We have already seen the literary evidences in Vedas and Vedāṅgas for the writing in ancient India. Now we can proceed to the Itihāsas and Purāṇas the religious scriptures of India. Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata are the two important epics of India. The two epics have important evidences that can be quoted to claim the ancientness…
Continue readingMonth: July 2015
TIRUVAṆṆĀMALAI INSCRIPTION OF RĀJARĀJA VĀṆAKOVARAIYA
The following inscription is in the gopura called Kiḷigopuram in the Tiruvaṇṇāmalai temple. The inscription eulogies the fame of Rājarāja vāṇakovaraiyan who gilded temple with gold. Some great port called Kavirāja wrote the poem. The period of the inscription can be calculated from another inscription from the temple which informs that Rājarāja vāṇakovaraiya who gilded…
Continue readingSANSKRITISATION OF THE NAME MOHAMMAD
We know that the people of Europe and Arab countries were referred with the word “Yavana” in the ancient Tamil and Sanskrit literature. Kālidāsa specially refers the Persians as “Pāraśikas” with mustaches. In his work, Raguvaṃśa, while explaining the digvijaya of Raghu, he made the reference. पारशीकांस्ततो जेतुं प्रतस्थे स्थलवर्त्मना।(Raghuvaṃśa 4.59) pāraśīkāṁstato jetuṁ pratasthe sthalavartmanā| …
Continue readingTWO COḸA GENERALS FROM OTHER STATES
In medieval period, talent was honoured even from other states. This can be evidently seen from the inscriptions of that period. We can see two such persons served as generals in the Coḹa army. Veḷḷaṉ kumaraṉ He was hailing from Nandikkarai puttūr of Kerala. He was the right hand of Rājāditya, son of Parāntaka…
Continue readingDEVOTION IS ABOVE ENMITY
Devotion, a refined feel of human being seems to be above all other feelings when it is in condensed manner inside the heart. It doesn’t care other feelings like enmity, hatred and anger. Even in historic days, devotion was respected above the hereditarily rivalry. This can be easily gleaned through inscriptions of that period….
Continue readingCognition with horse-wife
Sūrya, the Sun god wedded Saṃjñā, daughter of Viśvakarmā. As she couldn’t bear his heat, she went to her maternal home after making Chāyā her own shadow as her substitute. Since she couldn’t stay there, she took the form of a horse and did hard penance at Uttarakuru land. By the biased acts of Chāyā,…
Continue readingWAS TAMIL TAUGHT IN GHAṬIKĀ?
Ghaṭikā of Kāñcīpuram We know that Ghaṭikās were the educational institutions that were functional since the 3rd CE at Kāñcīpuram. The earliest epigraphic reference on these Ghaṭikās can be seen in Tāḷḷaguṇḍā pillar inscription from Shimoga district, Karnataka. The inscription belongs to Kakusthavarmā of Kadamba dynasty and it mentions about one of his ancestor, two…
Continue readingTWO SCHOLARLY PĀṆḌYA OFFICIALS
Administration and academic proficiency rarely complement each other. Such a combination is seen in the medieval period which is gleaned through inscriptions. Pāṇḍyas, one of the ancient dynasties of the world patronized such officials in their court. We can see two such occurrences as examples. Māṙan Kāri Being the minister in the court of…
Continue readingTWO NEW SANSKRIT INSCRIPTIONS FROM KĀMĀKṢI AMMAN TEMPLE
The presiding deity of Kāñcīpuram and one of the Śaktipīṭhas is situated at the centre of the city. The deity of the temple is Kāmākṣī and the temple is named as “Kāmakoṣṭha” (Kāmakoṭṭa in tamil). The shrine for Dharma Śāstā at this temple is known in connection with Karikāla legend. Aḍiyārkku nallār commentary written in…
Continue readingDON’T GAMBLE EVEN WITH WIFE
An interesting legend in Skāndapurāṇa gives an account of the game of dice played between the first couple of the universe. The Kedārakhaṇḍa in Maheśvara khaṇḍa has this story in it. Once Nārada, came to Kailāsa and bowed to the first couple. My Father asked him about the reason for his visit. Nārada answered that…
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