muraja drum

[Bharat Gupt]

arul kumaresan wrote:
>
> Seeking Sanskritists' help on the drum/big drum `muraja'.
> Is it from Indo-Iranian heritage?
>
> Or,
> Is Skt. muraja from Dravidian muracam? Classical Tamil
> texts have royal drum, muracam/muracu/muraicu.
> Usually, these muracam-s were kept on a decorated cot
> in the palace. Sangam texts portray muracam-s being
> carried by elephants and royal commands proclaimed.
> Any comments on Skt. muraja and Ta. muracam?
>
> Thanks a million,
> Arul
>
> _______________________________________________________________
> Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

An observation:
If it is granted that the Natyasastra is the oldest text of musicological terms
, that older that Sangam literature and Silapaddikaram ( I have demostrated that
Natyasastra preceded in its earliest versions the the Valmikiya Ramayana , pl see
my book ,  Dramatic Concepts Greek and Indian, DELHI, D.K. Printworld, 1994,
 MURAJA is the most important drum instrument of the ancient times. Chapters 28,
33, 34 and 36 all mention its playig in detail.
Bharat Gupt
Assoc. Prof. Delhi Univ.