We know that bull baiting is famous in Tamilnadu and the conqueror will be bestowed with daughter of the bull’s owner. The sport is called as Jallikkaṭṭu inTamil and the same is referred as Eṙu Taḹuval in the ancient Tamil literature. Such incident is seen from the story of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Harivaṃśa and Bhāgavata…
Continue readingThere are so many technical terms used in Sangham literature of Tamil. Some of the terms are understood in the light of commentaries only. Some of such terms are Sūta, Māgadha and Vē(ai)tālika. Madhurai Kāñcī refers them as follows. cūtar vāḻtta mākatar nuvala vetāḽikarŏṭu nāḻikai icaippa imiḻmuracu iraṅka eṟumāṟu cilaippa (maturaikkāñci : 671-672) …
Continue readingThe following inscription is very interesting and rare due to its nature. The inscription is inscribed on the north wall of the first Prākāra of the Tyāgarāja svāmi temple, Tiruvārūr. The inscription is bilingual. The Sanskrit portion is engraved in Grantha letters and the Tamil in Tamil letters. The inscription gives the elaborated study of…
Continue readingWe 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 readingGhaṭikā 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…
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Karaṇas are the dance sequences explained in the fourth chapter of Nāṭya śāstra of Bharata. The chapter is known as Tāṇḍava lakṣaṇam and explains one hundred and eight karaṇas to be used for Nṛtta and Vākyārtha abhinaya. The definition of a karaṇa is Hastapādasamāyogaḥ Nṛttasya karaṇam bhavet…
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