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']