WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 11,327

Date uploaded in London – 5 OCTOBER 2022                  

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

Xxx

Rig Veda and classical Sanskrit literature describe the forest fires. Tamils also described such wild fires in the Sangam literature. But ancient Tamils were better Hindus than many others so that they remember only Mahabharata when they see such a horrible scene

Kabilar in Kurinjik kali ( one of the five chapters in Kalittokai) says in verse 52:

A herd of elephants is caught in a wild fire spreading over mountain. The leader of the herd takes courage and boldly guides others out of the fire and saves them like the hero Bhima (of Mahabharata) who saved his aged mother and brothers when their palace was set fire to by the scheme of their enemy Duryodhana.

 Again, an elephant attacking a tiger with great ferocity with its sharp tusks tearing into pieces is compared to the hero Bhima of the great epic. He fought in the same way with his enemy Duryodhana and cut his thigh with vengeance.

When it (the elephant) returns to its herd in a spirit of joy and pride after killing the tiger, it is compared to Krishna, who killed and crushed the pugilists induced to attack him (Kalittokai 52)

xxx

Sapta Rishi Worship (Great Bear Constellation)

Worshipping Seven Seers known as Sapta Rishis is attested by Panini 2700 years ago.  Brahmins around the world worship 7 seers thrice a day in their Sandhya Vandana ritual. They are seen in the Ursa Major constellation in the northern sky. A Tamil poet by name Ila Nagan (naagan) sang about it  in Natrinai verse 231. He says the sapphire like blue sky has Seven Seers who are worshipped (by the people with their hands ).

Seven stars in Ursa Major (Great Bear) constellation are identified with Seven Seers of Vedas by the Hindus.

Arundhati is considered the most chaste woman by the Hindus. Newly married Hindu couple see this Star in the Ursa Major constellation on the wedding day

We have many references to Aundhati in Tamil:

 Vasishta’s wife Arundhati: Pari 5-44;Pathitru 31-27;89-17;Perum.line 302

Xxx

Crescent Moon Worship

Muslims follow crescent moon to celebrate their festivals such as Ramazan. But crescent moon worship is referred to in Hindu scriptures long before the appearance of Islam.

Sankatahara Chaturthy is an important day for orthodox Hindus, particularly for Ganapathi worshippers. It is observed on the fourth day/Chaturthi after the Full moon day/Purnima. Orthodox Hindus fast in the daytime and eat food only after seeing moon in the evening. Sankata hara means, eliminating difficulties or sorrow. This crescent moon worship is mentioned in Tamil literature too. Sankatahara Chaturthi is from Vinayaka Purana.

Worship of crescent moon: Kuruntokai verses 178;307; Akam. 239; Maduraikanchi- line 193; Puram.60 and Prayer 1;silambu-2—38;

Xxx

Sun Worship

Adi (aadhi) Sankara divided Hindu worship into six main ways. One of the six types is the worship of Sun God (sauram from Suurya). Sun God and his one wheeled chariot with seven horses is also mentioned by Tamil poets

Sun’s one wheel chariot- Akam 360

Suns horses: Akam 363; Pattina. Line 122-124

Xxx

In Hindu Puranas Jupiter or Brihaspati was the teacher of Devas (angels) and Sukracharya (Venus) was the Guru of Asuras. Both these Gurus are Brahmins. Maruthan Ilanagan mentioned both of them as ‘The Two Brahmins’ in Kalittokai verse 99.

Two Brahmins (Jupiter and Venus): Kali-99

xxx

Sati by Monkey

Kuruntokai verse 69 sings about a monkey which committed suicide. Tamil scholar Professor M.Varadarajan described it as ‘Sati’:

Sati is the Hindu custom of chaste wife burning herself with the dead husband during cremation.

“On the death of its loving mate, a female monkey is imagined to hand over its young one to its kith and kin and perform sati by falling down from the top of a hill” (Kuruntokai 69 by Kadunthot Karaveeran).

(Reference: The Treatment of Nature in Sangam Literature by M.Varadarajan)

He is right in describing this as Sati, because the word in the poem is Kaimmai. The monkey did not like the Kaimmaai ( a widow’s life of fasting and rituals). In other poems also we see that Sati was practised by the Tamils where widows did not like Kaimmai  fasting (Puram 246, Sati committed by Pandya queen Bhutapandyan Devi).

— subham—-

Tags- Purana, Sangam Tamil, Poets, Crescent moon, Sapta Rishi, Bhima, Duryodhana