request for reading literature.

[N. Ganesan]

When the etymology of
1) bElUru < Cognate with Tamil vEL +  Ta. Ur       and
2) belagaum < Cognate with Ta. veLa + Skt. grAma
was discussed, the following discussion was
posted in Indology. One of the greatest Sangam poets,
Kapilar sings this poem. This gist was written from memory.
 NaccinArkkiniyar is the medieval commentator.

When I find AbhidAna chintAmaNi, I will post the entry on Tamil
there.

Regards,
N. Ganesan

> From Indology archives:
<<<
            On the contrary, it is believed that at least
     some of the Tamil VEL chieftains migrated from North India.
            There is a poem in PuRanAnURu - a Sangam work-
     sung by Kapilar. This Kapilar was a bossom friend of the vEL
     PAri. After the demise of PAri, Kapilar takes the two daughters
     of Pari into his custody, and takes them to IrungO VEL, the Lord
     of Thuvarai in Erumai NAdu.
            IrungO VEL belongs to one of the eighteen clans/septs?
     of the VEL community. His Erumai NAdu is identified with
     Mahisha Mandalam or Mysore. Thuvarai might be a fore-runner
     of Dvara Samudram, the later namesake. Thuvarai is
     said to have existed during the time of the SAta vAhanas.
            In this poem, Kapilar addresses thus:

            "If you enquire who these girls are, they are the
     daughters of PAri, the Great Philanthropist, of adorned
     elephants, the Lord of PaRambu.
             I am their father's friend; and these are my
     (adopted)children. I am a Brahmin; a poet.
             I have brought them to you.
            The VELir were born in the sacrificial pit of
     the Northern Rishi; they ruled over the invincible
     City of Thuvarai(Dwaraka) which was protected by long,
     huge walls inforced with copper; they were of unlimited
     philanthropy. You are "the" VEL among the VELir of the
     forty-ninth generation."
             NachchinArkkiniyar, in his commentary, several
     centuries later, mentions about a legend which says that
     the VELir were brought to South India by the Sage Agastya
     from Dwaraka, which was ruled by the "Great One of the tall
     crown, who covered the (entire) land", i.e., KrishNa, the
     incarnation of VishNu.(Nilam kadandha nedu mudi aNNal).
             Since there are supposed to be eighteen septs or
     clans or branches of the VELir, it is possible they might
     have settled along the way.
             If you draw an itinary line from the Kathiawar
     Peninsula and proceed along the Western Ghats towards
     Tamil Nadu, you  will see it passes through the Chalukyan
     territory, the Thuvarai of IrungOVEL of Sangam age, the
     territory of the Hoysalas, the Tiruchi/KodumbaLur terrotory
     of the Irukku VEL of Medieval times, the territory
     of PAri and the other VeLirs of the Pandiya country,
     including the ThuvarApathi VEL of KaNNamangalam.
     ...
>>>


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