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Posted

Iyengar was one of the earliest to realize that the legends in the Vaishnava and Shaiva literature were originally composed in Prakrit and only much later translated into Sanskrit.

Dravidian Basis of Sanskrit

Iyengar fully accepted the immense contribution of Dravidian languages to Sanskrit. Thus, he notes, "The non-Sanskrit portion of the Dravidian languages exceeds the Sanskrit portion." (Iyengar 1925, p.70)

He continues, "Tamil is not dependant on Sanskrit for the full expression of thought. The ancient or classical dialect of this language, the Sen Tamil, is almost entirely free from Sanskrit words and idioms. The finest works in Tamil, such as the Kural, are original in design and execution, and also almost independant of Sanskrit."

(Iyengar 1925, p.71)

Divers from India and England made the discovery based on the statements of local fishermen and the old Indian legend of the Seven Pagodas. "That our view of South India being the probable home of civilization is not entirely a baseless fabric of a dream receives support from Dr. Chatterji who says, `It would be established,' provided Hall's theory of Sumerian origins be true, `that civilization first arose in India, and was associated probably with the primitive Dravidians. Then it was taken to Mesopotamia to become the source of the Babylonian and other ancient cultures which form the basis of modern civilization." (Iyengar 1925, p.59) "It was proved years ago by Dr. Taylor that a Tamiloid language, now represented by its most cultivated branch in the South, constituted the original staple of all the languages of India. The existence of a Tamilian substratum in all the modern dialects of India and of the profound influence, which the classical Tamil has exercised on the formation and development of both the Vedic and the classical Sanskrit, is gradually coming to be recognised by students of Indian philology. [ftn. Origin of the word Arya - Tamby Pillai, Tamilian Antiquary, Vol.II, No.2 ]" (Iyengar 1925, p.78)

"Agastya is said to have learnt Tamil, the language of the South, from Siva. From this it may be inferred that Siva was a Dravidian deity. [ftn.  The Dravidian Element in Indian Culture,' by Dr. Glibert Slater, see p.108 ] Dr. Gilbert Slater {p.101} says that the fact that the Rig Veda refers to phallic worship with disapproval, seems to point to the establishment of the worship of Siva among the Dravidians before the Vedic period. To the Tamil every hill-top is sacred to the gods. Siva, the lord of the Dravidians, was Malai-Arasan (Mountain Chief) according to Dr. Oppert. Siva came to be known in later times as Dakshinamurthy, ie the God of the South." (Iyengar 1925, p.100-101)

The discovery of a late Tamil Sangam age

temple 50 km from Chennai

strengthens the view that a string

of Seven Pagodas existed along the Mamallapuram coast.

The Atiranachandesvara Cave Temple, popularly known as the Tiger Cave and which is located 2 km ahead of the Shore Temple, has two temples: the one on the southern side resembles a tiger's head and has bas relief of elephants, and the one on the northern side has a Sivalingam.

Another important evidence is noted: "Dr. Stevenson [2.Siddhanta Dipika, Vol.IV, p.108 ] was the first to point out that Siva is not named at all in the ancient hymns of the Vedas." (Iyengar 1925, p.105)

Posted

interesting, however there are two versions of dakhinamurty one which you stated and is probably undoubtedly most accurate, but the second is that aryan hindus believed that the southern face of mount kailash is dakshinamurty and they believe that those who have no guru, their guru is dakshinamurty shiva

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