Using Surnames - A Reality Check For Periyar Supporters

In recent times, a thought-provoking public post on Facebook caught my attention. The post's author, whose identity remains protected for privacy reasons, expressed discontent with the growing trend among Tamil people, particularly the youth, of embracing their traditional surnames. This article delves into the complexities of the issue, shedding light on the historical and cultural context of Tamil surnames, as well as examining the merits of the objections raised by certain groups.

Respecting Individual Autonomy:
It is essential to uphold the principle of individual autonomy in matters concerning personal identity. While the Facebook user is within her rights to choose not to use a surname, it is crucial to recognize that she lacks the authority to dictate others' choices in this regard. Personal preferences and naming conventions vary widely across cultures and societies, and it is imperative to respect the right of individuals to decide how they wish to be identified.

Clarifying Misconceptions:
One common misconception propagated by certain groups is the belief that surnames in Tamil culture are synonymous with caste (jati) names. This is an inaccurate assumption, as many surnames, such as Pillai, are used across multiple jatis, including Vellalar, Agambadiyar, and some Kallar groups, as well as among certain Malayalee families. Gounder is used by the Vellalars, Vettuvars, Vokkaligas and Uralis of the Kongu region. These jatis are endogamous yet they share a similar titular surname.

Diversity of Tamil Surnames:
The Tamil society is a diverse tapestry, with numerous jatis and subgroups, each having distinct patrilineal surnames. For example, the Arunattu Vellalar jati boasts 35 different surnames, including Chakravarti, Samayamanthiri, Vanamudaiyan, and Miratudaiyan. Similarly, the Mukkulathor community consisting of three jatis; Kallar, Maravar and Agambadiyar, utilizes hundreds of surnames like Vandayar, Thevar, Thondaiman, Servai, and Chitachiyar, while the Kongu Vellalars have patrilineal names such as Silamban, Poosan, Pavalan, and Kadai. These examples underscore that surnames transcend mere jati labels and carry significant familial associations. Surnames, in this context, also indicate patrilineal family connections similar to the Chinese and Europeans.

Changing Landscape of Tamil Society:
As Tamil society has become more urbanized and globalized, a considerable number of Tamils now reside in various major cities worldwide. Many are employed in multinational companies (MNCs), fostering interactions with individuals from diverse nationalities. In this international context, surnames have become a standard practice, facilitating cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding. Embracing surnames is an acknowledgment of Tamil society's integration into the global community.

Respecting Individual Freedom:
Supporters of Periyar, while entitled to their views, need to appreciate the evolving nature of contemporary Tamil society. Insisting on eradicating the use of surnames disregards the fundamental human right to associate with one's ancestry and cultural heritage. While everyone is entitled to their opinions, advocating for the abandonment of surnames disregards the preferences of a significant portion of the Tamil population.

Minority Perspective:
It is important to recognize that the Tamil-speaking population constitutes a relatively small percentage of the global populace, comprising only about 1% (80 million) of the total human population of 8 billion. Even assuming a 50-50 divide on the issue, a substantial majority of the human race will not object to the use of surnames by the Tamils. Within Tamil Nadu, other parts of India and even in multi cultural countries like Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, Canada and the UK, many individuals continue to embrace surnames, and this trend is evident on various social media platforms, including Facebook and LinkedIn, where Tamils engage with a global audience with English as the main medium of interaction. 

Conclusion:
The debate surrounding the usage of surnames in Tamil society reveals a diverse and evolving cultural landscape. While respecting the right of individuals to choose whether or not to use their surname, it is essential to appreciate the significance of surnames in reflecting familial connections and cultural heritage. As the world embraces globalization and cultural exchange, Periyar supporters will have to accept that the use of surnames has indeed become a prevalent and accepted norm among the Tamils. 

Anti-Caste Motion In Toronto and Its Challenges

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has recently requested the Ontario Human Rights Commission for assistance in developing a plan to address allegations of caste prejudice in its school. A motion to that effect was made by board trustee Yalini Rajakulasingam, and the TDSB voted in support of it. The motion received votes from 16 trustees, while 5 trustees abstained. It happens just after Seattle, Washington, became the first American city to forbid caste discrimination following a city council vote.

While TDSB's initiative is seen as a progressive move by some, the motive of the move is questionable especially when the Ontario Human Rights Commission already have ancestry covered under its existing list of Protected Categories as given in the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19.

However, TDSB stresses upon the need to address caste separately although it may not be necessary. 

Caste is a word that originated from Spanish and Portuguese. It was used in reference to lineage, tribe, clan or race of people. In Sanskrit and other Indic languages, the words synonymous to caste are jāti (tribe), vaṁśaḥ (lineage) and kula (clan). In ancient India, people did not identify their ethnic like how we do it today. The tribal identities were the ethnic identities back then. Hence, the word for ethnicity in Sanskrit is jātīya and it is taken from jāti. 

These comes under the broader term of ancestry, therefore, the need to add a new category under the caste tag raises eyebrows. This is because not only did they demand for the term caste to be included, they have specifically mentioned that it is applicable to the South Asian and Caribbean diaspora. 

This means that they have now created a situation where the concerned communities will be monitored by the authorities although discriminations based on ancestry can also happen in other social groups. It is not exclusive to South Asians or the Caribbean diaspora, hence there is no need for special ethnic profiling.

India has categorized the various jātis as Forward Caste, Backward Class, Other Backward Class, Denotified Community, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The classification was done for economic and political purpose with the aim of uplifting certain communities by providing them favorable privileges' such as job reservation, electoral constituency reservation and even reservation in tertiary education without any regard for individual capability. 

This classification does not uphold meritocracy. It has the potential to be misused to favor groups with sizeable vote banks.

However absurd it may sound, what we need to also remind ourselves is that the classification was done by the Indian government for its citizens, therefore, it is not applicable to those who live outside India such as the present day Canadians of Indian descent. 

As per the Anthropological Survey of India which was conducted under the leadership of K.S. Singh between 1985-1992, there are about 4,694 different groups of communities or jātis in India alone. Therefore, TDSB needs to first understand that since its proposal covers more than just Indians, it affects not just one single community, but thousands of communities including those that are not well documented.

This then raises some important questions: 

• Did the provincial government of Ontario or the federal government of Canada, conduct any study to determine what are the castes that exist in Canada?
• How did both the provincial and federal government determine which caste is considered as oppressed or dominant in Canada?
• What method did the government use to determine that caste identity was a motivating factor in school bullying cases involving Canadian children?

The reason these questions needs to be addressed is because neither TDSB nor the government of the day has any data to support the proposal they made. This will make it difficult to draft any future plans. Canada will not be able to rely on India's caste classification because there are various factors that makes Canada different from India. 

To make matters more complex, neither does Canada have any caste based laws that gives privileges to any caste nor does it have any discriminatory policy that makes it disadvantageous for anyone unlike what is seen in present day India. 

Therefore, the same approach taken in India cannot be taken in Canada especially when Canada does not even have any data pertaining to the matter as raised in the questions above.

The motion and its selective criteria for membership. Image courtesy of COHHE.

Assuming that TDSB is correct and the proposal needs to be upheld, then the working group should consist of representative from all castes and not from just a particular group. 

Having checked the proposal, it is noticed that only activists that self-identify as Dalit and are from caste-oppressed group will become members of the proposed working group. Although TDSB claims that they are against caste prejudice, they have made caste identity as a membership criteria for this new working group. 

Formation of this working group may be contradictory to the Human Rights Code of Ontario as ancestry should not be a determining factor for employment or vocational associations.

Employment

5 (1) Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability.  R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 5 (1); 1999, c. 6, s. 28 (5); 2001, c. 32, s. 27 (1); 2005, c. 5, s. 32 (5); 2012, c. 7, s. 4 (1).

Vocational associations

6 Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to membership in any trade union, trade or occupational association or self-governing profession without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 6; 1999, c. 6, s. 28 (7); 2001, c. 32, s. 27 (1); 2005, c. 5, s. 32 (7); 2012, c. 7, s. 5.

If caste is used as a criteria for the membership of this working group, there can be tendency to be biased and partial, especially when there is no proper method to accurately identify the oppressed castes in Canada. 

Imagine having only adherents of one religion as members of a working group that oversees religious discrimination involving all religions in schools. That will not make sense as it will be ridiculously unfair for the unrepresented religions.

If Toronto school children are indeed facing caste prejudice, then the working group that oversees it in the future should be inclusive of members from all the castes in Toronto instead of from one selected caste. It should be a multi-caste team with a common goal of eradicating discrimination.

This will give the multi-caste team the needed opportunity to de-escalate any tension, increase effectiveness in addressing prejudice and enhance understanding of cultural nuances. This will not only help to build trust but also strengthen the bond within the diverse group of castes that they represent in Toronto. 

School going children will not learn to work together unless adults show them that they can work together. But if caste is used as a membership criteria to be part of a school board's working team, then this divisive tactic will definitely send the wrong message to everyone.

The author is a researcher who was formerly attached with the Centre for South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies (SAIOS). These are his personal views on the issue.

What Is Shiva?

Image Source Pinterest

Śivarātri, the night of Śivā (shi-vaa) occurs every month. The śivarātri that happens during the month of Māgha or Māsi is the greatest of all śivarātris. Hence, it is called as the Mahāśivarātri. While Brahmā creates and Viṣṇu preserves, Śivā in the form of Rudra, destroys. Although these three are represented as three separate deities, they are actually three activities of the eternal cosmic cycle. 

The earliest reference to the word Śivā can be found in the Vēdas especially in the Yajurvēda. There are hymns requesting the blue throated Rudra to show his benevolent form as Śivā. The word Śivā here can mean to represent auspiciousness. It is synonymous with the word maṅgalam.

We get the following from Yajurvēda:

ōm namō bhagavatē̍ rudrā̠ya
nama̍stē rudra ma̠nyava̍ u̠tōta̠ iṣa̍vē̠ nama̍ḥ
nama̍stē astu̠ dhanva̍nē bā̠hubhyā̍mu̠ta tē̠ nama̍ḥ
yā ta̠ iṣu̍-śi̠vata̍mā śi̠vam ba̠bhūva̍ tē̠ dhanu̍ḥ
śi̠vā śa̍ra̠vyā̍ yā tava̠ tayā̍ nō rudra mṛḍaya
yā tē̍ rudra śi̠vā ta̠nūraghō̠rā-'pā̍pakāśinī
tayā̍ nasta̠nuvā̠ śanta̍mayā̠ giri̍śantā̠bhichā̍kaśīhi
yāmiṣu̍-ṅgiriśanta̠ hastē̠ bibha̠r​ṣyasta̍vē
śi̠vā-ṅgi̍ritra̠ tā-ṅku̍ru̠ mā hig̍ṃsī̠ḥ puru̍ṣa̠-ñjaga̍t
śi̠vēna̠ vacha̍sā tvā̠ giri̠śāchchā̍ vadāmasi
yathā̍ na̠-ssarva̠mijjaga̍daya̠kṣmagṃ su̠manā̠ asa̍t 

Translation: Oh! Rudra Deva! My salutations to your anger and also to your arrows. My salutations to your bow and to your two hands. Oh! Rudra! By favour of your arrow, bow, and quiver, which have shed their anger and turned auspicious, please render us happy. Lord Rudra, who confer happiness, by that form of yours which is not terrible, which will not injure us, and which is highly auspicious, behold and illuminate us. My Lord who dwells on Mount Kailas and confers gladness to all! You, who fulfills your vow of protecting all who serve you and take refuge in you; that arrow of yours which you hold ready to let fly, withhold it and make it tranquil and auspicious. Lord of Mount Kailash of the Vedas! We pray to attain you by our auspicious words. We ask that for all our days, this entire world will be free from ills and discord, and that we may live in amity and concord.

Towards the end of this first anuvaka, we get the following declaring Rudra as Sadāśi̠vā:

nama̍stē astu bhagavan-viśvēśva̠rāya̍ mahādē̠vāya̍ tryamba̠kāya̍ tripurānta̠kāya̍ trikāgnikā̠lāya̍ kālāgniru̠drāya̍ nīlaka̠ṇṭhāya̍ mṛtyuñja̠yāya̍ sarvēśva̠rāya̍ sadāśi̠vāya̍ śrīman mahādē̠vāya̠ nama̍ḥ

Translation: Let my salutations be to that great God who is the Lord of the universe; the great God who has three eyes and who destroys Tripura, the three Asura cities. To that God who is the Dandhya time when the three sacred fires are lit; who is Rudra the fire that consumes the universe; whose throat is blue; who has conquered death; the Lord of all; the ever auspicious one; salutations to that glorious and great God.

The earliest reference for the most popular five syllable Śivā mantra, known as namaśivāya (pronounced as na-ma-shi-vaa-ya) is also from the Yajurvēda. 

nama̍stā̠rāya̠
nama̍śśa̠mbhavē̍ cha mayō̠bhavē̍ cha̠
nama̍śaṅka̠rāya̍ cha mayaska̠rāya̍ cha̠
nama̍śi̠vāya̍ cha śi̠vata̍rāya cha̠

Translation: Salutations to Him who is the Pravana mantra; Om. Salutations to Him who is the source of happiness here and hereafter. Salutations to Him who is inherently of the nature of conferring happiness directly in this world and the world hereafter. Salutations to Him the auspicious one, who is more auspicious than all others.

The nama̍śi̠vāya̍ which is seen here occurs in the 8th anuvaka. It is right in the middle of the Yajurvēda. The Yajurvēda is in the middle of the Vēda compilation; rig, yajur, sāma. Atharva was added later. This shows that nama̍śi̠vāya̍ is the core of the Vēdas, the very foundation itself from where the rest of the Vēdas sprung from. 

Since Śivā means auspicious, it is also used in mantras of other deities such as Durgā who is also known as Caṇḍī. Devī Māhātmyam which is also known as Durgā Saptashatī is a compilation of 700 verses of mantras taken from the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. It usually begins with the recitation of a mantra armour known as Caṇḍī Kavaca. The armour is said to confer many benefits if recited with full devotion. 

prāpnōti puruṣō nityaṃ mahāmāyāprasādataḥ
labhatē paramaṃ rūpaṃ śivēna saha mōdatē 

The final verses of this kavaca is given above. It states that by the grace of Mahāmāyā (Durgā), a person who recites would attain the highest place that is inaccessible even to the gods and is eternally blissful in the company of śi̠va.

We also find the following popular verse in the Devī Māhātmyam where Durgā, also called as Gauri and Nārāyaṇi is addressed as the auspicious one, śivē, that provides all goodness:

sarva maṅgala māṅgalyē śivē sarvārtha sādhikē
śaraṇyē tryambakē gauri nārāyaṇi namōstutē

In order for something to be considered as auspicious, there should be goodness in it. There should be love. Tirumūlar has given a beautiful explanation about the state of śi̠va in his Tirumantiram:

aṉpu civam iraṇṭu eṉpar aṟivilār
aṉpē civamāvatu ārum aṟikilār
aṉpē civamāvatu ārum aṟintapiṉ
aṉpē civamāy amarntiruntārē.

Translation: Love, Shivam - There are two, so say the fools ! Love itself is Shivam - This nobody knows ! Love itself is Shivam - when one gets to know this, Love itself as Shivam, the person sits (lives).

On this Mahāśivarātri day, lets invoke the Śivā in us for the benefit of everyone. May everyone attain the state of Śivā that leads to eternal bliss.

Wishing everyone a blessed Mahāśivarātri!

Can Devatas of Grand Temples Also Be Kula Devatas?

 

Picture Credit Trip Advisor

Can Devatas of grand temples such as Palani Murugan, Kanchi Kamakshi or Tirupati Balaji also be kula devatas of modern day Hindu families?

There are two possible scenarios.

Scenario 1

Some families migrated from distant lands and settled down in the area around the temple. They become devotees of the devata. After several generations, they lost touch with their original roots and forget their actual kula devata. They adopt the devata of this temple as their kula devata and continue this worship for many generations up to present.

Scenario 2

Many grand temples are large and were built as per the rules of Tantra (Agama) shastra. However, there is a possibility that some of these temples were once humble shrines that existed under sacred trees. The name of the place and even the name of the devata may have changed over time. The surrounding area would have once been a forest before agriculture and urbanization happened. Only few families would have worshipped the devata before all these happened. The devata would have been the kula devata of these families before the shrine was renovated into a larger Agamic temple and opened its doors to public.

Therefore, it is always important to check the history of the family as well as the history of the temple to confirm if it is also a kula devata. 

Some Basics of Deity Worship in Hinduism

Bagalamukhi Devi

Deity worship is an important aspect of Dharmic religions. It exist in Jainism, Buddhism and Hindu sects such as Vaishnavam, Shaktam, Shaivam, Ganapatyam, Kaumaram and Sauram. Many folk deities such as Isakki Amman, Karuppar, Rakayee Amman are from the existing Dharmic pantheon which were localized according to the needs of the people. 

In Jainism, a class of supernatural beings known as Yakshi such as Ambika Devi are worshipped as Isakki Amman by the present day Hindus. These Yakshis used to function as the sasana devis  (protector goddess) of Jain Tirthankaras. Ambika Devi was the sasana devi of Nemi Natha. She is presently the kuladevi of many Hindu families.

The various deities in this world have been around for many centuries or even millennia under various names. What has changed is just the method of worship. In the future blog post, we will take a look at some of the deities in non-Indian traditions and compare the parallels with our Indian traditions.

As far as present day Hinduism is concerned, it is important to have several components in deity worship. A deity will need to have its own Moola Mantra, Dhyana Sloka, Kavacham, Namavali, Yantra and Purana. Some of it are lost but some are intentionally kept hidden.  

This is because the proper worship of certain deities are considered as rahasya (secret). There are some rules to follow and it will usually be shared with only those in the sampradaya's parampara (spiritual lineage). Therefore, it is important for present day Hindus to understand the proper method of worshipping deities. 

Today, many Hindus come up with their own opinion about deity worship. Opinions are fine even if they can be ridiculous. But having an opinion about something does not make the practice right. It has to be remembered that each deity has its own do's and don'ts. Having said this, it is only right that the correct method is used when dealing with a deity. These methods are found in the manuals known as Tantra.

Why ignore the guidance given in the manual book?

Some deities like Smashana (cemetery) Kali were never meant to be worshipped by householders inside the house where the family resides. The are rules to follow and if one disregards the rules, then there will be unwanted consequences. Smashana Kali must be worshipped outside the house, preferably in a shrine/temple next to the cemetery using proper Vamachara methods. She is not a vegetarian deity. So don't turn her into one. You can always worship Dakshina Kali if you prefer the vegetarian way of doing things.

We don't burst fireworks inside our house just because we can, right?

The Vajrayana Buddhists have the concept of Deity Yoga. They follow the prescribed methods as laid out in the Buddhist tantras. Initiation and guidance from a legitimate Guru is necessary else the practitioner may do mistakes. 

Similarly we have many legitimate sampradayas in Hinduism. Each adheres to a particular set of Tantras. Sometimes it will be called as Agama or Nigama depending on its origin and content. We can dwell deeper into Tantras on another day.

You may have an ishta devata (favorite deity). Try to find out the moola mantra (root mantra) and the beeja mantra (seed mantra) used to invoke the deity. Understand the dhyana sloka (meditation verse) as this is important for you to visualize the deity. The deity must be visualized according to the dhyana sloka and not as however one likes. Kurukulla is red. Meenakshi is emerald green. Vaishnavi sits on a Garuda. Ayyappa is a bachelor but his other Dharmasastha form is that of a householder with Poorna and Pooshkala on both sides. So the visualization must be correct.

The deity will have a set of protective hymns that functions as an armour. This is known as a kavacha. A kavacha usually contains the name of the rishi (seer) that gave it. He must be meditated upon as the preceptor whenever you recite the kavacha. Deities will also have a list of names known as namavali. They can be 108 or even 1008. Each shows the different aspects of the deity. There will be a geometric representation of the deity. This is known as a Yantra. Finally, there will be a purana which tells the story about the origins of the deity. Puranas are usually cryptic and metaphoric. It needs to be read again and again to be properly understood. Some Puranas are in oral form. It can also be part of the Sthala Purana (temple history) of the deity and not necessarily from one of the Maha Puranas.

For as much as vidya (knowledge) about the deity and the worship method matters, these are nothing without bakthi (devotion). So whatever done, must also be done correctly with sincere devotion.

 

Village Deities & Agamic Rules - A Tip For Tamil Nadu Archaeologists

A shrine for Saptha Kanni Devis. Click here for source.

The worship of Saptamatha/Sapthakanni, Ayyanar (Sasta), Mudevi (Jyesta) is common in Tamil Nadu villages. 

For some reason, Mudevi worship became less popular. Presently Hindu Saktas pray to Dhumavati and the other Hindus usually pray to Sani Bhagawan. These three deities are connected by a common symbol, the Crow.

The placement of shrines of certain deities in villages was mentioned in the following chapter of the Kamika Agama. 

Those who conduct archaeological studies in rural Tamil Nadu should also study the Agamas because the ancient people could have planned the settlement by following some basic rules of the Agama.

If you know the Agamas, you may be able to make an educated guess on where to dig for answers.

Chapter 26 (Kamika Agama)

Directions for Allocation of Appropriate Places for the Deities in Villages and Other Settlements 

26.7

varunyam nairrtavindre sastr sthanam prakirtitam varunyam vatha nairrtyam vayusomantare athavaanyatra ganesasya sthanamuktam ihagame

The location for the shrine of Sasta should be in the west or south-west or east. In this Agama it is maintained that the location for the shrine of Ganesa should be in the west or south-west or between the north-west and the north. Or, the location for Ganesa may be in other directions also.

26.9

aisanyam somabhage vatayormadhye tu matarah agneyyam motikasthanam kamadevasya tatra vai

The shrine for the Saptamatrikas (Seven Mother Goddesses) is to be in the north-east or north or in between the north-east and the north. The location for the shrine of the Goddess Motika (a form of Kali) is to be in the south-east. The same location is recommended for the shrine of Kamadeva (Manmatha).

26.10

jyestha puskaran itire sthapyanyatra bahistu va kama bhaskarayor vastu sanmukhasthanam ucyate

The Goddess Jyestha is to be installed near the bank of the temple tank; or, may be installed in some other place outside the temple. The location allocated for Skanda is also applicable to Kamadeva and Surya (Sun).

26.14

subrahmanyarcanam nityam balanam hitakrdbhavetsastr puja svakrtyesu niyunkte vastu vasinah

The daily worship of Subrahmanya (Skanda) will bring into effect all the best things to the youngsters. The worship of Sasta inspires and impels the people of the village to accomplish the works undertaken by them.

26.16

pujitacen mahamoti balaroga vinasni sarvasiddhiravighnena vighnesasya sapryaya

If Moti (a form of Kali Sakti) is duly worshipped, She becomes favorably disposed to ward off the diseases which afflict the children. By the worship of Lord Ganesa all the works undertaken by the people get accomplished without any impediment.

Direct Reference To Sanskrit by Appar

The Tamil Nayanmar Thirunavukarasar @ Appar, was not only fond of Tamil but also Sanskrit. He gave importance to both languages. We have evidence from the Thirumurai to prove this. 

Hymn #2552, Chapter Thiruvavaduthurai, 6th Thirumurai

பந்து அணவு மெல்விரலாள் பாகன்தன்னை,
பாடலோடு ஆடல் பயின்றான்தன்னை,
கொந்து அணவு நறுங்கொன்றைமாலையானை,
கோல மா நீலமிடற்றான்தன்னை,
செந்தமிழோடு ஆரியனை, சீரியானை,
திருமார்பில் புரிவெண்னூல் திகழப் பூண்ட
அந்தணனை, ஆவடுதண்துறையுள் மேய
அரன் அடியே அடினாயேன் அடைந்து உய்ந்தேனே!

pantu aṇavu melviralāḷ pākaṉtaṉṉai,
pāṭalōṭu āṭal payiṉṟāṉtaṉṉai,
kontu aṇavu naṟuṅkoṉṟaimālaiyāṉai,
kōla mā nīlamiṭaṟṟāṉtaṉṉai,
centamiḻōṭu āriyaṉai, cīriyāṉai,
tirumārpil puriveṇnūl tikaḻap pūṇṭa
antaṇaṉai, āvaṭutaṇtuṟaiyuḷ mēya
araṉ aṭiyē aṭināyēṉ aṭaintu uyntēṉē!

Translation : He is concorporate with Her whose soft fingers sport a ball; He is the Master of song and dance; His is a wreath of fragrant konrai growing in bunches; Beauteous is His throat with the blue hue; He is Chaste Tamil as well as Sanskrit; He is the glorious One; He is the Brahmin (Anthanar) who wears on His divine chest, The sacred thread (Poonol); He is Hara that presides over Aavaduthurai; I, the lowly, reached His feet and stand redeemed.

Hymn #2946, Chapter Thirusivapuram, 6th Thirumurai.

வானவன்காண் வானவர்க்கும் மேல் ஆனான்காண்
வடமொழியும் தென்தமிழும் மறைகள் னான்கும்
ஆனவன்காண் ஆன் ஐந்தும் ஆடினான்காண்
ஐயன்காண் கையில் அனல் ஏந்தி ஆடும்
கானவன்காண் கானவனுக்கு அருள்செய்தான்காண்
கருதுவார் இதயத்துக்கமலத்து ஊறும்
தேன் அவன்காண் சென்று அடையாச் செல்வன் தான்காண்
சிவன் அவன்காண் சிவபுரத்து எம் செல்வன்தானே.

vāṉavaṉkāṇ vāṉavarkkum mēl āṉāṉkāṇ
vaṭamoḻiyum teṉtamiḻum maṟaikaḷ nāṉkum
āṉavaṉkāṇ āṉ aintum āṭiṉāṉkāṇ
aiyaṉkāṇ kaiyil aṉal ēnti āṭum
kāṉavaṉkāṇ kāṉavaṉukku aruḷceytāṉkāṇ
karutuvār itayattukkamalattu ūṟum
tēṉ avaṉkāṇ ceṉṟu aṭaiyāc celvaṉ tāṉkāṇ
civaṉ avaṉkāṇ civapurattu em celvaṉtāṉē.

Translation: He is of the empyrean; He is far above the celestials; He became Sanskrit, Tamil of the South and the four Vedas; He bathes in the Pancha-kavya; He is the Lord; He is a forester who holds fire in His palm and dances; He graced the forester; He is the honey that gushes from the lotus-hearts of the meditators; He is the opulent One of infinite riches; He is Siva; He is our opulent Lord of Sivapuram.

You would have noticed that in #2946, Appar also referred to Siva as the 4 Vedas. There are also other references to Vedas in the hymns composed by Appar. We will look at it under a separate posting in the future. 

Based on Appar's teachings, it is quite clear that both Sanskrit and Tamil are important for Saivism. Appar even declared that both Sanskrit and Tamil represents Siva peruman. It will be good for Saivas to learn and understand both languages for their own benefit in pursuit of spiritualism.