[INDOLOGY] Toraṇa as an adjective?

[Westin Harris]

Dear INDOLOGists,

I'm curious to know more about how तोरण/*toraṇa* and तोरणात्म/*toraṇātma*
are working in these example verses from a text I'm working on (see
attached screenshot). For context, the text is a late medieval/early modern
sthana-mahatmya from the environs of present-day Mangaluru.

It seems to be an adjective and/or apposition in the descriptions of
various divine or semi-divine beings. Some guesses include something like
"big," "chief," or "elevated" (??). I am aware of the architectural
significance of the word तोरण/*toraṇa*, but there seems to be some other
intended significance here.

I had asked this question on Facebook several years ago. Dr. Péter-Dániel
Szántó was generous to suggest looking into Dravidian dictionaries. But
even with the help of the peerless Dr. Jason Schwartz, we found nothing of
note. I am now revising my dissertation chapter devoted to this text, so
the issue has raised its head once again.

Thanks!

PS. I know that उत्तोरण (49.21) is almost certainly the proper name of a
demon tamed by a *siddha* in a previous section of the text, but I've still
included it because it could share some significance with the other
examples.

*Sincerely,*

*Westin Harris*
Ph.D. Candidate
Study of Religion
University of California, Davis
https://religionsgrad.ucdavis.edu/people/westin-harris
<https://religions.ucdavis.edu/people/westin-harris>

2021 Dissertation Fellow,
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies

Sarva Mangalam.
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