Songs 31 to 175
Song 38:
Lines 12-15: Speak about the lack of 'have nots' in heaven due to which the deities cannot give any 'daana'.
Song 41:
Line 1: Yama takes the life of any living being only at the prescribed time.
Song 43:
Lines 1-4: For destroying the sufferings of those who live on earth, the Rsis('munivar') do 'Tapas' under the scorching sun with air as the only food.
Lines 12-14: The poet says that the forefathers of the King (Chola Maavalathaan) have never done anything that has caused grief to the Brahmins.
Song 55: Pandiyan King Nanmaaran
Lines 1-5: The 'Tripura samhaara' done by Lord Shiva is told in these lines and the King is compared to the 'third eye' of Lord Shiva.
Lines 20-21: A temple of Lord Murugan at the seashore is mentioned.
Song 56: Pandiyan King Nanmaaran
Lines 1-14: The King's anger is compared with that of Lord Shiva, his strength with that of Lord Balarama, his popularity with that of Lord Vishnu (Maayon), his ability( to do what he wishes) with that of Lord Murugan.
Song 57: Pandiyan King Nanmaaran
Lines 1-3: The King's ability (to protect) is compared with that of Lord Vishnu.
Song 58: Cholan Perun Thirumaavalavan and Pandiyan Peruvazhuthi
Lines 14-16: The poet says that when these two kings are together, they look like Lord Balarama and Lord Krishna.
Song 62:
Lines 16-19: Cheran Kudakko Peruncheralaathan and Cholan Perunarkilli are praised as soldiers who became the guests of the deities in heaven by virtue of their death at battlefield. In these lines the deities are described as wearing garlands whose flowers are always fresh, as having unblinking eyes and as eating the ambrosia.
Song 91:
Lines 5-7: King Athiyamaan Anchi is compared with the blue-throated Lord Shiva who has the moon on his head.
Song 99:
Line 1: King Athiyamaan Anchi praises the deities and offers ‘Aahuti’ in Yagnas.
Song 106:
Lines 1-3: Gods are so benevolent that they will accept even flowers like ‘Erukku’ when offered with true devotion. ( Compare this with Krishna’s ‘patram pushpam phalam toyam’(9.26) in Bhagavad Gita)
Song 122:
Lines 2-3: These lines say that the Kingdom of King Thirumudik Kaari became the property of the Brahmins who do the Yagnas.
Song 125:
Lines 19-20: King Thirumudik Kaari is compared with Lord Murugan.
Song 127:
Lines 4-5: King Aay Vel is praised as the one who gave away all the jewels of his queens as ‘daana’. It is mentioned that his queens had only the Tirumaangalyam (Thaali/Managala Gnaan) left on their body.
[Note that Thaali/Tirumaangalyaam is an auspicious thread worn by the Hindu married women which they remove on their becoming a widow]
Song 141:
Lines 13-15: King Began is praised as the one who gives ‘daana’ without any motives unlike other people who do such things to earn merit for their next births.
Song 161:
Lines 5-7: These lines mention the Ganga and her ability to have waters even in the rainless seasons. [There are many such rivers in North India. But the mentioning of Ganga alone shows her superiority (being the most holy) over others.]
Song 166:
Lines 1-9: The Vedas and their Angas are considered as based on the word of God (God’s matted hair is referred to, in this song. Also it is said that God never says a lie. Hence, the deity referred could be either Lord Shiva or Lord Ram). The hero of the song is praised as being born in a family which has done 21 different Yagnas.
Song 174:
Lines 1-5: They say that when the Asuras had hidden the Sun, black coloured God (Krishna/Vishnu) defeated them and brought sunlight to the world again.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Hinduism as found in Sangam work 'Puranaanuru' - Part I
Puranaanuru is a compilation of 400 songs. Songs 1- 30 are dealt with in this first part.
1st Song: In praise of Siva
Line (L) 6 : Brahmins well versed in Vedas praise Shiva's blue throat(which He attained due to his act of drinking the poison which came out during the churning of the milk ocean)
2nd Song:
L 1-6: The Panchabhutas(five elements) are mentioned.
L 13-16: Praise Chera King Udiyan Cheralathan as the one who fed the Pandava and Kaurava armies during the legendary Mahabharata War.
5th Song:
L 6: Refers to Hell('nirayam' means narakam)
6th Song: Emperor Mudukudumi Peruvazhuthi
L 5-8: Three fold universe: underworld, earth and heaven
L 19-20: Let your head bow only before the Brahmins who have learned the four Vedas.
As this Emperor did a lot of Yagnas, he was also known as 'Pal Yagasalai Peruvazhuthi'
9th Song: Emperor Mudukudumi Peruvazhuthi
L 1-6: The Emperor asks the cattle, Brahmins, women, diseased persons and those people who don't have son(s)(to do their 'antima kriya' if they die) to go to a place of safety before he begins any war.
L 10: Nediyon, forefather of Mudukudumi, held festivals for the Sea God.
14th Song:
L 18-19: The Emperor is compared with Murugan(Skanda).
15 th Song: Emperor Mudukudumi Peruvazhuthi
L 16-22: The Emperor did a large number of Yagnas, as laid down in the four Vedas, with various offerings and he erected a large number of Yupastambhas.
16th Song: Emperor Perunarkilli
L 12: The Emperor is compared with Murugan(Skanda)
Emperor Perunarkilli did Rajasuya sacrifice.
[18th Song: This song is cited for some 'interesting' items mentioned in it
L 5: Decimal system is mentioned.
This song also speaks about building dams. (An advice to Emperor Pandiyan Nedunchezhiyan) ]
23rd Song:
L 3-5: The soldiers are compared with the warriors of Murugan.
26th Song: Emperor Pandiyan Nedunchezhiyan
L 12-15: The Emperor did Yagnas in which the Brahmins(who had learned the fourfold Vedas) were helped(in bringing the various offerings to Yagashala) by the defeated princes/smaller kings.
27th Song:
L 12: Speaks about the concept of rebirth.
29th Song:
L 11-12: Says that the King should not remain in the company of those who do not believe in the 'Karma' theory
1st Song: In praise of Siva
Line (L) 6 : Brahmins well versed in Vedas praise Shiva's blue throat(which He attained due to his act of drinking the poison which came out during the churning of the milk ocean)
2nd Song:
L 1-6: The Panchabhutas(five elements) are mentioned.
L 13-16: Praise Chera King Udiyan Cheralathan as the one who fed the Pandava and Kaurava armies during the legendary Mahabharata War.
5th Song:
L 6: Refers to Hell('nirayam' means narakam)
6th Song: Emperor Mudukudumi Peruvazhuthi
L 5-8: Three fold universe: underworld, earth and heaven
L 19-20: Let your head bow only before the Brahmins who have learned the four Vedas.
As this Emperor did a lot of Yagnas, he was also known as 'Pal Yagasalai Peruvazhuthi'
9th Song: Emperor Mudukudumi Peruvazhuthi
L 1-6: The Emperor asks the cattle, Brahmins, women, diseased persons and those people who don't have son(s)(to do their 'antima kriya' if they die) to go to a place of safety before he begins any war.
L 10: Nediyon, forefather of Mudukudumi, held festivals for the Sea God.
14th Song:
L 18-19: The Emperor is compared with Murugan(Skanda).
15 th Song: Emperor Mudukudumi Peruvazhuthi
L 16-22: The Emperor did a large number of Yagnas, as laid down in the four Vedas, with various offerings and he erected a large number of Yupastambhas.
16th Song: Emperor Perunarkilli
L 12: The Emperor is compared with Murugan(Skanda)
Emperor Perunarkilli did Rajasuya sacrifice.
[18th Song: This song is cited for some 'interesting' items mentioned in it
L 5: Decimal system is mentioned.
This song also speaks about building dams. (An advice to Emperor Pandiyan Nedunchezhiyan) ]
23rd Song:
L 3-5: The soldiers are compared with the warriors of Murugan.
26th Song: Emperor Pandiyan Nedunchezhiyan
L 12-15: The Emperor did Yagnas in which the Brahmins(who had learned the fourfold Vedas) were helped(in bringing the various offerings to Yagashala) by the defeated princes/smaller kings.
27th Song:
L 12: Speaks about the concept of rebirth.
29th Song:
L 11-12: Says that the King should not remain in the company of those who do not believe in the 'Karma' theory
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Brahminism in Ancient Tamil Land
There are certain ‘Scholars’/ ‘Politicians’ who claim that the ancient Tamils were not followers of Brahminical Hinduism. It is claimed by these people that Brahmins and their culture entered into the Tamil land from ‘Aryandom’ and that Varna system was not established in the Tamil country even until the 8th Century CE. [See Romila Thapar’s ‘Early India’]
The above claim is contested in this article and evidences from the ancient Tamil literature are presented to prove that Brahminical religion has been a part of the Tamil culture even from the dawn of civilization in the Tamil country. It is also shown that the Hindu Itihasas, Puranas and Vedas (along with Upanishads) were very well known even in the Sangam Age and that they were held in high esteem.
A Sangam song praises the Chera King of having provided food for the Pandava and
the Kaurava armies, while they battled at Kurukshetra. [Purananuru 2:13 – 16]
Bharatam Padiya Peruntevanar, Peruntevanar who translated the Mahabharata, wrote the invocation hymns to a few Sangam anthologies such as Akananuru, Purananuru, Kuruntokai, Narrinai and Ainkurunuru. His translation of the Mahabharata has not come down to us, though he has attained fame for that.
In another Sangam song, a poet eulogizes his Chola king, and is rewarded with expensive jewelry. He distributes his fortune among his relatives, who, overwhelmed by the royal jewelry, wear them quite awkwardly. The poet draws an analogy to a scene in the Kishkinda Kanda, where the monkeys of Sugriva, says the Tamil poet, toyed with the jewelry that Sita had dropped, while Ravana was abducting her. [Purananuru 378:16 – 21]
The most vivid recordings of Sati come from the Sangam Tamil literature. Evidently, a woman either joined her husband in his funeral pyre or burial urn, or led the austere life of a widow comparable to that of an ascetic. It can be argued that when the king died not only his queen[s], but also his attendants committed sati. A queen chastises the courtiers for not [apparently] performing sati and tells them that she would rather join her beloved husband in the pyre than lead the spartan life of a widow. Not for her, says she, is the life of a widow who eats one meal of rice mixed with gingili oil and neem leaves, and who sleeps on the bare floor. May you not commit sati, the queen tells the courtiers, rather sarcastically, but for me the cold water of the lake is not different from the fire of the pyre. And the very next song confirms that she did commit sati. [Purananuru 246]
Another Tamil woman implores the potter to make her husband’s burial urn large enough
to hold the widow as well. [Purananuru 256]
Tolkappiyam says that the highest glory that a woman can aspire for is to join her husband’s funeral pyre. [Tolkappiyam, Poruladhikaram 77]
Manimekhalai has an interesting narrative133 where the chaste Adhirai wrongly concludes that her trader husband had died and attempts to commit sati, but the fire refuses to engulf her. Then her husband returns and they live happily ever after! [Manimekhalai XVI]
A woman wasn’t always allowed to commit sati. A Sangam song says134 that after her son’s father departed, the widow’s head was tonsured and her bangles were removed.
Then onwards, lily with rice became her staple food. [Purananuru 250]
One of the songs says160 that even though a person may belong to a lower Varna among the four, if he were to acquire knowledge, then those born of the higher Varnas would respect him. [Purananuru 183:8 – 10]
The oldest extant Tamil grammatical treatise prescribes under what circumstances men of each Varna can go on sabbatical or separation. It says that a Brahmin can go away for learning the Vedas or on diplomacy, a king for matters of war and intrigue. [Tolkappiyam Poruladhikaram 28 and 29]
Elsewhere, the same book also lists what the duties of each of the four Varnas have traditionally been. It says that a Brahmin wears the sacred thread, carries the kamandala and uses the tortoise shaped wooden plank as his seat [for studying the scriptures], and he can also be a minister or the king. [Tolkappiyam Poruladhikaram 615 and 627]
A Jaina saint considers it inauspicious when the Brahmins give up chanting of the
Vedas and take to other professions. In Silappadikaram, the newly married Kovalan and Kannagi are dissuaded from entering a settlement where the Brahmins musicians reside. [Silappadikaram 13:38 – 40]
A woman suspects her man of infidelity, because of the new fragrance on his body, which she believes he acquired from a prostitute. He protests that he is innocent, takes
a vow on the Brahmins [because they were revered in the society] and pleads that the fragrance on his body is due to his traversing the path full of groves where the wafting breeze carried the fragrance of the flowers that grew there! [Paripadal 8:51 – 55]
The grateful Brahmin poet has not forgotten his patron king; after the latter dies, he brings the king’s daughters under his tutelage, declares them as his own, and proposes to an illustrious king who, the poet says, is the forty ninth scion of the dynasty that ruled Dwaraka once, that he marry them. [Purananuru 201:6 – 10]
His selfless gratitude must have been widely known during the Sangam age, for another poet praises182 him as the Brahmin without a blemish in his character, and alludes to the incident the previously quoted song talks about. [Purananuru 126:11 – 13]
The dakshina a king offers the sacrificing Brahmins who are well versed in the Vedas. [Patirruppattu 64:3 – 5]
The delicious vegetarian cuisine that a Panan is served while he visits a Brahmin household. [Perumpanarruppadai 301 - 310]
Siva is called The Brahmin. [Paripadal 5:22 – 30]
The Brahmin woman is described as very chaste and shy, and is compared to
the Northern star Arundhati. [Perumpanarruppadai 302 – 304]
There are various verses in Paripadal devoted to Tirumaal (Vishnu) where the Vedas and the Brahmins are often referred to. [Paripadal 1 – 4, 13 and 15].
Tirukkural has referred to the Brahmins and the Vedas. This is well known in scholarly circles. A look at Parimelazhagar’s commentary would suggest that Tiruvalluvar knew the Dharmashastras and that he has used them in his Tirukkural. It also shows that Tiruvalluvar knew the Vedic religion and believed in it. [He has referred to various Hindu Gods].
The above references are more than enough to prove that the ancient Tamil culture knew Brahmins and Brahminical religion and that they formed an integral part of their culture.
[ Note: This article is a mere compilation of extracts from Kalavai Venkat’s ‘Critical Review of Romila Thapar’s Early India – From The Origins to 1300 AD']
The above claim is contested in this article and evidences from the ancient Tamil literature are presented to prove that Brahminical religion has been a part of the Tamil culture even from the dawn of civilization in the Tamil country. It is also shown that the Hindu Itihasas, Puranas and Vedas (along with Upanishads) were very well known even in the Sangam Age and that they were held in high esteem.
A Sangam song praises the Chera King of having provided food for the Pandava and
the Kaurava armies, while they battled at Kurukshetra. [Purananuru 2:13 – 16]
Bharatam Padiya Peruntevanar, Peruntevanar who translated the Mahabharata, wrote the invocation hymns to a few Sangam anthologies such as Akananuru, Purananuru, Kuruntokai, Narrinai and Ainkurunuru. His translation of the Mahabharata has not come down to us, though he has attained fame for that.
In another Sangam song, a poet eulogizes his Chola king, and is rewarded with expensive jewelry. He distributes his fortune among his relatives, who, overwhelmed by the royal jewelry, wear them quite awkwardly. The poet draws an analogy to a scene in the Kishkinda Kanda, where the monkeys of Sugriva, says the Tamil poet, toyed with the jewelry that Sita had dropped, while Ravana was abducting her. [Purananuru 378:16 – 21]
The most vivid recordings of Sati come from the Sangam Tamil literature. Evidently, a woman either joined her husband in his funeral pyre or burial urn, or led the austere life of a widow comparable to that of an ascetic. It can be argued that when the king died not only his queen[s], but also his attendants committed sati. A queen chastises the courtiers for not [apparently] performing sati and tells them that she would rather join her beloved husband in the pyre than lead the spartan life of a widow. Not for her, says she, is the life of a widow who eats one meal of rice mixed with gingili oil and neem leaves, and who sleeps on the bare floor. May you not commit sati, the queen tells the courtiers, rather sarcastically, but for me the cold water of the lake is not different from the fire of the pyre. And the very next song confirms that she did commit sati. [Purananuru 246]
Another Tamil woman implores the potter to make her husband’s burial urn large enough
to hold the widow as well. [Purananuru 256]
Tolkappiyam says that the highest glory that a woman can aspire for is to join her husband’s funeral pyre. [Tolkappiyam, Poruladhikaram 77]
Manimekhalai has an interesting narrative133 where the chaste Adhirai wrongly concludes that her trader husband had died and attempts to commit sati, but the fire refuses to engulf her. Then her husband returns and they live happily ever after! [Manimekhalai XVI]
A woman wasn’t always allowed to commit sati. A Sangam song says134 that after her son’s father departed, the widow’s head was tonsured and her bangles were removed.
Then onwards, lily with rice became her staple food. [Purananuru 250]
One of the songs says160 that even though a person may belong to a lower Varna among the four, if he were to acquire knowledge, then those born of the higher Varnas would respect him. [Purananuru 183:8 – 10]
The oldest extant Tamil grammatical treatise prescribes under what circumstances men of each Varna can go on sabbatical or separation. It says that a Brahmin can go away for learning the Vedas or on diplomacy, a king for matters of war and intrigue. [Tolkappiyam Poruladhikaram 28 and 29]
Elsewhere, the same book also lists what the duties of each of the four Varnas have traditionally been. It says that a Brahmin wears the sacred thread, carries the kamandala and uses the tortoise shaped wooden plank as his seat [for studying the scriptures], and he can also be a minister or the king. [Tolkappiyam Poruladhikaram 615 and 627]
A Jaina saint considers it inauspicious when the Brahmins give up chanting of the
Vedas and take to other professions. In Silappadikaram, the newly married Kovalan and Kannagi are dissuaded from entering a settlement where the Brahmins musicians reside. [Silappadikaram 13:38 – 40]
A woman suspects her man of infidelity, because of the new fragrance on his body, which she believes he acquired from a prostitute. He protests that he is innocent, takes
a vow on the Brahmins [because they were revered in the society] and pleads that the fragrance on his body is due to his traversing the path full of groves where the wafting breeze carried the fragrance of the flowers that grew there! [Paripadal 8:51 – 55]
The grateful Brahmin poet has not forgotten his patron king; after the latter dies, he brings the king’s daughters under his tutelage, declares them as his own, and proposes to an illustrious king who, the poet says, is the forty ninth scion of the dynasty that ruled Dwaraka once, that he marry them. [Purananuru 201:6 – 10]
His selfless gratitude must have been widely known during the Sangam age, for another poet praises182 him as the Brahmin without a blemish in his character, and alludes to the incident the previously quoted song talks about. [Purananuru 126:11 – 13]
The dakshina a king offers the sacrificing Brahmins who are well versed in the Vedas. [Patirruppattu 64:3 – 5]
The delicious vegetarian cuisine that a Panan is served while he visits a Brahmin household. [Perumpanarruppadai 301 - 310]
Siva is called The Brahmin. [Paripadal 5:22 – 30]
The Brahmin woman is described as very chaste and shy, and is compared to
the Northern star Arundhati. [Perumpanarruppadai 302 – 304]
There are various verses in Paripadal devoted to Tirumaal (Vishnu) where the Vedas and the Brahmins are often referred to. [Paripadal 1 – 4, 13 and 15].
Tirukkural has referred to the Brahmins and the Vedas. This is well known in scholarly circles. A look at Parimelazhagar’s commentary would suggest that Tiruvalluvar knew the Dharmashastras and that he has used them in his Tirukkural. It also shows that Tiruvalluvar knew the Vedic religion and believed in it. [He has referred to various Hindu Gods].
The above references are more than enough to prove that the ancient Tamil culture knew Brahmins and Brahminical religion and that they formed an integral part of their culture.
[ Note: This article is a mere compilation of extracts from Kalavai Venkat’s ‘Critical Review of Romila Thapar’s Early India – From The Origins to 1300 AD']
The Identity of IVC People
Let me discuss briefly about the identity of IVC (Indus Valley Civilization) people.
Are they ‘Dravidians’?
The answer is a vehement ‘NO’.
The ancient Tamil literature does not know about any land to the north in which there was any Tamil civilization nor do they say that the Tamils have migrated from North due to any invasion or other reasons. They claim that the Tamils had their dwellings in a land further south which was destroyed by sea.
There are no huge cities belonging to the 2nd Millennium BCE in the Tamil country. It is certainly impossible to even think that the founders of IVC will give up their culture entirely and turn back to Stone Age living (as evidenced by the existing of Neolithic sites of this period). Also, it has to be noted that there is a continuity of IVC in the northern part of India in the form of Dwaraka (S.R.Rao – 1999), Hastinapura etc. This is not possible if the indigenous civilization was replaced by a foreign culture.
Tamil has no local words for ‘Lion’, ‘Rhinoceros’ etc. If Tamils had lived in North India, they would have their own words for these common animals. The Tamil words are ‘Cingam / Singam’ (derived from ‘simha’) and ‘KAndAmirugam’ (derived from ‘Khadgamriga’).
The next argument put forth is that Indo-Aryans brought horses which were unknown to IVC people. But the Tamil words for horse have local origins. The Tamil words for horse are ‘Kudirai’, ‘Pari’, ‘MA’ etc. Moreover horse figurines have been obtained in Lothal. Faunal remains have been found in Lothal and Surkotada. On the faunal remains from Surkotada, the renowned international authority on horse‑bones, Sandor Bokonyi, Hungary, states: ‘The occurrence of true horse (Equus Caballus L.) was evidenced by the enamel pattern of the upper and lower cheek and teeth and by the size and form of the incisors and phalanges (toe bones).’ In addition to these, Kalibangan and Rupnagar have also yielded faunal remains.
Moreover, no river, city or mountain of North India has any Tamil name. This is important to note because the place names normally exhibit the early language of that place (e.g. ‘Mississippi’ in North America). There is no such place in the world where the invaders have completely changed the names of the rivers, places etc. This is something impossible.
Moreover, the existence of fire altars in IVC (At Kalibangan) shows an Aryan connection. Fire is an integral part of Vedic rituals.
The claims that Tamil words are found in Rg Veda have been proved wrong by Shrikant Talageri (1993).
Are they ‘Austric’?
No, because there is no proof for this hypothesis. The Austric people of India have not built any cities in the 1st Millennium BCE. The Austric languages have borrowed a lot from Indo-Aryan and very few Austric words have been loaned by Indo-Aryan languages. Moreover, the Sanskrit names for Indian plants and animals have local origins and have not been loaned from Austric/Dravidian languages. No place/river in the Indus Valley has any Austric name. Above all, mere hypothesis cannot be considered as a fact and no solid proof has been provided to establish that IVC is Austric.
Are they ‘Indo- European’ (Aryan)?
I know that most people will oppose this vociferously. They may call me as ‘Hindu chauvinist/fundamentalist’ (Marxist parlance) / ‘Brahmin terrorist’ (DK parlance) / ‘Hindu Nationalist’ (Witzel). Now, why is there such an aversion towards the idea itself? People will call IVC as anything but Aryan. Are there any strong archaeological reasons for this opposition? Or is it due to some unassailable evidence found in literature? Or is due to some invincible evidence put forward by Linguistics?
First of all, B.B.Lal has clearly stated that there is no Archaeological evidence for Aryan Invasion/Migration Theories. After a thorough study of the human skeletal remains, Hemphill and his colleagues (1991) have shown that there was a biological continuity right from 4500 BCE to 800 BCE. (Cited by B.B.Lal)
Then Sarasvati is mentioned in the Vedic literature. It is claimed that the Sarasvati of Vedic literature is Helmand of Afghanistan. But the Rg Veda (10.75.5-6) mentions the rivers in an east to west direction and it places Sarasvati between Yamuna and Sutlej. Hence the Sarasvati of the Vedas is the Ghagghar-Hakra of today. It is now known that this river dried up completely by 2000-1900 BCE. Eminent geologists, V. M. K. Puri and B. C. Verma, have demonstrated how the Sarasvati originated from the Himalayan glaciers and how subsequently its channel got blocked because of tectonic movements in the Himalayas, as a result of which the original channel dried up and its water got diverted to the Yamuna. It is due to this natural disaster that IVC centres were abandoned. Therefore, the Vedic literature must predate this period. (Excerpt from B.B.Lal’s paper ‘The Homeland of Indo-European Languages and Culture: Some Thoughts’)
Moreover, the Sarasvati of Rg Veda (7.95.2) flowed from mountains to the sea. Helmand does not flow to the sea. It further confirms our theory that the Vedic land is Haryana (Kurukshetra) and the Vedic period is prior to 2nd Millennium BCE.
There are certain ‘scholars’ who claim that the Vedic people did not know the sea. But this claim is ridiculous. No one can deny the fact that the Vedic Aryans knew the Indus plains. How is it possible that someone knew the Indus plains but not the sea, especially, when the people were great wanderers (as per those who subscribe to AIT/AMT).
The Brahmanas (Panchvimsa Brahmana (XXV.10.16)) do mention about the drying up of Sarasvati. Hence, this is a very solid proof for the fact that IVC people must be Indo-Aryans. (Cited by B.B.Lal)
The astronomical observations mentioned in the Vedic literature also point to an epoch which is very much earlier to 1200 BCE. Shataptha Brahmana refers to Pleiades (Krittika) on the celestial equator. This event occurred around 3000 BCE. (Narahari Achar in EJVS Dec, 1999::Vol. 5(1999), issue 2(December)). This, further, confirms our theory as it pushes back the date of the samhitas to 4th Millennium BCE.
There is no evidence, whatsoever, in the Vedic literature to prove that Aryans came from outside. There is nothing in the Vedas which point to a foreign land.
Finally, Koenraad Elst, Shrikant Talageri and Nicholas Kazanas have proved that there is no strong linguistic evidence for AIT/AMT and they have also shown that OIT(Out of India Theory) does not suffer from any linguistic evidence against it. Linguistics can also be used to propose the OIT.
In conclusion, we may say, IVC people were Indo-Europeans (Aryans).
Appendix:
Horse:
Generally, it is claimed by certain people that horses were unknown to India and that only Aryans brought horses into India. Evidence for horses in IVC has been given above. Still, a supplement is given here:
“Horse bones have been reported as early as the 5th millennium BC at Mahagara and Koldihwa [Sharif and Thapar 1992:151] in Uttar Pradesh. The C-14 dates of these sites were at first doubted, but retests have only established that the earlier dates of 5th millennium BC were correct [Chakrabarti 1999:104-105]. Coming to the Mature Harappan period, horse bones have been found at several sites such as Kuntasi [Dhavalikar 1995: 116-117], Malvan [Allchin and Joshi 1995: 95], Shikarpur [P. K. Thomas et al 1995] etc. They have also been reported conclusively at Hallur in Karnataka, at levels dated securely at 1500-1700 BC. If the Aryans were just entering Baluchistan and NWFP at that time, Karnataka becomes too south a place for horse remains to surface so early!” (David Frawley in ‘Witzel’s Vanishing Ocean – How To Read Vedic Texts Any Way You Like’)
The anatomy of the horse, as described in the Rigveda and other Vedic texts, is different from that of the Central Asian horse (supposedly brought to India by the Indo-Aryan speakers) and in fact similar to some extinct and modern tropical varieties of horses (like the Arabian horse).
Spoked Wheels:
The presence of spoked wheels in Rg Veda is cited as a proof for the AIT/AMT. The argument is that spoked wheels are not found in IVC. But B.B.Lal has disproved this argument. Spoked wheels have been found in Rakhigarhi and Banawali.
Rakhigarhi: Terracotta wheel with painted lines has been found. The painted lines radiating from the central hub and reaching the circumference clearly represent the spokes of the wheel.
Banawali: Terracotta wheels showing the spokes in low relief have been found.
Moreover, Shrikant Talageri, in his reply to Witzel’s review of his book ‘The Rigveda – A Historical Analysis’, has clearly proved that ‘spoked wheels’ are not mentioned in the early books of the Rg Veda.
[(III.4.e) of his reply to Witzel’s review deals with this issue]
Sindhu – Sarasvati Civilization / Indus – Sarasvati Civilization:
A great majority of the IVC/SSC sites have been found on the banks of Sarasvati and hence, it is time to rename the culture as ‘Indus Sarasvati Civilization / Sindhu – Sarasvati Civilization’. Some Marxist historians like Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib etc. oppose this. Such arguments have been dealt with in detail by the supporters of OIT. [E.g. See Kalavai Venkat’s ‘A Critical Review of Romila Thapar’s Early India – From The Origins to 1300 AD]
References:
B.B.Lal - ‘Why Perpetuate Myths? A Fresh Look at Ancient Indian History’
B.B.Lal - ‘The Homeland of Indo-European Languages and Culture: Some Thoughts’
B.N. Narahari Achar - ‘On Exploring the Vedic Sky with Modern Computer Software’ in Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies (Vol. 5 (1999), issue 2 (December))
S.R. Rao - ‘The Lost City of Dwaraka’ (1999, Aditya Prakashan)
Shrikant G. Talageri - ‘The Aryan Invasion Theory A Reappraisal’ (1993, Aditya Prakashan)
David Frawley - ‘Witzel’s Vanishing Ocean – How To Read Vedic Texts Any Way You Like’ (Open Page of The Hindu 25th June 2002).
Kalavai Venkat - ‘A Critical Review of Romila Thapar’s Early India – From The Origins to 1300 AD
Nicholas Kazanas - ‘A New Date For The Rgveda’
Nicholas Kazanas – ‘Sanskrit and Proto-Indo-European’
Koenraad Elst – ‘Linguistic Aspects of Aryan Non-Invasion Theory’
Shrikant G. Talageri’s reply to Witzel’s review of ‘The Rigveda – A Historical Analysis’
Are they ‘Dravidians’?
The answer is a vehement ‘NO’.
The ancient Tamil literature does not know about any land to the north in which there was any Tamil civilization nor do they say that the Tamils have migrated from North due to any invasion or other reasons. They claim that the Tamils had their dwellings in a land further south which was destroyed by sea.
There are no huge cities belonging to the 2nd Millennium BCE in the Tamil country. It is certainly impossible to even think that the founders of IVC will give up their culture entirely and turn back to Stone Age living (as evidenced by the existing of Neolithic sites of this period). Also, it has to be noted that there is a continuity of IVC in the northern part of India in the form of Dwaraka (S.R.Rao – 1999), Hastinapura etc. This is not possible if the indigenous civilization was replaced by a foreign culture.
Tamil has no local words for ‘Lion’, ‘Rhinoceros’ etc. If Tamils had lived in North India, they would have their own words for these common animals. The Tamil words are ‘Cingam / Singam’ (derived from ‘simha’) and ‘KAndAmirugam’ (derived from ‘Khadgamriga’).
The next argument put forth is that Indo-Aryans brought horses which were unknown to IVC people. But the Tamil words for horse have local origins. The Tamil words for horse are ‘Kudirai’, ‘Pari’, ‘MA’ etc. Moreover horse figurines have been obtained in Lothal. Faunal remains have been found in Lothal and Surkotada. On the faunal remains from Surkotada, the renowned international authority on horse‑bones, Sandor Bokonyi, Hungary, states: ‘The occurrence of true horse (Equus Caballus L.) was evidenced by the enamel pattern of the upper and lower cheek and teeth and by the size and form of the incisors and phalanges (toe bones).’ In addition to these, Kalibangan and Rupnagar have also yielded faunal remains.
Moreover, no river, city or mountain of North India has any Tamil name. This is important to note because the place names normally exhibit the early language of that place (e.g. ‘Mississippi’ in North America). There is no such place in the world where the invaders have completely changed the names of the rivers, places etc. This is something impossible.
Moreover, the existence of fire altars in IVC (At Kalibangan) shows an Aryan connection. Fire is an integral part of Vedic rituals.
The claims that Tamil words are found in Rg Veda have been proved wrong by Shrikant Talageri (1993).
Are they ‘Austric’?
No, because there is no proof for this hypothesis. The Austric people of India have not built any cities in the 1st Millennium BCE. The Austric languages have borrowed a lot from Indo-Aryan and very few Austric words have been loaned by Indo-Aryan languages. Moreover, the Sanskrit names for Indian plants and animals have local origins and have not been loaned from Austric/Dravidian languages. No place/river in the Indus Valley has any Austric name. Above all, mere hypothesis cannot be considered as a fact and no solid proof has been provided to establish that IVC is Austric.
Are they ‘Indo- European’ (Aryan)?
I know that most people will oppose this vociferously. They may call me as ‘Hindu chauvinist/fundamentalist’ (Marxist parlance) / ‘Brahmin terrorist’ (DK parlance) / ‘Hindu Nationalist’ (Witzel). Now, why is there such an aversion towards the idea itself? People will call IVC as anything but Aryan. Are there any strong archaeological reasons for this opposition? Or is it due to some unassailable evidence found in literature? Or is due to some invincible evidence put forward by Linguistics?
First of all, B.B.Lal has clearly stated that there is no Archaeological evidence for Aryan Invasion/Migration Theories. After a thorough study of the human skeletal remains, Hemphill and his colleagues (1991) have shown that there was a biological continuity right from 4500 BCE to 800 BCE. (Cited by B.B.Lal)
Then Sarasvati is mentioned in the Vedic literature. It is claimed that the Sarasvati of Vedic literature is Helmand of Afghanistan. But the Rg Veda (10.75.5-6) mentions the rivers in an east to west direction and it places Sarasvati between Yamuna and Sutlej. Hence the Sarasvati of the Vedas is the Ghagghar-Hakra of today. It is now known that this river dried up completely by 2000-1900 BCE. Eminent geologists, V. M. K. Puri and B. C. Verma, have demonstrated how the Sarasvati originated from the Himalayan glaciers and how subsequently its channel got blocked because of tectonic movements in the Himalayas, as a result of which the original channel dried up and its water got diverted to the Yamuna. It is due to this natural disaster that IVC centres were abandoned. Therefore, the Vedic literature must predate this period. (Excerpt from B.B.Lal’s paper ‘The Homeland of Indo-European Languages and Culture: Some Thoughts’)
Moreover, the Sarasvati of Rg Veda (7.95.2) flowed from mountains to the sea. Helmand does not flow to the sea. It further confirms our theory that the Vedic land is Haryana (Kurukshetra) and the Vedic period is prior to 2nd Millennium BCE.
There are certain ‘scholars’ who claim that the Vedic people did not know the sea. But this claim is ridiculous. No one can deny the fact that the Vedic Aryans knew the Indus plains. How is it possible that someone knew the Indus plains but not the sea, especially, when the people were great wanderers (as per those who subscribe to AIT/AMT).
The Brahmanas (Panchvimsa Brahmana (XXV.10.16)) do mention about the drying up of Sarasvati. Hence, this is a very solid proof for the fact that IVC people must be Indo-Aryans. (Cited by B.B.Lal)
The astronomical observations mentioned in the Vedic literature also point to an epoch which is very much earlier to 1200 BCE. Shataptha Brahmana refers to Pleiades (Krittika) on the celestial equator. This event occurred around 3000 BCE. (Narahari Achar in EJVS Dec, 1999::Vol. 5(1999), issue 2(December)). This, further, confirms our theory as it pushes back the date of the samhitas to 4th Millennium BCE.
There is no evidence, whatsoever, in the Vedic literature to prove that Aryans came from outside. There is nothing in the Vedas which point to a foreign land.
Finally, Koenraad Elst, Shrikant Talageri and Nicholas Kazanas have proved that there is no strong linguistic evidence for AIT/AMT and they have also shown that OIT(Out of India Theory) does not suffer from any linguistic evidence against it. Linguistics can also be used to propose the OIT.
In conclusion, we may say, IVC people were Indo-Europeans (Aryans).
Appendix:
Horse:
Generally, it is claimed by certain people that horses were unknown to India and that only Aryans brought horses into India. Evidence for horses in IVC has been given above. Still, a supplement is given here:
“Horse bones have been reported as early as the 5th millennium BC at Mahagara and Koldihwa [Sharif and Thapar 1992:151] in Uttar Pradesh. The C-14 dates of these sites were at first doubted, but retests have only established that the earlier dates of 5th millennium BC were correct [Chakrabarti 1999:104-105]. Coming to the Mature Harappan period, horse bones have been found at several sites such as Kuntasi [Dhavalikar 1995: 116-117], Malvan [Allchin and Joshi 1995: 95], Shikarpur [P. K. Thomas et al 1995] etc. They have also been reported conclusively at Hallur in Karnataka, at levels dated securely at 1500-1700 BC. If the Aryans were just entering Baluchistan and NWFP at that time, Karnataka becomes too south a place for horse remains to surface so early!” (David Frawley in ‘Witzel’s Vanishing Ocean – How To Read Vedic Texts Any Way You Like’)
The anatomy of the horse, as described in the Rigveda and other Vedic texts, is different from that of the Central Asian horse (supposedly brought to India by the Indo-Aryan speakers) and in fact similar to some extinct and modern tropical varieties of horses (like the Arabian horse).
Spoked Wheels:
The presence of spoked wheels in Rg Veda is cited as a proof for the AIT/AMT. The argument is that spoked wheels are not found in IVC. But B.B.Lal has disproved this argument. Spoked wheels have been found in Rakhigarhi and Banawali.
Rakhigarhi: Terracotta wheel with painted lines has been found. The painted lines radiating from the central hub and reaching the circumference clearly represent the spokes of the wheel.
Banawali: Terracotta wheels showing the spokes in low relief have been found.
Moreover, Shrikant Talageri, in his reply to Witzel’s review of his book ‘The Rigveda – A Historical Analysis’, has clearly proved that ‘spoked wheels’ are not mentioned in the early books of the Rg Veda.
[(III.4.e) of his reply to Witzel’s review deals with this issue]
Sindhu – Sarasvati Civilization / Indus – Sarasvati Civilization:
A great majority of the IVC/SSC sites have been found on the banks of Sarasvati and hence, it is time to rename the culture as ‘Indus Sarasvati Civilization / Sindhu – Sarasvati Civilization’. Some Marxist historians like Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib etc. oppose this. Such arguments have been dealt with in detail by the supporters of OIT. [E.g. See Kalavai Venkat’s ‘A Critical Review of Romila Thapar’s Early India – From The Origins to 1300 AD]
References:
B.B.Lal - ‘Why Perpetuate Myths? A Fresh Look at Ancient Indian History’
B.B.Lal - ‘The Homeland of Indo-European Languages and Culture: Some Thoughts’
B.N. Narahari Achar - ‘On Exploring the Vedic Sky with Modern Computer Software’ in Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies (Vol. 5 (1999), issue 2 (December))
S.R. Rao - ‘The Lost City of Dwaraka’ (1999, Aditya Prakashan)
Shrikant G. Talageri - ‘The Aryan Invasion Theory A Reappraisal’ (1993, Aditya Prakashan)
David Frawley - ‘Witzel’s Vanishing Ocean – How To Read Vedic Texts Any Way You Like’ (Open Page of The Hindu 25th June 2002).
Kalavai Venkat - ‘A Critical Review of Romila Thapar’s Early India – From The Origins to 1300 AD
Nicholas Kazanas - ‘A New Date For The Rgveda’
Nicholas Kazanas – ‘Sanskrit and Proto-Indo-European’
Koenraad Elst – ‘Linguistic Aspects of Aryan Non-Invasion Theory’
Shrikant G. Talageri’s reply to Witzel’s review of ‘The Rigveda – A Historical Analysis’
A Humble Beginning
I would publish some compilations of extracts from certain articles and essays. Original writings will be posted by me when I have enough time.
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