Tevaram readings (was Re: madhura subhASiNI of mAyUram)

[Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan]

In a message dated 2/10/99 3:43:21 AM Central Standard Time,
jlc at CCR.JUSSIEU.FR quotes Gopal Iyer who writes:

> aJcolAL is a common attribute to Umai. But in this holy place
>  she has the speciality of removing the fear of devotees.
>  So Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer has written in his notes
>  that aJcalAL will give better meaning. We have taken
>  that reading. The goddess in MayilATutuRai is being called
>  as aJcalnAyaki even today.
>
>  T.V.Gopal Iyer

Gopal Iyer's defense of the reading "aJcalAL" seems to be very weak. With due
respect to UVS, I submit that the Goddess may be highlighted as a refuge in
other texts dedicated to her. But here ziva is the main god. So we should look
for internal evidence within the text as much as possible. The fact that the
goddess is called aJcalnAyaki today cannot be used as defense because that is
precisely where the problem lies, as in  the case of "oppiliyappan2"
vs."uppiliyappan2" where some rituals have arisen based on the wrong name
"uppiliyappan2".

Moreover, within the specific verse, the refuge in the implied story of
mArkaNDeya was ziva and not the Goddess. I do not think "aJcalAL" occurs
anywhere else in tEvAram. If it did, Iyer would have shown us that. And
aJcolAL does occur elsewhere. So, I would prefer the reading aJcolAL.

Regards
S. Palaniappan