Smearing the Drums

[N. Ganesan]

Dr. Palaniappan's essay: Bards, Priests, Washerwomen, and
the Ancient Tamil Society
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgadkw/members/palaniappan/bards/Bards032.htm

The author shows how "izicin2ar" means "smearers" formed
from the verb, izicutal = 'to daub, to smear' and not
low birth person.

OTL:
izicu-tal = to smear, plaster, spread over
izuku-tal = 2. to extend, spread over; 3. to settle, as particles of
dust; 4. to procrastinate, linger; to be tardy; to daub; to smear,
rub over, as mortar
izucutal = izukutal
izukupaRai = small drum shaped like an hour-glass

PuRanAn2URu 287 starts with the lines:

tuTi eRiyum pulaiya
eRi kOl koLLum izicin2a
...

In a post CT text, ciRupaJcamUlam feeding izici2ar is mentioned,
here izicin2ar is not portrayed good.

pakkam paTAmai oruvaRkup pATu ARRal
takkam paTAmai tavam allAt takkAr
izicin2ark kEyAn2um pacittArkku UN Ittal
kazi cin2am kAttal kaTan2

In the Srivaishnava shrine of aTTapuyakarap perumAL at Kanchi,
Tirumangai Alvar sings of Vishnu "smeared" with sandal paste.
..mEn2i am cAntu iziciya kOlam.. (periya tirumozi).

Why were Drummers in ancient Tamil called as "Smearers"?
Possibly, the following information can be considered.

Modern mRdangam players smear a paste of rava/flour with water
on the drum membrane. M. Deshpande has given a Skt. verse:

ko na yaati va"sam loke mukhe pi.n.dena puurita.h
m.rdango mukhalepena karoti madhuradhvanim

On one side of the m.rdangam, the 'karaNai' black
clay paste has to be resmeared often with great care.
See the CilappatikAram epic mentioning clay paste
smeared on the percussion drums.

  maN kaNai muzavum vaNar kOTTu yAzum
  paN kan2i pATalum parantan2a orucAr.

Muraja and Muralii have been suggested to be from
Dravidian (DED 4076).

Can I be guided here with the parallel passage from
Natyashastram where drums are smeared with some pastes?

The possibility of the daubing drum membranes and
the izicin2an2 ('drummer') has not been realized
in all these years until now.

Regards,
N. Ganesan

Note 1: Possibly Tamil society had no Untouchability
to start with. But whether leather working has anything
to do with Indian Untouchalility in the later centuries,
I do not know. KathAsaritsAgaram has this story on
a Vii.naa gut string maker.
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-shl/WA.EXE?A2=ind9704&L=indology&P=R2453
Any relations with Japanese Untouchability?
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-shl/WA.EXE?A2=ind0001&L=indology&P=R12575
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-shl/WA.EXE?A2=ind0101&L=indology&P=R3333

Note 2: The North Indian religions emphasizing
extreme ascetism was higly detrimental to the
music and musicians in South India.
In this regard, Theravada and Jain rejection of music
need to be studied in contrast with the Tamil
popular bhakti movement from 6th century that
swept across all India. Now Indian religion is
essentially Bhakti. Buddha in Pali Vinaya
forbids all monks to stop watching dances, music.
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-shl/WA.EXE?A2=ind9802&L=indology&P=22843

The boy Saint JnAnasambandhar was always with his
pANar bards, and in icons he is never without cymbals.
The popular Tamil bhakti movement incorporated
all musicians from the start, and in direct contrast
to Jainism and Buddhism which eschewed music totally.

Some Tevaram quotes:
i) niruttar kItar iTar kaLaiyAy,
(Let Shiva remove any ills happening to dancers and bards).

ii) Mesemerised by music, Shiva grants boons and
sword to Raava.na,

iii) Homas, Vedic chants and Tamil music:
antaNar vELviyum arumaRait tuzan2iyum
centamizk kItamum cIrin2Al vaLartara

Also, tamizOTu icaip pATal maRantaRiyEn2.

For sure attainment of Heaven, the poet
prescribes music.
kItattai mikap pATum aTiyArkku en2Rum
    kETu ilA vAn2 ulakam koTutta nALO?

iv) See a Tevaram which chides Jainas for
not understanding music:

pAzi uRai vEzam nikar pAz amaNar cUzum uTalALar uNarA
Ezin2 icai yAzin2 mozi Ezai avaL vAzum iRai tAzum iTam Am
kIz icai koL mEl ulakil vAz aracu cUz aracu vAza aran2ukku
Aziya cilkAzi ceya Ez ulakil Uzi vaLar kAzi nakarE.

Note 3: Parpola considers NArada muni with NarayaNa,
kinnaram, etc. from Dravidian root, nara- 'gut string'
and says has relations with the Near East.
Fairservis wrote IVC seals with harp, twin drum
might have been called as paaN 'bard'.
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-shl/WA.EXE?A2=ind0003&L=indology&P=R7015
Any relation between India and ancient Near East in
musicology?









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