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Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 16:06:51 -0000
To: agathiyar@yahoogroups.com
Subject: "pi~n~nakanE" (Re: Thirumurai Series - 39)
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--- In agathiyar@y..., Sam Sankaran
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2002 15:13:40 -0000 naga_ganesan
>
>
> >
> [...]
>
> > OTOH, Shiva never wears peacock feathers, it will be
> > against his ideals. He is a permanent "outsider"
> > - a dancer in the burial grounds, worshipped
> > by thieves, kApAlins, outlaws. He is on the fringe
> > of settled society. White is his color of choice
> > - kokku iRaku, white kapAlam, ganges from snow (hima) mountain,
> > white erukku flower, and a boar's white teeth.
> > In addition, he is smeared with white vibhUti
> > all the time. White is a color that signifies
> > paasivity, non-interest to Tamils. Anthropologists
> > point to taking red (for positive results) flowers
> > and taking white (for negative or unsuccessful results)
> > in the Amman temples of Dravida folks (puu kETkiRa 'ritual').
> > White signifies death and puRam poems are full
> > of white imagery during funerals.
> >
> > Yes, pi~n~nakan2 means the one who has kapAlam, gangai,
> > kokkiRaku, pan2Ri-pal, etc. all white stuff on
> > his head.
> >
> > Regards,
> > N. Ganesan
> >
>
> This connection with 'white' is intriguing and interesting.
> A Spanish friend of mine, years ago, commenting on the
> Chinese practice of avoiding white or associating it with
> 'death' (according to her reading and interpretation),
> remarked that it was of course natural and logical. Her
> argument was that white is the colour of snow and the
> symbol of winter, and is associated with death in several
> cultures. The association of Siva, the Lord of the
> burial grounds (among other places and things), therefore
> assumes a new significance. Also, it might make us question
> whether such a Siva could be a "Dravidian" god. If he can
> be, then that might add pointers towards the Northern or
> North Western, or 'Sumerian' origins of the Dravidians, and
> classify them as 'earlier' outsiders to inhabit the Indian
> subcontinent. 'Earlier', yes, but also outsiders. These are
> 'thin reeds' ofcourse!!
>
> ----------------------
> Sam Sankaran
> Sam.Sankaran@u...
anbuLLa Prof. Sankaran,
Have you seen the recent book by Karen Prentiss,
Embodiment of Bhakti, OxfordUP. That's a must
read for Tamils and all Indians. A step further
than Norman Cutler's work on bhakti. I think Prentiss (sp?)
is a student of Norman.
Bhakti as a mass movement starts in tamil:
Tirumuruku, 12 tirumuRai, AzvArs, ...
She gives very old refs. (Indic, & western, eg., Grierson etc.,)
about Bhakti to Shiva. This starts in Tamil,
and esp. Tevaram.
Agreed that Shiva is present from late sangam texts,
esp. kali-t-tokai onwards (full of north Indian elements).
The earliest Lingam unearthed is at Gudimallam near
Madras (now AP). His anthropomorphic representation
on a phallus standing on a dwarf.
There is an exact parallel in Sumerian art.
The dwarf is called Humamba (have to check the name).
I agree that Shiva is North, but is of North Dravidian extraction,
Regards,
N. Ganesan
PS: After reading you quote a Vikatan ref.
to Narendra Subramanian's work Drav. politics in TN
upto 1980 or so, I got the book. Very nice and
hard scholarship.
R. Suntharalingam, E. Irschick (he asked me few qns., few months back,
I didn't put time into it), ... have you
seen Charles Ryerson's Tamil renaissance work
on Periyar, ... - NG.
