Book-Burning in India

[Guest guest]

I see a current trend of comparing the Chinese approach to China

Studies vs the Indian approach and hence this question.

 

Was there any incident of a Government or state-sponsored or supported

book-banning and burning activity in India comparable to those like

the Qin Shi Huang Di orders (200 BC China) or the European

traditions like the books of Arius and Nestorius etc.

 

The only two instances of burning manuscripts that I have come across

are the traditional accounts of Amara Simha and others who burn their

manuscripts (of their own accord?)when they lost in debate.

Another later-day instance is from the Nawab Of carnatic and the

Saraswati Mahal.

 

Are there any other oral or written accounts of happenings such as

these?

 

Thanks

 

Vidya Jayaraman

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. V V Raman and Vel Murugan,

 

Ref. msgs # 3971 & 4017.

 

<<<Dr. Raman: Unfortunately, it appears that there have been

instances (in South India) of people (Jainas) being impaled for not

re-converting to the Saiva or ViashNava fold.>>>

 

I beg to differ.

 

This topic has been dealt with in detail by several authorities

starting from K A N Sastri to Sitaram Goel. Let me summarize the

incident as narrated in Sekkizhar's magnum opus. As per this version,

the Saivite saint Tirugnanasambandhar (TGS) debated 8,000 Jainas

simultaneously. The Jainas had vowed that they would impale

themselves should they lose the debate. Per Sekkizhar they did so.

 

Now, if we are to get objective, it is impossible for anyone to

debate and defeat 8,000 opponents at the same time. So, there is a

definite element of exaggeration here. There is another important

angle that actually disproves this claim. The Jainas have maintained

institutions and detailed copper plate inscriptions in Tamilnadu,

before and after the time of TGS. If 8,000 of their monks had been

impaled, it would have been a very significant incident that would've

merited a mention in their records. Let us not remember that even

Pallava emperors like Mahendravarma were Jainas to begin with. So,

obviously, this alleged incident in the Pandya court should've found

a mention in the Pallava empire. We also have evidences from the

Chola copper plate inscriptions that even till the 12th century AD,

the Cholas continued to patronise Bauddha and Jaina traditions. So,

given the enmity between the Pandyas and the Cholas, one should

reasonably expect to see a mention of this persecution in the Chola

kingdom too. Yet, the Jainas have been intriguingly silent about the

alleged persecution.

 

The only reasonable conclusion one can arrive at is that the

persecution never occurred and it was no more than a display of

exaggerated bravado. One may ask why such display in the first place.

Ramanathan has dealt with this at length on his excellent analysis on

Kalabhras, who were mostly Jainas and some Bauddhas that ruled

Tamilnadu in the period that just preceded the era of TGS. There was

a loss of patronage to arts, literature and Hinduism during their

rule. Jaina religion was patronised. The Saivites must have felt

marginalised during their era. We don't know if the Kalabhras ever

persecuted the Saivites and there is no evidence for that. None of

the early Saivite Nayanmars was from the Pandya kingdom (that was

first ruled by Kalabhras and the early Pandyas after the Kalabhra

fall were also Jainas). Karaikkal Ammaiyar, an early Saivite saint

also was pained to go to Madurai that had no Saivites. So, it is

reasonable to conclude that under the Kalabhras the Saivites were

sidelined.

 

Hence, the reconversion of the Pandya to Saivism must have been great

success for the Saivas who had languished without state patronage for

a while. It must have given rise to euphoria that led to this

bravado. This certainly doesn't constitute historical evidence. Just

as we discount puranic myths that defy logic, we must discount this

myth also.

 

<<<Vel Murugan: The deliberate destruction of ThEvAram right inside

the precints of the famed NatarAja temple of Chidambaram, because of

which about 80% of the songs composed by the famous Tamil Saiva

Trinity (Appar, Sambandhra and Sundarar; nevermind, the last two

themselves were anthaNars/brahmins) were lost forever.>>>

 

This is factually incorrect and a blatant (if not intentional)

distortion of truth. Before I comment on this and present evidences

to the contrary, I would like to know the source of your version.

 

<<<Vel Murugan: As attested by none other than the great man

U.V.Saminatha Iyer himself, routine burning of Tamil manuscripts in

temple yagnas was a common Vedic practice in the Tamil country.>>>

 

It would be fair to quote U V Swaminatha Aiyar accurately. One

shouldn't invoke his name and present their versions or quote him

selectively. Can you please cite me which of UVS' writings you are

quoting here? I will then present the correct version with references.

 

<<<Vel Murugan: I recall reading about KuntalakEsi, another ancient

Jaina literature, that mysteriously disappeared, never to be found

again - again as attested by U.V.S himself.>>>

 

Quite a few texts -- Sanskrit, Tamil, Prakrits -- have been lost due

to many reasons. Islamic aggression, failure to copy them due to lack

of patronage etc. The case you've mentioned is not one of burning

texts.

 

<<<Vel Murugan: One can only surmise how many more Tamil Jaina and

Buddhist literature were submitted to Agni during the Bakthi era.>>>

 

Any evidence please?

 

<<<The destruction of the ancient Nalanda library.>>>

 

This was committed by the Muslim invaders.

 

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. V V Raman,

 

I haven't earned my doctorate yet :-)

 

Ref. msg # 4061.

 

My intent was not to refute your statement. Apologies if I sounded

that way. I have little doubt that your statement was motivated by

genuine reasons and pathos that you've mentioned in your msg. I am

also fully aware that you have insight into the facts. I was more

concerned that the list members that are not well versed with Tamil

literature or history may end up with a wrong perception.

 

Dravidianists and other groups inimical to Hinduism and the brahmins

have been quick to draw political mileage out of such narratives

(that have little historical value). Hence my detailed response. It

is very true that sections among the brahmins have been contemptuous

towards other sections of the society. It is commendable that a

brahmin as yourself are able to see this flip side. Subrahmanya

Bharati displayed similar positive attitude and it is welcome. Yet, I

must also point out the eminent poet Namakkal Kavijnar Ramalingam

Pillai's polite censure [1] of Bharati on this count. He correctly

pointed out that Bharati's selective criticism of the brahmins will

ultimately be used by hate mongers for spreading hate.

 

He was right. Other sections of the society, for example the dominant

Vellala jati of Tamilnadu, has often been more casteist than the

brahmins. Yet, barring exceptions like Ramalingam Pillai, very few

insiders have displayed the kind of introspection we see in your

post. As a result, a section of the society (brahmins in this case)

gets blamed for all crimes -- imagined and real.

 

Vel Murugan had grandly alleged that the brahmins burnt Tamil

manuscripts in veda yajnas during the bhakti era. I am awaiting his

evidences eagerly. If a text is lost over time, it has become

fashionable among a few politically motivated to blame it on the

brahmins. It will be admirable if people weaving such conspiracy

stories care to read some critical texts, instead of drawing

inspiration from the Dravidianist rumour mill. A good resource for

Vel Murugan will be Zvelebil's account [2] on lost texts. He lists a

number of Tamil texts that have been lost over the last 2,000 years

or so. The list includes 44 texts on grammar, 30 texts on the akam

genre, 8 on puram genre, 9 on kavya, 12 musical treatises, 23 drama

texts and 56 assorted texts (a total of 182) and this list is not

complete per Zvelebil.

 

Ironically, the list incluldes translations of Ramayana, Mahabharata

[3], Puranas, eulogies on rishis, adaptations of Sanskrit texts and

bhakti treatises. Hardly a case of brahmin conspiracy to banish Tamil

texts! In addition, one can easily list a number of commentaries on

bhakti treatises that've been lost over the last 1,000 years.

 

Unfortunately, many have been generating such careless and uninformed

myths for decades. It will be sad if such myths are not countered

with facts atleast occasionally. Hence my detailed response. It

wasn't directed at you. I hope you understand.

 

Btw, if someone is really looking for well documented instances of

burning texts then he needs to look upto the Dravidianist regimes. C

N Annadurai called for a campaign to burn Kamba Ramayanam in the

assembly. Thousands of copies and commentaries were burnt by the DMK

cadre. Annadurai was quite peeved at Kamban's (a non-brahmin poet)

positive presentation of Manusmriti and was alarmed (precursors of

the Taliban?) at the sensual depictions in the text. Apparently,

Annadurai alternated between fear and fascination of sex, and this

led him to turn his ire on a classic that was honest and sublime in

its portrayal of sensuality. Not content with writing a crude

pamphlet [4] denigrating Kambar's classic, he advocated burning the

original itself.

 

Interestingly, people tend to remember/assimilate facts shorter than

they remember/assimilate myths. :-)

 

Thanks.

 

Footnotes:

 

[1] Namakkal Kavijnar Ramalingam Pillai, Aryaravathu Dravidaravathu

(What is this myth of Aryans Dravidians?), 1947

 

[2] Kamil V Zvelebil, Companion Studies to the History of Tamil

Literature, 1989

 

[3] Atleast 3 of versions of Mahabharata

 

[4] Kamba Rasam

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "V.V.Raman" <vvrsps@r...> wrote:

 

> 2. I am also aware of arguments to the effect that there was no beef-eating in

ancient India (as mentioned in the BA Upanishad,

>nor any animal sacrifices (as mentioned in the Ramayana).

>

>

 

A recent reference on old beef consumption in India:

D. N. Jha, The myth of the Holy cow, Verso, 2002.

 

The beef and other meats used vedic yajnas

is refered in Tirukkural 328,

"nan2Ru Akum Akkam peritu en2in2um cAn2ROrkkuk

kon2rU Akum Akkam kaTai".

 

Even though people say that one can gain wealth

and welfare with animal sacrifices in yajnams,

great men scorn such odious gains. See ParimElazakar

commentary, "tEvar poruTTu vELvikkaN kon2Raal in2pam mikum,

celvam peritAm ..." Ie., if killing in vedic sacrifices

for the sake of Devas will increase wealth, happiness".

 

Tiruvalluvar is considered a Jaina by Tamil scholars

like Mayilai Ciini VEGkaTacaami, A. Chakravarti Nayinaar,

I. Mahadevan, S. Vaiyapuri, K. Zvelebil ...

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

Dear N. Ganesan,

 

Ref. msg # 4077.

 

<<<Tiruvalluvar is considered a Jaina by Tamil scholars like Mayilai

Ciini VEGkaTacaami, A. Chakravarti Nayinaar, I. Mahadevan, S.

Vaiyapuri, K. Zvelebil ...>>>

 

Earlier, I corrected you on this in Agathiyar. Perhaps, it is time to

repeat :-)

 

That Tiruvaluvar was a Jaina, is at best a proposition, not a fact.

Many scholars have presented more convincing arguments that he should

only have been a Hindu saint. S Vaiyapuri Pillai presented both sides

of the argument. It is unfair to quote him selectively -- especially,

when I've earlier informed you of Pillai's other set of arguments,

reproduced below:

 

Source: Vaiyapuri Pillai's Araicchit Tokuti - part 7, pp. 65 - 68.

Here is a paraphrase & translation of what Pillai has said:

 

"There are many couplets of the Kural that are either translations or

adaptations of Manusmriti, such as:

 

- Kural 57 and Manusmriti IX:12

 

- Kural 41 and Manusmriti III:78. This verse of smriti, Pillai points

out, has been reiterated by Tiruvalluvar more than once.

 

- Kural 396 and Manusmriti II:218 "

 

Of course, there are many more arguments from Vaiyapuri Pillai that

also state that Tirukkural is inspired by or is a translation of the

Hindu dharmashastras. Anyway, if you're just going to invoke Pillai's

name as if it is a pramana and then claim that Tiruvalluvar was a

Jaina, then here are the words of the same man that Tirukkural is

Manusmriti inspired. Do you think a Jaina monk will translate

Manusmriti? Will a Jaina monk measure a king's efficay by his ability

to protect the vedic chanting of the brahmins, as Tiruvalluvar has

done? What is essential is to list an author's arguments and evaluate

them critically. We should remember Tiruvalluvar's word that mere

authority isn't everything, and the truth alone is worth pursuing.

 

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

but where's specific mention of beef here?

 

> The beef and other meats used vedic yajnas

> is refered in Tirukkural 328,

> "nan2Ru Akum Akkam peritu en2in2um cAn2ROrkkuk

> kon2rU Akum Akkam kaTai".

>

> Even though people say that one can gain wealth

> and welfare with animal sacrifices in yajnams,

> great men scorn such odious gains. See ParimElazakar

> commentary, "tEvar poruTTu vELvikkaN kon2Raal in2pam mikum,

> celvam peritAm ..." Ie., if killing in vedic sacrifices

> for the sake of Devas will increase wealth, happiness".

>

> Tiruvalluvar is considered a Jaina by Tamil scholars

> like Mayilai Ciini VEGkaTacaami, A. Chakravarti Nayinaar,

> I. Mahadevan, S. Vaiyapuri, K. Zvelebil ...

[Guest guest]

>Tiruvalluvar is considered a Jaina by Tamil scholars like Mayilai

> Ciini VEGkaTacaami, A. Chakravarti Nayinaar, I. Mahadevan, S.

> Vaiyapuri, K. Zvelebil, ...

 

 

S. Vaiyapuri Pillai was of the opinion that Valluvar

was following Jainism. I've given references earlier,

http://www.services.cnrs.fr/wws/arc/ctamil/2002-04/msg00068.html

S. Vaiyapri Pillai, tamizc cuTar maNikaL, 1959, p. 62

[TiruvaLLuvar] " ivaruTaiya matam in2n2atu en2pataip paRRip

palarum palavitamAn2a karuttai veLiyiTTirukkiRArkaL.

cilar caiva camayattin2ar en2kin2Ran2ar. cilar vaiSNava

camayattin2ar en2kin2ran2ar. oruvar vEta vazakkOTu

paTTa koLkaiyin2ar en2Ru kURukiRAr. cilar camayaGkaLaik

kaTanta nilaimaiyil uLLavar en2Ru kURukiRArkaL.

An2Al, kaTavuL vAzttilE varukin2Ra 'malarmicai Ekin2An2'

mutaliya teyvap peyarkaLai nOkkum pOtu, vaLLuvaraic

cain2a matattaic cArntavar en2Ru colvatutAn2 poruttamaakum."

Sri. Pillai claims that even though Valluvar was claimed

by Saivaites, Vaishnavaites, Vedic religionists, it will be

more fitting to take Valluvar as a Jain.

 

I. Mahadevan also takes Valluvar as Jain.

Iravatham has published papers both in tamil and english

about beautiful gold coins issued by F. W. Ellis,

East India company from Madras in the first quarter of the 19th

century. (Ellis, btw, was the first to propose Dravidian language

family).He gives reasons why this is not Vishnu as guessed by a

person from Indian museum, Calcutta. It will be good

to read Iravatham's papers on the Valluvar coin.

"A unique gold coin with Tiruvalluvar's portrait / Iravatham

Mahadevan." Studies in South Indian Coins, Volume V, (ed.)A.V.

Narasimha Murthy. 1995

 

N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

Dear Nanda Chandran,

 

There is *no* mention of beef anywhere in that couplet. Apparently, N

Ganesan is chasing beef and Jainism all over Tirukkural like a deer

chases the chimera :-)

 

Tiruvalluvar makes no direct mention of yajnas in that couplet. That

inference, though reasonably, has been made by the commentators. All

the 3 traditional commentators -- Parimelazhagar, Parithiyar and

Kalingar -- say that the benefit that ensues killing a life is not

befitting the renunciate, though they point out that grahasthas are

advised that sacrificing to the devas in the yajnas ensures their

well-being.

 

Only one of the traditional commentators -- Mankkudavar -- says that

even sacrificing a life in yajna is to be avoided.

 

Thanks.

 

INDOLOGY, "vpcnk" <vpcnk@H...> wrote:

> but where's specific mention of beef here?

>

> > The beef and other meats used vedic yajnas

> > is refered in Tirukkural 328,

> > "nan2Ru Akum Akkam peritu en2in2um cAn2ROrkkuk

> > kon2rU Akum Akkam kaTai".

> >

> > Even though people say that one can gain wealth

> > and welfare with animal sacrifices in yajnams,

> > great men scorn such odious gains. See ParimElazakar

> > commentary, "tEvar poruTTu vELvikkaN kon2Raal in2pam mikum,

> > celvam peritAm ..." Ie., if killing in vedic sacrifices

> > for the sake of Devas will increase wealth, happiness".

> >

> > Tiruvalluvar is considered a Jaina by Tamil scholars

> > like Mayilai Ciini VEGkaTacaami, A. Chakravarti Nayinaar,

> > I. Mahadevan, S. Vaiyapuri, K. Zvelebil ...

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "vpcnk" <vpcnk@H...> wrote:

> but where's specific mention of beef here?

 

You left out the reference given for beef consumption

of vedics. Read prof. D. N. Jha's book, the holy cow.

Yajnavalkya's weakness for tender and fatty beef

has been mentioned in it.

 

Tamils with advice from Jaina monks went for

avoidance of meat consumption. VeLLakAl P. Subramania Mudaliyar

is a renowned Tamil scholar. (For instance, He and U.V.

Saminathaiyar are the only two who have written that they have seen

the now lost kAyva, vaLaiyApati, in palm leaves.) Dr. V. P. S.

Mudaliar's almost a century-old analysis about the food hierarchy

among Tamil castes, and why meat sacrifice in vedic yajnams

went away:

http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9703&L=indology&P=R423

 

N. Ganesan, PhD

[Guest guest]

In any case, condemnation/rejection of Yajnas is not a Jain monopoly.

The Samkhyas also had the same attitude.

 

Vishal

INDOLOGY, "Kalavai Venkat"

<history_judge> wrote:

> Tiruvalluvar makes no direct mention of yajnas in that couplet.

That

>

[Guest guest]

I have seen a detailed discussion on this on a Tamil list

(Agathiyar?) and there too someone pointed out that the depiction of

Thiruvalluvar as a Jain on a British coin is hardly proof that he was

a Jain!

 

It is not even necessary that the sage has to be EITHER a Hindu OR a

Jain when there is no clearcut distinction between Hindus and Jains

in large parts of India even today.

Vishal

 

INDOLOGY, "naga_ganesan" <naga_ganesan@h...>

wrote:

>> I. Mahadevan also takes Valluvar as Jain.

> Iravatham has published papers both in tamil and english

> about beautiful gold coins issued by F. W. Ellis,

> East India company from Madras in the first quarter of the 19th

> century. (Ellis, btw, was the first to propose Dravidian language

> family).He gives reasons why this is not Vishnu as guessed by a

> person from Indian museum, Calcutta. It will be good

> to read Iravatham's papers on the Valluvar coin.

> "A unique gold coin with Tiruvalluvar's portrait / Iravatham

> Mahadevan." Studies in South Indian Coins, Volume V, (ed.)A.V.

> Narasimha Murthy. 1995

>

> N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

Dear vishal,

 

Ref. msg # 4108.

 

<<<In any case, condemnation/rejection of Yajnas is not a Jain

monopoly. The Samkhyas also had the same attitude.>>>

 

Correct. Also, Tiruvalluvar doesn't oppose veda or veda yajna

anywhere. While expounding the greatness of a certain virtue, he

often emphasises on its relative greatness vis-a-vis everything else.

For example, in Kural 297, he says:

 

"Should one always speak the truth

Where is the need to practise any other virtue?"

 

It will be ridiculous if one were to take this verse out of context

and declare that Tiruvalluvar rejected all virtues other than

speaking the truth :-)

 

In Kural 55, he says,

 

"Gods she worships not, but raises from her bed worshipping her

husband

Should she say, "Rain!", so it shall."

 

Will it not be ridiculous if one (mis)interprets this verse and

infers that Tiruvalluvar proscribed the worship of Gods for women? If

any, Tiruvalluvar considered the chanting of veda and performance of

yajna the most essential service to the society. Consider the

following:

 

"The cows shall cease to yield milk, the brahmins shall forget their

6 fold duties,

Should the king fail to rule justly." -- Kural 560

 

"To the perpetuity of the vedas of the brahmins

It is the sceptre of the king that serves as the cause." -- Kural 543

 

So, it is natural for Tiruvalluvar to say that ahimsa is even more

preferable to veda yajna, when he discusses the merit of ahimsa.

Since he glorifies veda yajna elsewhere, one can be certain that he

is not discounting the veda.

 

One must be careful and not interpret a verse selectively.

 

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "Vidya Jayaraman"

<vidyajayaram> wrote:

 

> The only two instances of burning manuscripts that I

> have come across are the traditional accounts of Amara

> Simha and others who burn their manuscripts (of their

> own accord?)when they lost in debate.

> Another later-day instance is from the Nawab Of carnatic

>and the Saraswati Mahal.

>

> Are there any other oral or written accounts of happenings

> such as these?

 

Vel Murugan mentioned some instances of burning books

in sacrificial yagnams (message no. 4017). Tamil

has lost many Jain and Buddhist literature due to

throwing those books into either fire in yagnams,

or into river waters (Usually, on the 18th of 'aaTi" month when

river Kaveri used to run full). Many instances when

cart loads of manuscripts taken and destroyed from

zamin mansions do exist in Tamil publications.

 

A motivation to destroy tamil works mainly came from

Saivaites. To get rid of religious works of non-orthodox

nature. Jain and bauddha works barely have survived.

We know only names of texts, but books have been lost,

perhaps for ever. Ci. Vai. TaamOtarampiLLai writes in the

preface to his 1887 ed. of Kalittokai: "Only what has

escaped fire and water and religious taboo remains."

Reading Devaneya PavaNar's KuRaL commentary, he says that what

saved it from destruction was the commentary by

ParimElazakar with its pro-Hindu stance. Pari. simply

glosses over the Jaina meanings.

 

 

"tEcikar tried to establish a kind of censorship, and

an Index librorum prohibitorum maintaining that a pious

Saivaite must not read Jaina, Buddhist, or even VaiSNava

books: he pointed out as forbidden texts CintAmaNi,

CilappatikAram, MaNimEkalai, CaGkappATTu (ie., the

classical bardic poetry) etc. and wrote that those who

read books like pattuppaaTTu, eTTuttokai, patiNen2kIzkkaNakku,

irAman2katai etc., and study a grammar like "that

scrap of Nannuul" should regard their time as wasted."

(p. 23, Zvelebil, Tamil Literature, EJBrill, 1975).

>From the same book, p. 16

"Apart from purely natural causes of damage (climate,

dust, insects etc.,) and inexpert storage and handling

of manuscripts, the main man-imposed reasons for the

damage are religious-ideological hatred, political

motives, and human folly. It is a fact that militant

Hinduism was very hostile to Jaina and Budhist literature,

and this enmity may have been responsible for the

disappearance of such Buddhist works as KuNTalakEci,

VimpicArakatai etc., and Jaina works lika VaLaiyApati,

Jaina Ramayana, etc. The disturbed political situation

in South India in the later middle ages and the

destructive actions of Muslim conquerors are notorious.

Undoubtedly, libraries and manuscripts perished during

those sad times. As for human folly, M. C. VeGkaTacAmi

quotes two instances: the custom of immersing palm-leaf

books in the sea and rivers during the Sarasvati Puja;

and an account according to which the authorities

of the Maturai temple set fire to manuscript-books of

the library of Ativirarama Pandya."

 

UVS, editor of sangam texts, mentions about a sad incident

of burning Tamil manuscripts in temple homams.

UVS says that suggested old custom was to copy the books

onto new palmleaves, and then put the old copies to flames.

Sadly, more often, the manuscripts were consigned to flames

without copying at all.

 

"But probably the best way to describe the treatment of

ancient tamil palmleaf texts is to let speak the greatest

Tamil scholar of modern time, Dr. U. V. S Ayyar, who gives in his

Autobiography {...} 'Were there no other manuscripts?"

"It was all mixed up together." I was getting angry at his

delaying tactics. "Come along then!Where do you want to

go? They deliberated and discussed what to do with all that

rubbish. Finally they did according to what is prescribed

in the Agamas." I did not understand. I asked with trepidation:

"what did they do?It is said that old scripts must not

be let just lying around. And that the proper way to dispose

of them is to dip them in ghee and make a homa-offering

to the Fire-god. That's exactly what has been done here."

"Ha!!" I let out a scream, forgetting myself. He then

began to give a detailed description. "a big square pit was

dug, fire was kindlled, those old scripts were dipped in

ghee, and then committed to flames as offering." Is that

what the Agamas prescribe? I thought, terribly angry:

if a 'sacred text' really prescribes such a thing, then it

should be the first to go into the fire as offering."

(p.44-5, Zvelebil, Companion studies to the history of

Tamil literature, 1992).

p. 46

"Charles E. Grover wrote in 1871: "It is almost impossible

now to obtain a printed copy of any early Tamil book that

has not been systematically corrupted and mutilated, to meet

the views of those whose livelyhood depends on the

rejection by the public of Dravidian literature and its

acceptance by the Puranic legends ... Indigenous poetry

fell into undeserved contempt or, where that was not

possible, was edited so unscrupulously that the original

was hidden under a load of corruption ... The brahmans

corrupted what they could not destroy. " [Etc.,]. Zvelebil writes

"Even tho' Gover obviously exaggerates the negative role

played by later medieval Hindu and especially Brahmanic

interference, there must have been a lot of truth in what

he says since we have several independent witnesses for it."

 

There are parallel cases in the Deccan viirasaivism.

Velcheru Narayanrao (Warriors of 'Siva, Princeton university press)

has a long essay about the antiorthodox nature of BasavapuraaNamu,

and subsequent editions. It was on the verge of being lost,

thanks to C. P. Brown and forward looking Andhra scholars

it was saved from extinction, V.Narayana Rao writes.

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

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Peace people

 

We love you

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Hi!

My name is Adam!

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I would like to express my deepest thanks to everyone who made this website...

Well done!!!