Fwd: [akandabaratam] Grantha Script - What is it ?

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---------- Forwarded message ----------pvedanayak <pvedanayakSat, May 31, 2008 at 3:57 PM

[akandabaratam] Grantha Script - What is it ?akandabaratam

 

 

 

 

http://www.mudgala.com/articles/grantha.html

 

 

Introduction to the Grantha script

The grantha script started its development in the 5th century AD, in the

Southern parts of India. Throughout the ages, its primary use has been to set

Sanskrit works in written form (the vast majority of modern publications occur

in the Devanagari script).

 

Its influence on South Indian scripts is unmistakeable: the majority of

modern South Indian scripts (Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada) are all derived from this single script. The grantha alphabet, as it exists today,

most closely resembles Tamil and Malayalam.

 

In the Southern parts of India, many rare and valuable books continue to be

published in the Grantha script alone. This most commonly occurs in Tamil Nadu, where the native Tamil script does not contain enough characters

to represent the entire Sanskrit alphabet. There is now a modern movement to add

subscripts capable of extending the Tamil characters to represent the Sanskrit alphabet, but this is a wasted effort, when an existing alphabet which closely resembles Tamil

already exists. In Kerala, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka, most modern Sanskrit

publications are published in the local scripts alone.

 

It is difficult to find good grantha primers on the web. The following links,

along with some knowledge of South Indian scripts should be enough to enable

one to become familiar with the grantha script in the course of a few hours.

 

Reference Tables

Vowels : a, aa, i, ii, u, uu

 

 

Vowels : R^i, R^ii, L^i, L^ii, e

 

 

Vowels : ai, o, au, aM, aH

 

 

 

ka varga : ka, kha, ga, gha, ~Na

 

 

ca varga : ca, Cha, ja, jha, ~na

 

 

Ta varga : Ta, Tha, Da, Dha, Na

 

 

ta varga : ta, tha, da, dha, na

 

pa varga : pa, pha, ba, bha, ma

 

 

ya varga : ya, ra, la, va, sha

 

 

sha varga : Sha, sa, ha, La, ksha

 

 

Conjucation of ka varga with all the vowels

 

 

Conjucation of ka and ca vargas with ra

 

 

Conjucation of ka and ca vargas with ya

 

 

Conjucations of ra with the ka and ca vargas

 

 

Complex conjucations

 

 

 

 

 

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---------- Forwarded message ----------Arul T <arul_thilakSat, May 31, 2008 at 5:41 PM

Re: [akandabaratam] Grantha Script - What is it ?akandabaratam

 

 

 

 

QUOTE The grantha script started its development in the 5th century AD, in the Southern parts of India. Throughout the ages, its primary use has been to set Sanskrit works in written form

UNQUOTE This is a reason why it is believed that the Vedas were composed in written form by Veda Vyasa (said to be a Dravidian) in the 6th century AD or so.

But Tamil-Brahmi script is much older than the grantha script. There has been a recent excavation in Egypt of a Tamil Brahmi inscription dated to first century B.C., as reported in the following

: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/21/stories/2007112158412400.htm

Nov 21, 2007 Tamil Brahmi script in Egypt Special Correspondent

Exciting archaeological discovery with implications of import

— Photo: Dr. Roberta Tomber, British Museum

significant pointer: Potsherd with Tamil Brahmi inscription, circa first century B.C., found in Egypt.

CHENNAI: A broken storage jar with inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi script has been excavated at Quseir-al-Qadim, an ancient port with a Roman settlement on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. This Tamil Brahmi script has been dated to first century B.C. One expert described this as an "exciting discovery."

The same inscription is incised twice on the opposite sides of the jar. The inscription reads paanai oRi, that is, pot (suspended) in a rope net.