Language of Harappan Civilization; funerary pottery eviden

[Chandrasekaran, Periannan]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: S.Kalyanaraman [mailto:kalyan99 at NETSCAPE.NET]
>> Please see the colorful slides at source related to recent
> discoveries on
> cemetery H culture which was an extensive cultural phenomenon
> ca. 1900 BC:
> http://www.harappa.com/indus2/index.html (Latest discoveries
> in Harappa,
> 1995-98, by J.M. Kenoyer and Richard H. Meadow) Slides 162
> and 164 showing the
> blackbuck antelope, peacock and dotted circles (trefoil motif).



>
> It has been noted in an earlier posting that the peacock
> connotes ji_vanji_va
> (Pali), may the life live hereafter. In addition to the
> peacock, dotted
> circles,


In relation to the peacock and the dotted circles, I would like to draw
your attention to the Tamil word "poRi" which means dot/spot as well as the
eye of the peacock's feather and the feather itself:
> From some classical Tamil texts:
"
pal poRi maJJai vel koTi akava" (tirumurukARRupppaTai: 122)

maJJai = peacock;
pal = many;
poRi = the spotted/dotted/eyed  feather
(in reference to the Tamil god murukan2's vehicle)


paripATal:
"thikaz poRip pIli aNi mayil koTutttOn2" (paripATal:5:60)
mayil = peacock
pIli = feather
poRi = spot


"oL poRi eruttu" (kuRuntokai: 242:2)
poRi = spot; eurttu = neck (here, of a cock)


"poRi mayir eruttin2 kuRu naTaip pETai" (kuRuntokai:154:4)
poRi = soptted; mayir = hair; eruttu = neck
(here, of a hen)


"poRi mayir vAraNam" {cilappatikAram: 4:77)
poRi = spot;
mayir = feather;
vAraNam = cock


In connection with the funerary aspects, it might be also worth
mentioning that the Tamil god murukan2
is the lord of  midnight, the last division of the day as per
 the ancient akam tradition which assigns that division of the day to
kuRiJci one the five terrains.  In general murukan2 is associated with
the terminal portion of events such as a concert or the temple's activities.
At big temples such as the vaittIswaran2 kOvil, the sixth and the last
pUja offering is started with murukan2's image even though he is not the
main deity of the temple.

Even now, when a concert ends, compositions on murukan2 are sung;
not only that, these song are usaully set to pentatonic melodies
such as madhyamAvati or curuTTi associated with the kuRiJci theme
and derived from the kuRiJcip pAlai, the heptatonic parent melody.


Regards
Chandra.