ROLE OF PADDY PLANTS IN TAMIL ASTROLOGY (Post No.4885)
Compiled by London Swaminathan
Date: 5 April 2018
Time uploaded in London – 18-50 (British Summer Time)
Post No. 4885
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Tamil Hindus have been using plants in astrological calculations and forecasts. It is found in their 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature.
V R Ramachandra Dikshitar has detailed it in his ‘Studies in Tamil Literature’ published in 1936.
Following is the summary of his observations:
“In the age of Tolkappianar (First Century BCE) and perhaps much earlier, the ancient Tamils were superstitious and god fearing. It was an age of crude astrology. The aid of astrology was sought whenever anyone feel sick and the illness was persistent. It was also pressed into service when calamities of any sort, providential or otherwise threatened the country.
The astrologers belonged to the class of mountain tribe, known as ‘Kuravar’ and what is more remarkable is that it was largely the ‘Kurava’ women (‘Kuraththi’) who adopted fortune telling as their profession.
The term ‘Kuramakal Kuri Eyini’ occurring in the Sangam works like the Narrinai ( Verse 357) and Purananuru ( verse 157) shows that these ‘Kurava’ women alone were engaged in this fortune-telling practice. That the male member also took to this profession is evident from the Ainkurunuru (verse 394). The relic of this very ancient custom is still preserved by the class of ‘Nari-kurattis’ and ‘Kudukuduppandis’ who go about begging from door to door in every village and town predicting good or evil for every member of the family.
There were two modes of arriving at a solution. it was either by what is known as’ Kattu’ or ‘Kalangu’. The method of Kattu consisted in taking a handful of paddy grains at random and counting it by twos to arrive at a decision favourable or unfavourable. She who did this was known as ‘Kattuvicci’. This practice of predicting fortune by means of paddy grains mention in the works of Saivite saint Manikka vasakar and Vaishnavite saint Tirumangai Alvar. In the epoch of the Tirukkovai (verse 285), it was one of the ways of thought-reading. By the counting of paddy one would be able to give out what the other had in his mind.
Again Tirumangai Alvar refers to the practice of seeking the advice of ‘kattuvicci’ by the relatives of a girl who was ailing from love sickness for Tirumal (Vishnu). Reference is also made to this custom in a later work entitled Minatchiammai Kuram by Kumaragurupara swamikal.
The other mode of divination was with the help of Molucca beans (nickernut= ‘Kazarchikay’). Fortune-telling by from Molucca beans by the ‘Velan’ is as much as an ancient custom as the counting of paddy for the same purpose. About the exact method adopted we have no authentic material. All that we know is that it was done by Velan the priest offering worship to Murugan (Lord Kartikeya). The Velan acted as the oracle and gave out what would happen and what would not happen. There are two ways of Velan telling the fortune or misfortune. One was ‘Veriyatal’ and the other was the choice of a root. Yet another method of appeasing the wrath of the deity was to draw a figure just like the diseased person and make a present of it to the temple.
The Velan method of fortune-telling is current even today in Malabar and in Cochin. These persons are generally known as ‘Mantravadins’ and four kinds of Velans are distinguished: Bharatavelan, Vaagaivelan, Paanavelan, ad Mannavelan. These resort to different practices by which they are said to effect sure cures for incurable diseases”.
–by V R Ramachandra Dikshitar (Year 1936).
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