Tamil New Year – the latest explanation from Mr Karunanidhi!!

I am amazed at the ‘paguttharivu’ (rationalism) of our CM

in his latest explanation of what makes the New Year.

While every one is screaming that that New year of Hindus is astronomy-based,

our CM is happy going about exposing his ignorance of all that is connected with

Tamil New Year that starts with the entry of the sun into Aries.

On the occasion of receiving a book titled “Kalaignar kaLanjiyam”

a compilation of his thoughts done by some persons of California University,

from Mr David Hooper of Indian Embassy

(was he aware of what all this fuss is about??),

Mr Karunanidhi has spelt his yet another pearl of wisdom

which those in California University can add in their

next edition of Kalaignar kaLanjiyam.

(News item with picture was reported in Dinamalar, dated 16-04-2008)

Mr Karunanidhi has said,

“namakku irukkindra varudangaL ellaam varuda-p-pirappu endraalum kooda,

voru aaN varuda, innoru aaN varudi adhan moolamaaga-p-pirandha

varuda-p-pirappugaL-thaan andha varuda-p-pirappugaL endra kaaraNatthaal, nammudaiya varuda-p-pirappu,

thamizhanudaiya varuda-p-pirappu idu-thaan” (1^st day of Thai)

(though all the New years are any way New years (!),

those New years were born from “aaN varudam” (???)

with another “aaN varudi” (?!!??!!).

So our New Year is the new year of the Tamils.)

Can anyone understand what he is saying?

Perhaps if we have his Paguttharivu (rational thinking),

we will be able to understand.

But what I understood in my limited knowledge was

that the New Year celebrated throughout the country

either on Yugadhi day, or on the first of Chitthriai month

was born of union of a male and a female of a man

(how can we explain aaN varudan and aaN varudi??)

and the Tamils will have it on the first day of the month of Thai!

What an explanation!!

But my small brain does not let me stop here,

but sifts out the information from scriptures

which I share here.

Even the term ‘varudam’ that Karunanidhi used in his speech was not of Tamil.

It can be traced to Vedas!!

Had he used Aandu, instead of Varudam,

I could have given my kudos to him

for the paguttharivu in sifting the Tamil words from Tamilised words.

Aandu means that which rules (aaLuvadhal, adhu aaNdu).

Since it rules for a stretch of time, it is aaNdu.

On the other hand , varudam is a

‘Vada sol’ in Tamil, drawn from Varsham.

One of the earliest mention of Varsham for the year is found in Satapatha Brahmana.

Varusham means ‘varshitthal’ – pouring.

Since the seasons are poured one after another,

the yathra (journey) of the samvathsaram came to be known as Varsham.

In Tamil, the ‘sha’ was replaced by ‘da’ as Varudam.

Where is the feminine of this as Varudi?

Where is authentication that there is a varudi and that

the union of varudan and varudi is the birth of New year

and that too they are of male??

My paguttharivu fails to decode these!!

If you look at the encyclopedia in Tamil, ChoodamaNi NigaNdu,

verse 1-88 gives the synonyms of ‘varudam’ like this:-

“Igazhvil vathsaramE, aaNdE, samai, muppEr varudam enbha”

(The year called varudam has 3 names – vathsaram, aandu and samai.)

It will be interesting to know that barring aaNdu,

the other 2 names are Sanskrit derivatives.

Vathsaram is first used in Rigveda as samvathsaram

(refer my previous posts on Pancha varshathmaka yuga)

The sama also means year.

In Vajasaneya samhita, the word ‘sama’ is used as a synonym to year.

The sama has become samai in Tamil.

This encyclopedia also says that Aayanam is the synonym of the year in Tamil.

Aayanam means having seasons in line

(varisaiyaaga rithukkaLai viduthalai vudayathu).

This much is from my sittrarivu.

It will be helpful if the CM releases his oft-quoted research on Tamil New Year

done by Marai malai adigaL and 500 poets.

We have seen how the many views expressed 50 years ago by Tamil poets

on PuranaanUru have been made redundant upon cross verification

by the new findings from archeology and other sources of literature.

Their research sources need a closer scrutiny, before we accept a version

that seeks to reverse the age-old view on New year.

I appeal to Mr Karunanidhi to make available to all

the sources of research and research findings made by these persons.