yore’ with a reason.

This “Pal yaaga shaalai Mudu kudumi peru vazhuthi”

lived 5000 years ago!

And the verses in praise of him reveal a stunning fact from the annals of history

that tells us how this country was one Aryavartha

and the so-called Dravidian divide was not an Aryan creation

but a logical development of a history of survival against the odds of Nature!

(to be continued)