Kashmir, Tamilnadu, Panini, Abhinavagupta, etc.

[Samar Abbas]

> narayana at HD1.DOT.NET.IN writes:
>
> > Though the members of the list are sure to take note of the wish
> >  that the word dAkSiNAtya should mean Tamilians and Malayalis only,
> >  the refernces cited are not sufficient to warrant such a
> >  conclusion. For that we need a reference like " ONLY people who
> >  use cOru for cooked rice are dAkSiNAtyAs."

Dakshinatya is generally considered a synonym for Dakshinapatha (ie. the
Deccan). It vaguely includes all peoples south of the Vindhyas. In
general, it would imply a Maharashtrian. This tract was Aryanized
comparatively early on, cf. the Satavahana Prakrit Maharashtri
inscriptions. Dravidians would not, in the technical sense, be included,
although these may have been on some occasions of the use of this word.

Samar