Essensing the Vedism of Sambantar
The study of Sambantar<x-tad-bigger>’</x-tad-bigger>s Patikam on CeGkaaddaGkudi, which mentions personal observations on the way the Vedas were used among the Tamils at that time (6<x-tad-smaller>th</x-tad-smaller>-7<x-tad-smaller>th</x-tad-smaller> cent AD) gives a picture of Vedism vastly different from the Vedocentric Brahmanism with its evil VarNasrama Dharma(VD) that seem to NOT to figure in the Vedas themselves. It appears that sometime later there were a group of Hindu-s who isolated Sanskrit language and Vedas and created VD and in which they placed themselves at the top and fooled the world by claiming that they were dwijas by virtue of birth alone and with that precipitating a cultural calamity that perhaps gave rise to the flourish of Jainism and Buddhism that were strongly opposed to VD. However in the Tamil country it appears the pristine conditions of Vedas and the way they were understood were retained only to fall in subsequent times and with which even the very ancient Vedism of the Tamils declined.
The essences of this Patikam that allows us to recover this original uncorrupted Vedism can be seen as follows:
1.
The Vedism of Tamils was part of the general Agamism and which is the basic metaphysical insight that governs the ancient Nubian- Kemetian-Sumerian-Dravidian culture as exemplified by the pyramids and pyramidal temples. It is essentially a MOVEMENT, a metaphysical odyssey where the human soul TRAVELS and climbs up step by step towards the metaphysical peak and attain Moksa. In this and on way there can be various kinds scriptural and architectural productions but which are NOT absolutely authoritative. Such productions are what the soul has to study , understand them and pass over to something higher. Man should not allow himself to become fixated as it has happened within the deviant Vedic traditions - FIXATIONS to SK language and the Vedas where it is said only the Vedas contain the Brahmanjaanam that would dispel the Myttai, all the worldly knowledge. The whole of this Vedic-Vedantic tradition has brainwashed not only the bulk of Brahmans but also many others so that they cannot give any REASONS for their claims. Sambantar does not go along with it- for along with the Vedas he also places his own hymns as efficacious is purifying the soul , This understanding runs through the whole gamut of Dravidian scriptural tradition right from Sumerian times where hymn singing is part of the CLIMB towards the metaphysical heights and a process that will repeat itself continuously as is the case with the Tamil scriptural tradition where no single scripture has been held up as the Word of God and hence the Absolutely authoritative.
2,
This brings us to the essence of Agamism viz. understanding metaphysical excursions as belonging to Hermeneutic Sciences of the most fundamental kind. It is scientific in sense that what conditions the whole movement is TRUTH and every scriptural and architectural monument as embodiments of such truths discovered in the way. There asat-truths and sat-truths where while the asat-truths are embodied as Texts, scriptures or temple architecture and so forth, the Sat-Truth is trans-textual and enjoyed only in Deep Silence. People involved in such metaphysical enterprises were called AntaNar in the Tamil country and at the time of Sambantar and earlier; they were Cen Tamizar, chaste Tamils and not at all the Sanskriticized Brahmins who isolated themselves from the general public as special kind of individuals. They were not only naan maRaiyoor, well versed in the Vedas but also pan maRaiyoor, well versed in all the scriptures and hence OPEN to learn truths no matter from where it came . The Brahmin community with a separate identity should have been a later development quite antithetical to the earlier non-caste sense of AntaNar. This means not only the great CaGkam antaNars like Kapilar ParaNar and so forth but also the Buddhist logicians like Dharmakirti Dignata Dharmapala and so forth were chaste Tamils but perhaps antaNars in the sense of great scholars or philosophers
3.
Now it also appears that VeeLvi and Veda Recital were PUBLIC events and which were celebrated as part of Temple rituals. The general public was NOT excluded from participation in these VeeLvi-s and Vedic recitations. This also means that perhaps Vedic studies were accessible to all who were keen on it and not at all hoarded as exclusive privileges of the Brahmins and higher castes as it is made out to be in the Dharma Sastras. The right to learn Vedas and be proficient in them was NOT a caste constituting identity among the Tamils in ancient times and hence when we note someone as a Vedists we cannot jump to the conclusion that he was a Brahmin in the current sense of the word. When any one can learn and be proficient in the Vedas, it is clear that no caste identities can be inferred.
The VeeLvi as Temple -centered public ritual also shows that it is linked with the Agamic practices of <x-tad-bigger>‘</x-tad-bigger>tiiba tuubam kaaddal<x-tad-bigger>’</x-tad-bigger> the showing of Pure Light and spreading fragrant smoke all around. The burning of Ghee to produce brilliant light and akil wood to produce fragrant smoke are the same except that it is done on a large scale and for the good of all the people. The antaNars were who conducted these VeeLvi<x-tad-bigger>’</x-tad-bigger>s were well integrated with the society and did not perform these rituals exclusively for the Brahmin community alone in closely guarded seclusion where the non-Brahmins or lower castes , the sudras could not even hear a word of the Vedas. If this was the case the Brahmin community as such would have been rooted out from the Tamil country long ago.
4.
The absence of animosity and presence of Vedic recitations along with Tamil hymn singing shows that probably Rigkrit was NOT seen as an alien language belonging to Indo-Aryans or a member of Indo-European family of languages. It was not also seen as Deva Bhasa in contrast to which Tamil was a Nisa Bhasa, evil language. These kinds of ideas never existed in ancient Tamilakam where as said by Tol all Indian languages were understood as CenTamil, chaste Tamil or Kodun Tamil, deviant Tamil. Perhaps SK was recognized as Pada Mozi (> vada mozi) a <x-tad-bigger>‘</x-tad-bigger>dead<x-tad-bigger>’</x-tad-bigger> form of Tamil language itself , no more in the lips of man as was Tamil but frozen and restricted in use.
5,
Now in almost all he the verses, Sambantar never fails to mention that the AntaNars were delightful and keen worshippers of the Dance, both that of Siva and His son KaNapati. The dances of KaNapati are in fact the dances of Siva but done locally - in the world and in the soul of all. This means that they were metaphysically Saiva Siddhanties and NOT Vedanties at all. Perhaps the Advaita Vedanta did not exist at the time of Sambantar and if at all, not subscribed by the scholars who recited the Vedas. This means they were the ancient upholders of Saiva Siddhanta and who paved the way for the great developments in this metaphysics in the post Buddhist times as effected by Sambantar, Appar, Tirumular and so forth, It may also be possible that some of these ancient Saivite Tamils were <x-tad-bigger>‘</x-tad-bigger>converted<x-tad-bigger>’</x-tad-bigger> to Vedism perhaps with the advent of Advaita Vedanta and with which begins Brahmanism in the Tamil country also with their fixations to SK language Vedas and so forth. At least some Tamils right from ancient times were always ready to embrace new religions that were introduced e.g. Jainism Buddhism and more recently Islam and Christianity
