Link to Indus Writing
Sprachfamilien Südasiens Kartenvorlage für Staatsgrenzen: Verbreitungsgebiet nachgezeichnet nach der Karte Language families and branches, languages and dialects in A Historical Atlas of South Asia, Oxford University Press. New York 1992.
Bharatiya sprachbund or language union
“(Sprachbund or linguistic area is) an area which includes languages belonging to more than one family but showing traits in common which are found not to belong to the other members of (at least) one of the families.” (MB Emeneau, India as a Linguistic Area, Lg. 32:1.3-16 (1956); see p. 16, fn. 28) For Emeneau, it is a ‘multi-familial convergence (or diffusion) area’.
(From Map 1.1: Indo-Aryan languages in the South Asian subcontinent in: Dhanesh Jain, George Cardona (eds.), 2003, The Indo-Aryan languages, Routledge, p.3)
Indianized mleccha-, arya-vaacas in polyglossia linguistic area
"Indo-Aryan languages have a long history of transmission, not only in the form of literary works and treatises dealing with logical, philosophical, and ritual matters but also in phonetic, phonological, and grammatical descriptions. The languages are divisible into three major stages: Old-, Middle- and New- (or Modern-) Indo-Aryan. The first is represented by an enormously rich literature stretching over millennia, including Vedic texts and later literary works of various genres. In addition, we are privileged to have knowledge of the details of Old Indo-Aryan of different eras and areas through extraordinarily perceptive descriptions of phonetics and phonology relative to traditions of Vedic recitation in prAtizAkhya works and PANini's ASTAdhyAyI, the brilliant set of rules describing the language current at around the fifth century BCE, with important dialectical observations and contrasts drawn between the then current speech and earlier Vedic usage. Moreover, observations by YAska (possibly antedating PANini) and Patanjali (second century BCE) inform us about some dialect features of Old Indo-Aryan in early times...Speakers of Sanskrit were aware from early on not only of differences between their current language and Vedic but also of areal differences at a given time. Well known examples stem from YAska and Patanjali, who speak of usages proper to the Kamboja, SaurASTra, the east and midlands, as well as of Arya speakers. It is noteworthy that zav is said to occur in Kamboja, a northwestern people whom in his commentary on Nirukta 2.2 Durga refers to as Mleccha (Bhadkamkar 1918: 166.5-6: gatyartho dhAtuh kambojeSv eva bhASyate mleccheSu prakRtyA prayujyata AkhyAtapadabhAvena): zyav, zav, ziyav 'go' are used in Avestan and Old Persian...Patanjali refers to the use of hamm 'go' in SauRASTra. Another feature of the speech of this area is noted in the metrical version of the PANinIyazikSA, which says that nasalized vowels as in arAm 'spokes' of RV 8.77.3b (khe arAm iva khedayA'(...pushed...down) like spokes in the wheel navel with an instrument for pressing together') are pronounced in the manner that a woman from SauRAStra pronounces takram 'buttermilk': takraM, with a fully nasalized final vosel (PS 26: yathA saurASTrikA nArI takrAm ity abhibhASate evam rangAh prayoktavyA khe arAM iva khedayA). Patanjali is well aware of the r/l alternation in particular lexical terms...Old Indo-Aryan was of course dialectically differentiated (See Emeneau 1966). The earliest distribution of dialect areas would have to stem from Vedic times, and the texts, right back to the Rgveda, show evidence of dialect differences, reflected, for example, in the use of forms of the type dakSi and dhakSi 'burn' (Cardona 1991)...There is a large variety of PrAkrits, traditionally named after regions and their inhabitants: MAhArASTrI, zaurasenI and so on. Thus, Bharata mentions (NZ 17.48: mAgadhy avantijA prAcyA zauraseny ardhamAgadhI bAhlikA dAkSiNatyA ca sapta bhASAh prakIrtitA) seven languages as being well known: MAgadhI, the language of Avanti, the language of the east, ZaurasenI, ArdhamAgadhI, BAhlIkA, and the language of the south. Theoreticians of poetics and grammarians of PrAkrits also enumerate and characterize different PrAkrits, among wich MAhArAStrI is given the highest status...The closest thing we have comparable to a dialect map of Middle Indo-Aryan is represented by Azoka's inscriptions of the third century BCE. As has been recognizedd (See Bloch 1950: 43-5, Azokan/PAli section 1.2), the major rock edicts show that east, nortwest and west constitute three major dialect areas...Arya has various meanings centering about the notion of noble, venerable, honorable, but this term was explicitly used with reference to a particular group of people, characterized by the way they spoke...Patanjali uses the phrases AryA bhASante 'Aryas say' and AryAh prayunjate 'Aryas use'. In the comparable passage of his Nirukta, YAska (Nir. 2.2 [161.11-13]) says zavatir gatikarmA kambojeSv eva bhASyate...vikAram asyAryeSu bhASante zava it 'zav meaning 'go' is used only in Kamboja...in the Arya community one uses a derivate (vikAram 'modification) zava 'corpse' '. Here, YAska uses the locative plural AryeSu parallel to kambojeSu, both terms referring to communities in which particular usages prevail...The Indian subcontinent has long been home to speakers of languages belonging to different language failies, principally Indo-European (Indo-Aryan), Dravidian, and Austro-Asiatic (Munda). It is to be expected that speakers of these languages who were in contact with each other should have been subject to possible influence of other languages on their own. Scholars have long been aware of and remarked on the changes which the language reflected in the earliest Vedic underwent over time, gradually becoming more and more 'Indianized', so that one can speak of an Indian linguistic area (Emeneau 1956, 1971, 1974, 1980, Kuiper 1967). Scholars have also differed concerning the degree of influence exerted by Munda or Dravidian languages on Indo-Aryan at different stages and the manner in which such influence was made felt. It is proper to emphasize from the outset that Old Indo-Aryan should be viewed as encompassing a variety of regional and social dialects spoken natively, developing historically in the way any living language does, and whose speakers interacted in a society where diglossia and polyglossia were the norm. Sanskrit speakers show an awareness of these facts. Thus, it is not only historically true that early Vedic root aorists of the type akar, agan were gradually replaced by forms of the types akArSU, agamat but also that YAska and Patanjali were aware of such changes and brought the fact out in their paraphrases; see Mehendale 1968: 15-33. PANini accounted for major features of Vedic which differed from his current language. In addition, such early native speakers of Sanskrit give us evidence of attitudes towards different varieties of speech which should be taken into consideration...Patanjali recounts the dialogue: A certain grammarian (kazcid vaiyAkaraNah) says to a chariot driver, ko 'sya rathasya pravetA 'Who is the driver of this car?' The driver answers, AyuSmann aham prAjitA 'Sir, I am the driver', upon which the grammarian accuses him of using an incorrect speech form (apazabda). The driver retorts that the grammarian knows what should obtain by rule (prAptijnah) but not what is desired (iSTijnah): this term is desirable (iSyata etad rUpam), Patanjali doubtless reflects a historical change in the language between PANini's time and area and his. At the same time, he is clearly willing to countenance that usage could include terms which a strict grammarian might consider improper. And he puts this in terms of a contrast between a grammarian and a charioteer. Another famous MaHAbhASya passage concerns sages (RSi-) who were characterized by the way they pronounced the phrases yad vA nah and tad vA nah: yar vA nah, tar vA nah. Although these sages spoke with such vernacular features, they did not do so during ritual acts...On the contrary, both accepted forms and those considered incorrect served equally to convey meanings, and what distinguished corrrect speech was that one gaind merit from such usage accompanied by a knowledge of its grammatical formation. One must recognize also that the standard speech could include elements which originally were not part of the Sanskrit norm. Moreover, Zabara remarks (on JS 1.3.5.10 [II.151]) that although authoity (pramANam) is granted to a learned elite (ziSTAh whose behaviour is authoritative with respect to what cannot be known directly (yat tu ziSTAcArah pramANam iti tat pratyakSAnavagate 'rthe) and who are experts (abhiyuktAh) as concerns the meanings of terms, nevertheless Mlecchas are more expert as concernss the care and binding of birds (yat tv abhiyuktAh zabdArtheSu ziSTA iti tatrocyate: abhiyuktatarAh pakSiNAm poSaNe bandhan ca mlecchAh). Consequently, when it comes to terms like pika- 'cuckcoo', which Aryas do not use in any meaning but which Mlecchas do (ZBh. 1.3.5.10 [II.149]: atha yAN chamdAn AryA na kasmimzcid artha Acaranti mlecchAs tu kasmimzcit prayunjate yathA pika...), authority is granted to Mleccha usage...There is thus evidence to show that before the second century BCE and possibly before PANini's time Mlecchas who inhabited areas outside the bounds of AryAvartta could be absorbed into the prevalent social system and that terms from speech areas such as that of the Kambojas could be treated as Indo-Aryan...Arya brAhmaNas normally were not supposed to engage in discourse with Mlecchas, but they had to do so on occasion. In brief, the picture is that of a society in which an Arya group considered itself the carrier of a higher culture and strived to keep this culture and the language associated with it but at the same time had necessarily to interact with groups like Mlecchas, whose language and customs were considered lesser. The result of such interaction, both with other Indo-Aryans who spoke dalects with Middle Indo-Aryan features and with non-Indo-Aryans, was that Sanskrit was effected through adoption of lexical terms and grammatical features...There is no cogent reason to consider that such changes due to contact had not been carried out gradually over generations for a long time before. Modern views. Although scholars generally agree that Old Indo-Aryan was indeed affected by 'autochthonous' languages and that there is indeed a South Asia linguistic area (see, e.g., Emeneau 1956, 1980, Kuiper 1967, Masica 1976), there are disagreements concerning the possible degree to which such effects should be seen in early Vedic and whether the features at issue could reflect also developments from Indo-European sources. In addition to the extent and sources of lexical borrowings, the main points of contention concern four features commonly considered characteristic of a South Asian linguistic area: (1) a contrast between retroflex and dental consonants, (2) the use of quotative particle (Skt. iti), (3) the use of absolutives (Skt. -tvA, ya), (4) the general unmarked word subject-object-verb...As to what non-Indo-Aryan languages are concerned, obvious candidates are Dravidian and Munda languages. The number of such borrowings into early Indo-Aryan has been the topic of ongoing debate...It has also to be admitted that the archaeological evidence available does not serve to confirm Indo-Aryan migrations into the subcontinent. Moreover, there is no textual evidence in the early literary traditions unambiguously showing a trace of such migration...In an email message kindly conveyed to me by S. Kalyanaraman (11 April 1999)...BaudhAyanazrautasUtra passage...this text cannot serve to document an Indo-Aryan migration into the main part of the subcontinent... " (Dhanesh Jain, George Cardona (eds.), 2003, The Indo-Aryan languages, Routledge, pp.6-7,17-21, 26-28, 31-37)
Decoding three Indus sealings of Kanmer
-- Metal smithy guild workshop
· bāranè ‘comb’ (Ka.); Rebus: bhoron = a mixture of brass and bell metal (Santali); baran, bharat (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)(P.B.) med. ‘body’; rebus: med. = iron (Santali) kod.a ‘one in arithmetic’ (Santali) Rebus: kod. = place where artisan’s work (Kur.) workshop (G.)
· Pictographs complementing the epigraph of two signs: one-horned heifer in front of standard device. The identical Indus seal is stamped on one side of each seal impression and different lettered script is found on the reverse.
· damṛa = heifer, young bull, steer (G.); Rebus: tambra = copper (Skt.) kod.e ‘heifer’; Rebus: kot.e ‘forge’. sangad.a ‘lathe, furnace’. Rebus: sam.gara ‘guild’ (lit. agreeing together).
Read on… http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14857890/kanmerupdate
Temple in Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization?
The use of the lexeme, dhatu (mineral, relic) in the context of stupa (temple) is mirrored in the mleccha lexeme which denotes both a smithy and a temple :
kol.el ‘smithy, temple in Kota village’ (Ko.) kolme smithy' (Ka.) kol ‘working in iron, blacksmith (Ta.)(DEDR 2133)
WPah.kṭg. dhàṭṭu m. ʻ woman's headgear, kerchief ʼ, kc. dhaṭu m. (also dhaṭhu m. ʻ scarf ʼ, J. dhāṭ(h)u m. Him.I 105); dhaṭī -- f. ʻ old cloth, loincloth ʼ lex. [Drav., Kan. daṭṭi ʻ waistband ʼ etc., DED 2465] Ku. dhaṛo ʻ piece of cloth ʼ, N. dharo, B. dhaṛā; Or. dhaṛā rag, loincloth ʼ (CDIAL 6707).
Glyph to denote dhatu ‘mineral’. Read on...
30 Oct. 2009
Animal hieroglyphs of Indus script
ellāccollum poruḷ kuṛittanavē (Tol. Peya.1) "All words are semantic indicators."
pasaramu, pasalamu = an animal, a beast, a brute, quadruped (Te.lex.) Thus, the depiction of animals in epigraphs is related to, rebus: pasra = smithy (Santali)
pasra meṛed, pasāra meṛed = syn. of koṭe meṛed = forged iron, in contrast to dul meṛed, cast iron (Mundari.lex.) pasra = a smithy, a place where a blacksmith works; to do a blacksmith’s work; kamar pasrat.hene sen akantalea = our man has gone to the smithy; pasrao lagao (or ehop) akata = he (the blacksmith) has started his work (Santali)
Read on... http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14165518/animalglyphs
paśú— m., páśu— n. ‘domestic or sacrificial animal’ RV. m. ‘goat’ lex. Pa. pasu—, °uka— m. ‘cattle’; Aś.shah. man. paśu—, gir. kāl. dh. jau. pasu— ‘beast’, NiDoc. paśu; Pk. pasu- m. ‘animal, horned quadruped, goat, sheep’, Ap. pasuva— m.; Kt. paċƏ—moč‘shepherd’; S. paha f. ‘goat’; A. pâha ‘animal of the deer class, any quadruped’; H. pas f. ‘buffalo—heifer’, pasū m. ‘animal (such as goat or sheep)’. paśutā—, *paśuvant—; paśupā́—, paśupāla—, paśu- rūpá—. Addenda: paśú—: S.kcch. paũ f. ‘she—goat’; WPah.poet.pɔśu m. ‘cattle, head of cattle, animal’ (Him.I 117 ← H.) (CDIAL 7984) Pasu [Vedic paśu, cp. Lat. pecu & pecunia, Gr. pe/kos fleece, Goth. vieh, E. fee] cattle M i.79; J v.105; Pv ii.1312 (˚yoni); Miln 100; PvA 166 (˚bhāva); n. pl. pasavo Si.69; Sn 858; gen. pl. pasūnaŋ Sn 311; Pv ii.25. -- dupasu bad cattle Th 1, 446. (Pali)
Metal forge, smithy guild of Bhirrana
If Chanhudaro was the Sheffield of ancient India (http://www.iln.org.uk/iln_years/year/1936a.htm ), many settlements of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization such as Bhirrana were settlements of smiths and artisans. If Mehrgarh was a 7th millennium BCE settlement, so was Bhirrana on Sarasvati river basin. Bhirrana finds mark a paradigm shift in ancient Hindu chronology.
A tribute to the late LS Rao
 This is a tribute the memory of the late Lakshmikant S Rao, of ASI who did the excavation work at Bhirrana (colloquial pronunciation: bhiRDAnA). I fondly recollect his presentation made in the Vedic River Sarasvati and Hindu civilization conference held in India Intl. Centre, New Delhi in October 2008 (see references cited in the following paragraphs). A few months later, I got the information about his death. The memory of his extraordinary work lives on. He was privileged to unearth knowledge from Mother Earth and add to our knowledge of the roots of Hindu civilization.
Importance of Bhirrana Read on... http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14154371/dancingglyphs
Caravan glyphs of Indus script: scarf, heifer, standard (r. to l.) – mineral, metal (workshop), smithy guild
[Note: Possibly, there is a fourth (right-most) pennant glyph in the caravan as seen on m0490 tablet; the glyph is not legible on both tablets: m0490 and m0491]
(Caravan with bearers carrying pennants with insignia: Scarf carried on a pendant, third from left – after pennant with standard device and pennant with one-horned heifer)
WPah. dhaṭu m. (also dhaṭhu) m. ‘scarf’ (CDIAL 6707) Rebus: Pa. dhātu ‘mineral’ [Scarf carried on a pennant is also shown worn on the pigtails of persons on many epigraphs of Indus script.]
Scarf on a pennant. Scarf on pigtail of persons.
damṛa ‘heifer’ (G.) Rebus: tam(b)ra ‘copper; kōḍe = young bull (G.) Rebus: koṭ 'artisan's workshop'.(Kuwi)
san:ghāḍo, saghaḍī (G.) = firepan; saghaḍī, śaghaḍi = a pot for holding fire (G.)[cula_ sagaḍi_ portable hearth (G.)] aguḍe = brazier (Tu.) san:gaḍa, ‘lathe, portable furnace’; Rebus: sā̃go m. ‘caravan’ (S.) sangath संगथ् association, living together, partnership (Kashmiri); san:gara battle; jangaḍ iyo ‘military guard who accompanies treasure into the treasury’; san:ghāḍiyo, a worker on a lathe (G.) [The semantics of cognate mleccha lexemes, point to a smithy guild]
Read on…http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14033746/Seal-impressions
Ligaturing of glyphs on the Indus script is paralleled by sculpted ligatures of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization
Glyphs on Indus script: Ligatured human body, metal wheelwright
There are many variants of this human body glyph (Sign 1, Mahadevan Indus script corpus). There are many composite glyphs with many ligatures to this human body frame.
meḍ ‘body’ (Santali) Rebus: meḍ ‘iron (metal)’ (Ho.) koṭe meṛed = forged iron (Mu.) (cf. glyph: Ka. kōḍu horn)
Vikalpa: kāṭhī = body, person; kāṭhī the make of the body; the stature of a man (G.) Rebus: khātī ‘wheelwright’ (H.)
eṛaka 'upraised arm' (Ta.); Ka.eṟake wing; rebus: eraka = copper (Ka.); eraka ‘metal infusion’ (Tu.)
Characteristic ligatures are: scarf on hair-pigtail, armlets on arms, raised arm, seated (hidden, spy?) on a tree, ligatured to buttocks (back) of a bovine, horned (often with a twig betwixt horns).
All these orthographic glyptic elements can be explained rebus as mleccha smith guild token glyphs, all in the context of a smithy/forge/smithy guild. This decoding is consistent with rebus readings of other glyphs such as ligatured tiger + eagle, tiger+ wings, tiger+ human body.
Some of these ligaturing elements and glyphs can be decoded, read rebus in mleccha lexemes (appended). Read on...http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13936570/scarfraisedarmglyphs
27 Oct. 2009 kalyan97@gmail.com
Heifer, standard, leaf, dotted circle glyphs decoded as smithy repertoire
The one-horned heifer and the standard device occur on over 1395 epigraphs of Indus script (Together they occur on 1159 of these epigraphs). Dotted circles (and variants) appear on over 65 epigraphs (including those ligatured to bottom bowl of the standard device). Leaf glyphs occur on about 100 epigraphs.
Decoded glyphs: Two heifers: (copper) metal casting/forging workshop. dol = likeness; dul m. = cast iron (Santali) koṭe = forge (Santali) Standard: sãghāṛɔ m. ‘lathe’ (G.); stone-cutter, jangaḍiyo military guard accompanying treasure. Leaf: loa = ficus glomerata (Santali) Rebus: loh ‘(copper) metal’ (Skt.) Smelting furnace: kan:gar ‘portable furnace’; kaṇḍ = altar, furnace; pasra ‘smithy’; kammarsāla 'pannier' (Telugu) karmāraśāla = workshop of blacksmith (Skt.) damṛa m. a steer (G.) ; tamb(r)a = copper (Skt.); tamba = copper (Santali) koḍiyum ‘heifer’ (G.); koṭ ‘workshop’ (Kuwi) koṭe = forge (Santali)
kammarsāla 'pannier' (Telugu) karmāraśāla = workshop of blacksmith (Skt.) damṛa m. a steer (G.) ; tamb(r)a = copper (Skt.); tamba = copper (Santali) koḍiyum ‘heifer’ (G.); kōṭu = horns (Ta.) koṭ ‘workshop’ (Kuwi) koṭe = forge (Santali)
dol = likeness, picture, form (Santali) [e.g., two tigers, two bulls, duplicated signs] me~ṛhe~t iron; ispat m. = steel; dul m. = cast iron (Santali)
kōḍiya, kōḍe = young bull (G.) Rebus: koḍ ‘workshop’ (G.); ācāri koṭṭya ‘smithy’ (Tu.)
Glyph: pāslo = a nugget of gold or silver having the form of a die (G.) Rebus: pasra ‘smithy’ (Santali)
Glyph: sãghāṛɔ m. ‘lathe’; Rebus: san:ghāḍiyo, a worker on a lathe (G.) Rebus: jangaḍiyo ‘military guard who accompanies treasure into the treasury’ (G.) san:gatarāśū = stone cutter (S.)
Glyph: kangha ‘comb’(K.) khan:ghar, ghan:ghar, ghan:ghar gon:ghor ‘full of holes’ (Santali) Rebus: kan:gar ‘portable furnace’ (K.)
loa = a species of fig tree, ficus glomerata, the fruit of ficus glomerata (Santali.lex.) Rebus: loh ‘(copper) metal’ (Skt.) lauha = made of copper or iron (Gr.S'r.); metal, iron (Skt.); lōhakāra = coppersmith, ironsmith (Pali); lōhāra = blacksmith (Pt.); lohal.a (Or.); lōha = metal, esp. copper or bronze (Pali); copper (VS.); loho, lō = metal, ore, iron (Si.)
kandi (pl. -l) beads, necklace (Pa.); kanti (pl. -l) bead, (pl.) necklace; kandit. bead (Ga.)(DEDR 1215). Rebus: kaṇḍ = altar, furnace (Santali) लोहकारकन्दुः f. a blacksmith's smelting furnace (Grierson Kashmiri lex.)
Vikalpa: kamaṛkom = fig leaf (Santali.lex.) kamarmaṛā (Has.), kamaṛkom (Nag.); the petiole or stalk of a leaf (Mundari.lex.) Rebus: kampaṭṭam coinage, coin (Ta.); kammaṭṭam, kammiṭṭam coinage, mint (Ma.); kammatia coiner (Ka.)(DEDR 1236) kammaṭa = coinage, mint (Ka.M.) kampaṭṭa-k-kūṭam mint; kampaṭṭa-k-kāran- coiner; kampaṭṭa- muḷai die, coining stamp (Ta.lex.) Read on...
Crocodile glyph decoded as coppersmith
Tablet. Crocodile above. Peson kicking and spearing a bison, near a seated,horned (with twig) person.Harappa. Harappa Museum, H95-2486 Meadow and Kenoyer 1997
There are about 50 epigraphs depicting a crocodile (with or without a fish caught in its jaws). On some epigraphs, it is the dominant glyph accompanied with glyphs of fish and other animals such as elephant, rhinoceros, bull, tiger, tiger-looking-back.
All the glyphs have been decoded in the context of a smithy guild, thus decoding the epigraphs as mleccha smith guild tokens.
How is a crocodile to be read rebus, consistenly in all epigraphs where the crocodile glyph occurs, with other animals in particular? P. ḍaṅgar m. ‘cattle’; Ta. இடங்கர்¹ iṭaṅkar, n. < இடக்கு. crocodile Rebus: N. ḍāṅro ‘blacksmith’. Fish? ayo ‘fish’; ayo ‘metal’ (Skt.) (See Skt. Lexemes appended). An alternative rebus reading for the crocodile (sometimes glyptically comparable to a lizard) is: L. mult. sinsār, san°, (Ju.) sı̃sār m. ‘Gavialis gangeticus’; Rebus: Ash. (ċimƏkára ‘blacksmith’) ċímä, ċimƏ ‘iron’ (See lexemes below).
Many homonyms read rebus decode the other animal glyphs:
elephant (ib, iron) and tiger (looking back, kol –pancaloha – krammara;
ibha ‘elephant’ (Skt.); rebus: ib ‘iron’ (Ko.)
kolo ‘jackal’ (Kon.); rebus: kol ‘furnace, forge’ (Kuwi) kol ‘alloy of five metals, pancaloha’ (Ta.) •kolhe (iron-smelter; kolhuyo, jackal) kol, kollan-, kollar = blacksmith (Ta.lex.)•kol ‘to kill’ (Ta.)•sal ‘bos gaurus’, bison; rebus: sal ‘workshop’ (Santali)kolsa = to kick the foot forward, the foot to come into contact with anything when walking or running; kolsa pasirkedan = I kicked it over (Santali.lex.)mēṛsa = v.a. toss, kick with the foot, hit with the tail (Santali.lex.) me~ṛhe~t iron; ispat m. = steel; dul m. = cast iron; kolhe m. iron manufactured by the Kolhes (Santali); meṛed (Mun.d.ari); meḍ (Ho.)(Santali.lex.Bodding) •kamaḍha ‘penance’; rebus: kampaṭṭam ‘mint’ (Ta.) kūtī = bunch of twigs (Skt.) kuṭhi 'smelting furnace' (Santali) •kamad.ha ‘penance’ (Pkt.); kampat.t.am ‘mint’ (Ta.) kod. ‘horn’; kod. ‘workshop’ (G.) The bunch of twigs = kūdī, kūṭī (Skt.lex.) kuṭhi 'smelting furnace‘; koṭe ‘forged (metal) (Santali)
adar ḍangra ‘zebu’; rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Ka.); ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (H.)
baḍhia = a castrated boar, a hog (Santali) baḍhi ‘a caste who work both in iron and wood’ (Santali)
bail ‘ox’; bali ‘iron sand ore’ (Santali) Vikalpa: homa = bison (Pengo); rebus: hom = gold (Ka.); soma = electrum, gold-silver compound ore (RV)
damṛa = heifer, young bull, steer (G.); rebus: tambra = copper (Skt.)
damaḍī (H.) damṛi, dambṛi = one eighth of a copper pice (Santali)
koḍ = artisan’s workshop (Kuwi); koḍ ‘horn’ damṛa, koḍiyum ‘heifer’ (G.) rebus: tam(b)ra ‘copper’; koḍ ‘workshop’ (G.); ācāri koṭṭya ‘smithy’ (Tu.)
bagalo = an Arabian merchant vessel (G.lex.) bagala = an Arab boat of a particular description (Ka.) Rebus:
1. bhāgala ‘gate in the wall of a town’ (G.)
2. ban:gala = kumpaṭi = an:ga_ra śakaṭī = a chafing dish a portable stove a goldsmith’s portable furnace (Te.lex.)
berā ‘fence, enclosure’ (A.)(CDIAL 12130) vaḷāvu (vaḷāvi-) to surround (Ta.); may be rebus for: வேள்² vēḷ One belonging to the Vēḷir class; வேளிர்குலத்தான். தொன்முதிர் வேளிர் (புறநா. 24). Title given by ancient Tamil kings to Vēḷāḷas; பண்டைத் தமிழரசரால் வேளாளர் பெற்ற ஒரு சிறப் புரிமைப் பெயர். (தொல். பொ. 30.) செம்பியன் தமிழவேள் என்னுங் குலப்பெயரும் (S. I. I. iii, 221). 9. Illustrious or great man; hero; சிறந்த ஆண் மகன். (யாழ். அக.) பாப்பைவேளே (பெருந்தொ. 1766).
A Weymouth research team finds than an octopus has only 6 arms and 2 legs (Aug. 2008)
By George McKay, Jenni Bruce, Fred Cooke (2004)(p.531) See picture of blind octopus, bottom register, second from l.
showing 5 of 6 arms.
In the corpus of epigraphs of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization (Indus script corpus), there is one remarkable ligatured glyph:  one-horned heifer ligatured to an octopus. This composite glyph occurs on a seal (Mohenjodaro) and also on a copper plate (tablet)(Harappa). This glyph is decoded as: smithy guild in a citadel (enclosure), with a warehouse (granary), beṛhī
m297a: Seal h1018a: copper plate
A lexeme for a Gangetic/Indus river octopus is retained as a cultural memory only in Jatki (language of the Jats) of Punjab-Sindh region. The lexeme is veṛhā. A homonym closest to this is beṛā building with a courtyard (WPah.) There are many cognate lexemes in many languages of Bharat constituting a semantic cluster of the linguistic area (as detailed below). The rebus decoding of veṛhā (octopus); rebus: beṛā (building with a courtyard) is a reading consistent with (1) the decoding of the rest of the corpus of epigraphs as mleccha smith guild tokens; and (2) the archaeological evidence of buildings/workers’ platforms within an enclosed fortification on many sites of the civilization.
Many languages of Bharat, that is India, evolved from meluhha (mleccha) which is the lingua franca of the civilization. The language is mleccha vaacas contrasted with arya vaacas in Manusmruti (as spoken tongue contrasted with grammatically correct literary form, arya vaacas). The hypothesis on which decoding of Indus script is premised, is that lexemes of many Indian languages are evidence of the linguistic area of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization; the artefacts with the Indus script (such as metal tools/weapons, Dholavira signboard, copper plates, gold pendant, silver/copper seals/tablets etc.) are mleccha smith guild tokens -- a tradition which continues on mints issuing punch-marked coins from ca. 6th cent. BCE.
veṛhā octopus, said to be found in the Indus (Jaṭki lexicon of A. Jukes, 1900)
L. veṛh, vehṛ m. fencing; Mth. beṛhī granary; L. veṛhā, vehṛā enclosure containing many houses; beṛā building with a courtyard (WPah.) (CDIAL 12130)
koḍ = artisan’s workshop (Kuwi); koḍ ‘horn’ damṛa, koḍiyum ‘heifer’ (G.) rebus: tam(b)ra ‘copper’; koḍ ‘workshop’ (G.); ācāri koṭṭya ‘smithy’ (Tu.)
vēṣṭá— ‘enclosure’ lex., °aka- m. ‘fence’, Si. veṭya ‘enclosure’; — Pa. vēṭhaka— ‘surrounding’; S. veṛhu m. ‘encircling’; L. veṛh, vehṛ m. ‘fencing, enclosure in jungle with a hedge, (Ju.) blockade’, veṛhā, vehṛā m. ‘courtyard, (Ju.) enclosure containing many houses’; P. veṛhā, be° m. ‘enclosure, courtyard’; Ku. beṛo ‘circle or band (of people)’; A. ber‘wall of house, circumference of anything’; B. beṛ ‘fence, enclosure’, beṛā ‘fence, hedge’; Or. beṛha ‘fence round young trees’, beṛā ‘wall of house’; Mth. beṛ ‘hedge, wall’, beṛhī‘granary’; H. beṛh, beṛ, beṛhā, beṛā m. ‘enclosure, cattle surrounded and carried off by force’; M.veḍh m. ‘circumference’; WPah.kṭg. beṛɔ m. ‘palace’, J. beṛām. ‘id., esp. the female apartments’, kul. beṛā ‘building with a courtyard’; A. also berā ‘fence, enclosure’ (CDIAL 12130 ) वाडी [ vāḍī ] f (वाटी S) An enclosed piece of meaand keepers. dow-field or garden-ground; an enclosure, a close, a paddock, a pingle. 2 A cluster of huts of agriculturists, a hamlet. Hence (as the villages of the Konkan̤ are mostly composed of distinct clusters of houses) a distinct portion of a straggling village. 3 A division of the suburban portion of a city. वाडा [ vāḍā ] m (वाट or वाटी S) A stately or large edifice, a mansion, a palace. Also in comp. as राज- वाडा A royal edifice; सरकारवाडा Any large and public building. 2 A division of a town, a quarter, a ward. Also in comp. as देऊळवाडा, ब्राह्मण- वाडा, गौळीवाडा, चांभारवाडा, कुंभारवाडा. 3 A division (separate portion) of a मौजा or village. The वाडा, as well as the कोंड, paid revenue formerly, not to the सरकार but to the मौजेखोत. 4 An enclosed space; a yard, a compound. 5 A pen or fold; as गुरांचा वाडा, गौळवाडा or गवळीवाडा, धन- गरवाडा. The pen is whether an uncovered enclosure in a field or a hovel sheltering both beasts
Ta. vēli fence, hedge, wall. Ma. vēli hedge, fence. Ko. Vj fence. To. ps̱y stone wall of pen; ply fence; ? ps̱y ïr dry buffaloes, buffaloes that have gone wild. Ka. bēli fence, hedge.Koḍ. bli fence. Tu. bēli fence, hedge. Te. vel(u)gu id., enclosure. Kol. veleg (obl. velg-) fence. Go. (Pat.) velum fence; (M.) velūmfencing; (Y.) velum, elum, (Ch.) allum, (Ma.) velmi fence; (Tr.)waluh- tānā to fence; (Ph.) vallānā to be enclosed; caus.vallahtānā, valsahtānā; (Ma.) velˀ - to fence ( Voc. 3298). Konḍa velgu gōḍa com- pound wall. (DEDR 5538) Ta. varaippu limit, boundary, wall, enclosure; varaivu limit, measuring, discrimination. Ma. vara- mpu limit, bank in rice-fields; Ka. bara, bare, vari, vare compass, space, room, limit; up to, till. Tu. barabu boundary;baraṅgayi id., limit, shore; barè mud wall round the premises. Te.varuju ridge or dam dividing fields; (inscr.) vrappi ridge; vaṟa limit; vaṟaku up to, until; (VPK; Telangana dial.) varam bund within or outside field. (DEDR 5261). Ta. vaḷaical, vaḷaippuenclosure, courtyard; vaḷāvu (vaḷāvi-) to surround; Ma. vaḷayuka to surround; vaḷek- ka to enclose; vaḷaccal enclosing; vaḷayal surrounding; vaḷappu enclosure of a house, compound; Ka. baḷasu to be surrounded, surround;n. act of surrounding or encom- passing, what surrounds, state of being circuitous, one round or turn (as of a rope, etc.); balepuni to enclose, surround, besiege. Te. balayu to surround, (K. also) besiege; (K.)(DEDR 5313).
S. Kalyanaraman kalyan97@gmail.com 23 Oct. 2009    
Royal Standard of Ur, c. 2700 BCE British Museum
Copper cart (chariot? comparable to the one shown on Royal Standard of Ur) model, Chanhudaro, the place called Sheffield of
Ancient India by Ernest Mackay (1936 Illustrated News of London)
Indian Sprachbund (language union) to decode Indus script
Decoding of Indus script is premised on the hypothesis that lexemes of many Indian languages are evidence of the linguistic area of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization.
Languages of India evolved from meluhha (mleccha) which is the lingua franca of the civilization. The language is mleccha vaacas contrasted with arya vaacas in Manusmruti (as spoken tongue contrasted with grammatically correct literary form, arya vaacas).
Emeneau, Masica and Kuiper have shown that language and culture had fused for centuries on the Indian soil resulting in structural convergence of four language families: Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Munda and Tibeto-Burman. This concept explains the essential semantic unity (or, Indian-ness) of underlying variegated cultural and linguistic patterns. (cf. Emeneau, Murray; Dil, Anwar (1980), Language and Linguistic Area: Essays by Murray B. Emeneau, Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. Kuiper, FBJ, 1967, ‘The genesis of a linguistic area’ in: Indo-Iranian Journal 10: 81-102).
The artefacts with the Indus script (such as metal tools/weapons, dholavira signboard, copper plates, gold pendant, silver/copper seals/tablets etc.) are mleccha smith guild tokens -- a tradition which continues on mints issuing punch-marked coins from ca. 6th cent. BCE.
Metalsmiths of India speaking languages of India have retained the cultural memory of smithy evidenced over 5000 years ago in Indian civilization. This memory is reconstructed in a comparative Indian lexicon, which has over 8000 semantic clusters to help derive the lexemes of the linguistic area. From lexemes of Indian languages, Indus script glyphs are decoded using the rebus method matching the pictorials of the script with metalsmithy lexemes.
There is a map in Franklin Southworth’s book: Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia, 2005. The two problems with the book are: belief in Aryan invasion and vedic as a post-munda phenomenon. He shows the entire north India as munda speaking area ignoring the possibility that vedic (arya vaacas, i.e., grammatically correct speech) also co-existed with mleccha vaacas.
Since what Southworth calls ‘meluhhan’ was referred to as mleccha in the Indian linguistic area and since he omits ‘vedic’, I have added VEDIC & MLECCHA on the adapted map to hypothesise on the sprachbund (map) of Sarasvati civilization ca. 5thmillennium BCE, consistent with a Proto-Vedic continuity theory of Bharatiya languages.
Language X + Proto-Munda = Proto-mleccha (with borrowings in Sarasvati Linguistic Area).
All over India, in addition to Samskrtam, Prakrits which were popular dialects constituted arya vaacas and mleccha vaacas. Early Prakrit inscriptions date to 4th cent. BCE. Prakrita-Prakasa (5th cent.) of Vararuci, Prakrit grammar (12th cent.) of Hemachandra, Saptasati (17th cent.) of Hala outline the grammar of deshi (Prakrits, Apabhramsa dialects – Maharashtri, Sauraseni, Magadhi, Ardha-Magadhi, Paisaci). Paisaci Prakrit spoken in Vindhya region relates to Pali (which is also referred to as Magadhi Prakrit or Magadhi bhasa), exemplified in works such as: Tripitakas, Milindapanha, Petakopadesa, Visuddhimagga. See Sharadakancika, caturtha kinkiNi (i.e. gramyabhaashaa prayoga nibhandanamu) in Telugu by B Sri Vedham Venkatarayasastri (1934).
A lexicon of Prakrit is Mahakavi Dhanapala’s Paiyalachchhinamamala (lit. wealth of Prakrit language). This thesaurus, analogous to Amarakosha in Samskrtam, is also called Deshi (compiled in Dharanagiri, capital of Bhojaraja, 12th cent.). The tradition continues with Hemachandra’s Deshinamamala (also called Ratnavali) with 3978 entries of lexemes of non-Samskrtam, non-Prakrtam derivation. Hemachandra refers t earlier lexicographers: Abhimanachihna, Avantisundari, Gopala, Deshvaraja, Drona, Dhanapala, Padaliptacharya, Rahulaka, Satavahana and Shilanka. Vijayarajendra’s Abhidhanarajendra in 7 volumes (1913-1925) has about 10,000 lexemes. Comparable to Samskrtam Amarakosha of Amarasimha is Sinhala monk Moggallana’s Abhidhanappadipika, a Pali lexicon (published from Polonnaruva city, ca. 1153-1186). Monosllabic Pali words are entries in Bhikkhu Saddhammakitti’s Ekakkhara-kosha (15th cent.) Other works are: AS Telakara, Samskrta-Prakrta Shabdakosha and NA Godbole, Samskrta-Prakrta Kosha; RC Childers, Dictionary of the Pali language (1875); D. Anderson, Pali Glossary (1904-05); GP Malalasekera, Dictionary of Pali Proper Names (2 vols., 1937-38); AP Buddhadatta, English-Pali Dictionary (1957). More details of Indian language lexicons at: http://tinyurl.com/ykptywc
A rich language studies tradition exists in India. Strengthening this tradition will result in delineation of the ancient sprachbund of Bharatam. Decoding the Indus script in mleccha vaacas is just a start.
Meluhhan (mleccha) speakers were all over India, and also established villages close to Guabba, seaport (not far from Tigris-Euphrates): “In order to form a comprehensive view of the Meluhhan remnants (in Mesopotamia) a variety of texts could be consulted, although they display a picture of a people that have been integrated into the Sumerian and Babylonian cultures much earlier than the Ur III period. ” [i. earlier than (2112-2004 BC)] (cf. PS Vermaak, 2008, Guabba, the Meluhhan village in Mesopotamia, Journal of Semitics, 17/2, pp. 553-570). It should be possible to identify mleccha (meluhha) substratum words in Sumerian/Akkadian. One substrate word is sanga 'priest' (Akkadian); cognate with sanghvi 'priest accompanying pilgrims' (Gujarati).
Oct. 20, 2009
Research Notes--The Middle Asian Interaction Sphere (Gregory Possehl, 2007, Expedition, Vol. 49, No. 1, Spring 2007)
See Links.
5000 year old writing system of Sarasvati-Sindhu valleys has been decoded as smith guild tokens using mleccha language, an ancient language of India's linguistic area.
Indus script decoded: mleccha smith guild tokens
Dholavira sign-board (1)
Inscribed metal weapons and tools, copper tablets (over 200)
Pictorial Motifs or Field Symbols on Seals and Tablets (c. 3000)
Smith guild tokens (writing system encoding speech)
Abstract
Indus script is depicted with glyphs, using about 150 pictorial motifs and about 400 signs. The glyphs are decoded as hieroglyphs read rebus in mleccha. All the pictorial motifs relate to smith-guild repertoire of the bronze age. The smiths working with metals to experiment with alloys also invented the writing system using hieroglyphs.
• Glyptic semantic clusters decode the writing system using the simple rebus method -- occam’s razor (rebus: A representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols, often presented as a puzzle. From Latin rebus, ablative pl. of res, thing. – bartleby.com) and relating them to one semantic category: early workings in mines, early workings with minerals and metals – an industrial revolution of those ancient times.
o Ur cylinder seal with tagaraka shrub; rebus: tagromi ‘tin alloy’ (Kuwi)
• “Rosetta stones” for the decoding are:
o Akkadian cylinder seal showing a Meluhhan (who needed an interpreter)
o Two pure tin ingots cast with Sarasvati hieroglyphs discovered in a pr ship-wreck
o Scores of inscriptions found on metal and on metallic celts, weapons (following slides)
o Continuity of tradition in devices punched by punch-marked/cast coin mints from Takṣaśila to Anuradhapura. (Sarasvati hieroglyphs continue to be used together with kharoshti/brahmi syllables)
o Sohgaura copper plate; Rampurva pillar copper bolt with Sarasvati hieroglyphs
• Most of the ca. 550 glyphs and glyptic elements have been identified with precision (without ambiguity) thanks to the brilliant work done by Mahadevan, Parpola and other scholars who have contributed to unraveling the orthography and structure of the writing system
• Each glyph is a potential resource for relating the glyph to glosses of Indian languages to identify mleccha glosses in the linguistic area
• Isoglosses will help reconstruct proto-mleccha and proto-vedic.
Invention of alloying necessitated invention of a writing system. The epigraphs relate to metal work/trade.
Read more…
Mirror sites for ebook (60mb pdf):
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9536635/Decoded-smith-guild-tokens
https://share.acrobat.com/adc/document.do?docid=a526a2a8-d8e2-4911-bbe9-5fcddf7aac5d
Supporting documents: 1. ppt; 2. resources from ancient Indian epigraphs and texts:
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/916a21ae-dff2-4ad7-a039-473ba5a1a2ca/?action=forceDL ppt slides
http://www.scribd.com/doc/13267649/Resources-Hieroglyphs-Ancient-Indian-Tradition pdf document
S. Kalyanaraman, Sarasvati Research Centre (October 20, 2009) kalyan97@gmail.com
Slide 142 harappa.com Four-sided tablet. Professional calling card (Sept. 2009)
Glyphs of Indus script compared with glyphs on punch-marked coins
Many glyphs used on the coins of Maurya-Gupta period, are a legacy of Sarasvati hieroglyphs (glyphs used on the so-called Indus script epigraphs). Some examples may be cited, juxtaposed to the pictoial motifs and signs of the Indus script decoded in the context of a smithy (mleccha guild tokens).
13 Sept. 2009
Evidence for punch-marked silver coinage (?) from Mohenjo-Daro
This is a picture of 12 silver pieces found at Mohenjodaro in 1926 and shown as a figure in: DD Kosambi, 1941, On the origin and development of silver coinage in India, Current Science, No. 9, Sept. 1941, pp. 395-400. http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/currsci/10/395-400.pdf Mirror: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19652224/silvercoinagekosambi
In this article of Current Science, Kosambi details the research done by him on a referral from the Director General of Archaeology in India to determine if these silver pieces were 'the predecessors of the later punch-marked silver coins.' Kosambi found some cuneiform marks on No. 9. Rao Bahadur KN Dikshit had reported earlier on this discovery:”...in the trench between sites B and C was discovered a silver vase (No. Dk. 1341) complete with lid containing jewellery, square and circular silver pieces. One of these is inscribed in cuneiform characters, thus connecting once for all, the period of the last city on this site roughly with the cuneiform world. As it is well known, the Babylonian had no regular coins but used lumps of silver and gold of definite standards known as Mana or Shekele. In the 8t Mandala of Rig Veda, Indra is asked to bring Manas of gold (Hiranya Mana) which conclusively proves the use of these forms of weight in India at the time when the Aryans came. The find of these rectangular and round silver piecees (the precursors of punch-markedd coins of later times) with cuneiform signs is therefore of the highest importance for settling the chronology of Indan history.” Kosambi finds it surprising that this report of Dikshit was not public and also adds that in the annual report for 1925-26 no mention has been made of the silver piece or of the marks on it in the imposing tomes of Marshall and Mackay.
Signs on the reverse ans obverse of Silver piece No. 9
(Piece no. 9) weighing 23.4010 was found “...to have been cut off at both ends by chiselling and breaking off from a larger cast silver ingot. The process of cutting described above characterizes currency in the earliest times, and still survives in some parts of the world...Assyrian inscriptions mention 'sealed' minas and shekels from the time of Sennacherib onwards, and these are taken by archaeologists to be cast roundels...Our piece seems to be too light to be a mina, and is too heavy for any shekel within my knowledge...The inscription on the reverse is most probably to be read as gam or gur (No. 206; No. 318; No. 344: J. Rosenberg, Assyrische Spachlehre u. Keilschriftkunde, 2nd ed.; GA Barton, The origin and development of Babylonian writing, Part II, Leipzig and Baltimore, 1913; G. Howardy, Clavis Cuncorum, London, Leipzig, Kopenhagen, 1933) taken horizontally, with less probability, it would be sign No. 2, hal. The meaning is not clear when the sign stands by itself, but here it might indicate 'to pour forth', perhaps the casting of the original ingot. The larger ideogram on the obverse would certainly have been taken as a mark of denomination or a numeral sign, but for the fact that three of the wedges are long...The nearest signs to it are the in of Elamite inscriptions at Behistun, and dugud (Barton 401); it I certainly neither of these. I hope expert Assyriologists will forgive my amateur efforts, as also the fact that I am unable to see anything special in the signs that might permit us to date the find. The 'cuneiform world' endured from at least 2500 BCE to the Persian Empie; and we know that Alexander's conquest and the supersession of the Empire by the Seleucids did not end the use of cuneiform, inasmuch as an inscription of Antiochus Soter (280 BCE) has been found in quite good Assyrian...The piece under discussion and other pieces of the find show us that we are, before the last city on the Mohenjo-Daro site, already at the beginning of a rough coinage system. A late Sanskrit word for such a cut and broken piece of silver or gold might be kanakabhangah, which is found in our lexica...”
Kosambi concludes that the silver piece was presumably imported from Mesopotamia in the way of trade.
The find of a silver square piece with a punch-mark is complemented by over 200 copper tablets and copper/bronze tools with incised epigraphs, apart from three silver seals. The survival of many glyphs of the Indus script on symbols found on later-day punch-marked coins of the region is a continuation of this practice of presenting messages on copper tablets.
The review of Kosambi's insights on the silver piece with cuneiform incisions is yet another confirmation of the thesis that the Indus script was used by mleccha metal guilds to report on the guild repertoire of the smithy and of mine workers, dealing with dhatu (ore) as repoted in a note on the copper works at Singhana near Khetri in the Shekhawati country. http://www.payer.de/quellenkunde/quellen042.htm Mirror: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19652588/On-the-Copper-Works-at-Singhana-Near-Khetri-in-the-Shekhawati-Country
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Centre, 11 Sept. 2009
Decoding starting, ending signs of Indus script and related pictorial motifs (Sept. 2009)
Abstract
Frequently-used signs of Indus script are decoded, with rebus reading of hieroglyphs. This monograph presents the decoded readings of selected epigraphs including frequently-used signs of Indus script. As argued in the context of hundreds of epigraphs decoded at this site, the entire corpus of inscriptions (consisting of both pictorial motifs and signs) are mleccha (meluhha) smith guild tokens read rebus, the repertoire of smiths and mine-workers.
At the outset, it is reiterated that 'mleccha' is not a reference to a dialect of Dravidian-speakers alone, but to the speakers of the entire Sindhu-Sarasvati linguistic area in a proto-vedic continuum with people who were mleccha vaacas and arya vaacas (mleccha speakers and arya speakers and both were dasyu, according to Manusmrti (10.45) : aarya vaacas mleccha vaacas te sarve dasyuvahsmrtaah [both aarya speakers and mleccha speakers were all dasyu]
See map of the Indian linguistic area of circa 4th millennium BCE.
Artisan guild of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization
This note identifies an artisan guild of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization, pattar 'guild of smiths'. bhaṭṭika = name of the mythical progenitor of copyists (son of Citra-gupta and grandson of Brahma) (Skt.lex.)
Guilds of artisans in ancient India (samghabhrtah)
Did guilds of smiths (artisans) exist during the days of Sarasvati civilization? An answer to this question is provided by the decoding of Indus script glyphs.
One remarkable glyph is a trough shown in front of animals such as a tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, bull.
badhia ‘castrated boar’ (Santali); baḍhi ‘a caste who work both in iron and wood’ (Santali)
kol ‘tiger’; Vikalpa rebus: kolhe ‘smelters of iron’.
ran:gā ‘buffalo’; ran:ga ‘pewter or alloy of tin (ran:ku) sal ‘bos gaurus’ bison; sal ‘workshop’ (Santali)
ibha ‘elephant’ (Skt.); ib ‘iron’ (Santali)
bel [Hem. Des. ba-i-lī fr. Skt. balīvarda = a bull] a bull; a bullock; an ox (G.lex.) Rebus: bali bica ‘iron sand ore’ (Mu.)
mēd ‘body’ (Kur.)(DEDR 5099); meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) [Glyph of a standing person on a meditation seal--surrounded also by buffalo, rhino, tiger, elephant.]
The trough glyph is read rebus: pattar ‘trough’ (Ta.); rebus: pattar, battuDu ‘guild of goldsmiths’ (Ta.Te.) This semantic is based on the assumption that the lexemes pattar, battuDu had the meaning ‘guild of (gold)smiths’. In Telugu battuḍu refers to all classes of artisans:బత్తుడు battuḍu. n. A worshipper. భక్తుడు. The caste title of all the five castes of artificers as వడ్లబత్తుడు a carpenter. Cognates lexemes are: H. bhãḍsāl,°sār, bhansāl f. ‘storehouse, granary’; Si. baḍahala ‘pottery’. 2. Si. baḍahal, baḍālā ‘goldsmith’, baḍal—väḍa ‘gold- smith's trade’. 3. Si. baḍahäl ‘potter’. (CDIAL 9441) Skt. lex.:
[House I, HR-A area, Mohenjo-daro: Find spots of twelve seals together with many prestige objects, all from one house; Wheeler assumed that this was a temple; the house has rooms immediately adjacent to the exit, transit rooms having more than one door, terminal rooms with just one door; seals were found in all these rooms. After Jansen, Michael, 1986, Die Indus-Zivilisation: Wiederentdeckung einer fruhen Hochkultur, Cologne, 200f., fig. 125]
Seals have been found in almost every exposed room excavated in Mohenjodaro. In room 85 in house IX of the HR-area in Mohenjodaro were found five unicorn selas. In this room ‘a mass of shell-lay was found…along with…many waste pieces of sea-shells’ indicating this to be a shell-cutter’s room (Mackay, 1931a: I, 195).
This is a pointer to a close-knit artisan community which could have functioned as an artisan guild. A remarkable legacy of Sarasvati hieroglyphs is indicated by Iravatham Mahadevan (1988).
A clay seal from Vaishali has three glyphs which compare with the most frequently occurring triplet of ‘signs’ in Indus script corpus. In the context of the continuing tradition of mleccha smith guild tokens, the seal represents the artisan: furnace-blacksmith-scribe: kolimi-karNaka-bar.ae.
kolimi ‘furnace’; karaNaka ‘scribe’; baṛae ‘blacksmith’
Kalyanaraman 23 Aug. 2009
(Excerpts from: K.M.Saran, 1957, Labour in Ancient India, Bombay, Vora and Co. Publishers)
[quote] Though in the Rig- Vedic times we do not find any clear reference to the existence of guilds yet certain passages of the Veda give an idea of the existence of guilds as far back as 800 B. C. and even earlier (Rig-Veda V-53 ; X-34 ; Yajurveda XXIII-19.1). References are also found in the Brihadaranyak Upanishad (1.4-12). In the post-Vedic period, however, we find immense development of the guilds in the economic sector, particularly as the organizations of the merchants and artisans. We come to know from the Mugapakkha Jataka about the existence of 18 guilds ("Buddhist India"-Rhys David-Chapter VI)but a more comprehensive list of 27 guilds has been given by Prof. R. C. Mazumdar in his book "Corporate life in Ancient India." (pp.18-19) He found from various epigraphic sources and Jatakas etc., that in the post-Vedic period guilds of the persons engaged in the following occupations existed :
(1) "Workers in wood (Carpenters, including Cabinet makers, wheel-wrights, builders of houses, builders of ships and builders of vehicles of all sorts) (vad.d.haki);
(2) "Workers in metal, including gold and silver (kammaara) ;
(3) "Workers in stone (PaashaanakoTTaka)
(4) "Leather workers (chammakara);
(5) "Ivory workers ;
(6) "Workers fabricating hydraulic engines Odayantrika) ;
(7) "Bamboo workers (Vasakara) ;
(8) "Braziers (Kasakara) ;
(9) "Jewellers;
(10) "Weavers (tantuvaaya);
(11) "Potters (kumbhakaara);
(12) "Oilmillers (Tilapishaka) ;
(13) "Rush workers and basket makers ;
(14) "Dyers (rangakaara);
(15) "Painters (chittakara);
(16) "Corn-dealers (dhamnika);
(17) "Cultivators ;
(18) "Fisher-folk;
(19) "Butchers ;
(20) "Barbers and shampooers (nahaapaka);
(21) "Garland makers and flower sellers ;
(22) "Mariners ;
(23) "Herdsmen;
(24) "Traders, including Caravan traders ;
(25) "Robbers and freebooters ;
(26) "Forest police who guarded the caravans ;
(27) "Money-lenders"
To make the list still more comprehensive, we may also add the guilds of the soldiers to which we find references in Mahabharat (Vana-Parvan CCXLVIII-16 and Santi-Parvan LIV-20) and in the Ramayana (Ayodhya Kanda CXXIII).
It appears from various accounts that guilds were prominent institutions in ancient India, as early as the 6th and 7th centuries B. C. Dr. Richard Fick considered that in Buddha's times a clear distinction could be made between the guilds of the artisans and of the traders in as much as the traders organized themselves in a corporation headed by a Jetthaka (Alderman) which were not much developed, while the guilds of the artisans were marked with such characteristics as the heredity of the occupations and the localization of the different branches of industry. Localization of the industries and consequently of the artisans engaged in -different industries was a common feature. It was carried on to such an extent that streets and particular uarters in a town and even some villages were inhabited by the workers engaged in a particular branch of industry. Dr. Richards' contention is also confirmed by various Jatakas e. g. Samudda-Vanija Jataka.
We find ample evidence of the fact that guilds had gained autonomy and were fast developing during the 5th to 3rd centuries B. C. For example, we find, in Gautama Dharmasutra, laid down agriculturists, merchants, herdsmen, moneylenders and artisans may lay down rules for the guidance of their classes; in cases of disputes the ruler would give his decision only on ascertaining the exact position from the head of each class. (Gautam Dharamasutra-Ch. XI - 23-24)It, thus, appears from it that the guilds of artisans, traders etc. had perfect autonomy for they could lay down rules for their own guidance and observance ; it is also known that the guilds formed a part of the complex organization of the State whereby the King sought to secure and maintain those conditions of life and work which were essential for the progress of the individuals and the State.
Kautilya, who is considered to have belonged to the 3rd Century B. C. had laid down various rules, in his "Arthshastra" for the regulation of guilds. He stated that guilds of artisans or workers etc. were to be controlled and directed by boards consisting of three Pradeshtas and also referred to the entrance or membership fee which was to be deposited with the head or the senior members of the guild who were supposed to be trustworthy people. (Kautilya-" Arthshastra"-Pt. IV-Ch. I-Prakaran 73-1 and 2 ff.)…
Further evidence regarding guild organizations is available in Manusmriti. Manu, like his predecessors, desired the persons belonging to a guild ( or Gana ), to be loyal to their organiztaion. Failure to abide by the rules and the constitution (to which they had sweared) and failure to be sincere to work and honest in dealings were serious and punishable offences. Such defaulters could be imprisoned, fined and even out-lawed. (Manusmriti - Ch. VIII -219. 220)…
The works of Narad and Brahaspati also bear proof of the existence of guilds in ancient India. The guilds, according to these scriptures, had perfect autonomy and laid all the rules for their own conduct. The King approved of all such rules and regulations regarding the duty, behaviour and mode of living of the members of the guilds, unless these were opposed to the interests of the State, in which case the King had the authority of preventing the guilds from framing such rules and regulations… (Yajnavalkyasmriti-Vyavaharadhyaya-Prakaran 15-187-188; Mahabharat-Aahramvasika Parva-Chapter 7-7.8.9; Mahabharat - Shantiparva Ch. 36-19; Naradsmriti-Ch. X-3.4;Naradsmriti-Ch. X-5; loc.cit. K.M.Saran, 1957, Labour in Ancient India, Bombay, Vora and Co. Publishers, pp.87-95)
We find further references to guilds in the latter centuries as well. Various inscriptions for example, Indore Copper Plate Inscription of Skanda Gupta dated 465 A. D., Mandasor stone inscription of Kumaragupta and Bandhuvarman, inscription at the Vaillabhatta Svamin temple at Gwalior dated 877 A. D., Harsha stone inscription. Siyadoni Inscriptions and Karitalai Stone Inscription of Chedi Lakshmanraja of about the same period, go to prove the existence of guilds in the latter centuries. From whatever has been discussed above it, may be concluded that guilds were not only the village or political organisations but organizations of artisans and workmen as well. The members of theguilds were their own employers. They carried on production work and employed their own capital and labour. They were thus in the position of both the employers (ibid., pp.96-97) [unquote]
Early punch-marked coins of India were issues of guilds with the permission of the rulers. (VA Smith, Catalogue of coins in the Indian museum, p. 133; Rapson, Indian coins, p.3). In the days of Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Rupadarshaka was the royal examiner of minted coins to enforce royal standard. (Kaut. IV.1.44) and Lakshanaadhyaksha a superintendent of the mint house. (Kaut. II.12.25). (Source: Prakash Chandra Prasad, 2003, Foreign trade and commerce in ancient India, pp. 168-177).
A Junnar Buddhist cave inscription refers to the guilds of vasakara and kasakara (bamboo-workers and braziers). Shrenivala were the soldiers maintained by the guilds according to Mahabharata. Kautilya refers to kamboja surashtra kshatriya srenyadayo vartta sastropajivinah (kshatriya guilds engaged in trade and war in Kamboja and Surashtra regions). A seal found at Vaishali referred to Prathamakulika, the President of the Guild of merchants.
Mugapakkha Jataka refers to the assembly by the king of four castes, 18 guilds and his army. References in Jatakas provide information about mahavaddhakigamo (dealers in wood) with 1000 families and same number of kammaragamo (smith’s huts). The terms used are: dantakara-vithi (Jat. I, p. 320; II, p. 197); rajaka-vithi (Jat. IV, p.81); odanikagharavithiyam (Jat. III, p.48); kammara jetthaka (Jat. III, p.281; V., p.282); vaddhaki-jetthaka (Jat. IV, p.161). (Source: RC Majumdar, 1922, Corporate life in ancient India, Poona, The Oriental Book Agency, p. 22) Jules Bloch comments about Basarh seals/sealings: "The most numerous among the seal-inscriptions is that referring to the corporation or guild (nigama) of bankers (Sreshthin), traders (Sarthavaha), and merchants (Kulika). It is invariably combined with other seals giving the names of private individuals, only in one instance it is found together with the seal of the Chief of Prince's Ministers. The list of private names is fairly conspicuous. A great many of them are distinguished as merchants (Kulika). One person, TTnri by name, styles himself both Kulika and Prathama Kulika. Two persons are called bankers (Sreshthin), and one, Dodda by name, was a sarthavaaha or trader. Generally even more of the seals of private individuals are found in combination with each other or with the seal of the guild of bankers, etc., of which evidently most of them were members. It looks as if during those days, something like a modern Chamber of Commerce existed in upper India at some big trading centre, perhaps at Pataliputra." (Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey, 1903-4, pp. 101-120. cited in Majumdar, opcit., p.45) The reference to prathama kaayastha is to the chief scribe; ranabhandagaradhikarana, chief of the treasury of the war office.
Clay-seals of Basarh (ancient Vaisali) and Bhita (near Allahabad)legends sreni-kulikanigama and sreni-sarthavaha-kulika-nigama(Basarh); legend nigama (Bhita). Such documents are called sthitipatras or samvitpatras in the technical sense of the late Smritis (Ghosal, UN Economic Conditions. In the Classical Age, eds., Majumdar RC, AS Pusalker and AK Majumdar, 1997, Mumbai, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, pp. 603-5. Naigamas participated in Rama’s coronation ceremony. Manu enjoins a duty upon a king, to acquire knowledge of laws of the shrenis and other institutions while dealing with them. Words such as shreni, puga, gaNa, vrata in Vedic texts are relatable to early artisan guilds. Mauryan empire of c. 320 to 200 BCE maintained highways and provided for mobility of traders and people. A pre-Mauryan copper tablet is the Sohgaura copper plate with an inscription in Brahmi script, but with top line containing Sarasvati hieroglyphs. [Thaplyal, Kiran Kumar (2001)]. Guilds in Ancient India (Antiquity and various stages in the development of guilds upto AD 300. In Life thought and culture in India, ed. G. C. Pande, Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., pp. 995-1006. Gautama Dharmasutra (c. 5th cent. BCE) notes: “cultivators, traders, herdsmen, moneylenders and artisans have authority to lay down rules for their respective classes and the king was to consult their representatives while dealing with matters relating to them.” Yajnavalkya notes that a guild member who does not deposit in the joint fund money obtained from the guilt was to pay eleven times the sum by way of penalty.
Sohgaura copper plate (4th cent. BCE) refers to a pair of kos.t.ha_ga_ra (dva_ra kot.t.haka); the two storehouses described as tri-garbha (i.e. having three rooms) are illustrated on line 1. (Fleet, JRAS, 1907). The illustrations indicate that the three rooms are in three storeys, with supporting pillars clearly seen. The inscription refers to the junction of three highways named Manavati, in two villages called Dasilimita and Usagama. The storehouses were made at this junction for the goods of people using the highways, which are indicated in line 3 by mentioning the three places to and from which they led. One of the names give is recognized by Fleet as Chanchu. (Fleet, JRAS, 63, 1894 proceedings, 86, plate, IA 25. 262; cf. Sohgaura copper plate/B.M. Barua. The Indian Historical Quarterly, ed. Narendra Nath Law. Reprint. 41)
Rebus readings of Sohgaura copper plate Sarasvati hieroglyphs:
kaṇḍ kanka = rim of jar; rebus: kan- ‘copper’, kaṇḍ ‘furnace’ (Santali)
kuṭi = tree; rebus: kuṭhi = smelting furnace; koṣṭhāgāra = storehouse; s'u_la = spear; cūḷa = kiln; bat.a = quail; rebus: baṭa ‘kiln’.
Mahadevan refers to a terracotta seal found at Vaishali. (Iravatham Mahadevan, 1998, Murukan in the Indus script, Intl. Conference Seminar on Skanda-Murukan, Chennai, Dec. 28-30, 1998) with three glyphs comparable to the recurring glyph-sequence in Indus script corpus. (but with Sign 47 in the lead in sign-sequence: 47-342-176). [quote] Fn.10: Sinha & Roy, p.121, Pl. XXX, No.24. A grey-coloured round terracotta seal with three Indus signs ( 47-342-176) to be read in the clock-wise direction starting from the 6 o’clock position (in the impression). This little-known seal was first identified as bearing a legend in the Indus Script by Chakraborty (p.88 & Pl. 3A). The excavators assign the seal to Period III (ca. 200 BC - 200 AD.). However it is difficult to believe that this seal (-bearing a text so similar to the Harappan that, had it been found at Harappa, it would not have attracted special attention-) can be so late. As the excavators point out, the site is a highly disturbed one, and PGW and NBP ware occur together "as the ware was re-deposited from the lower levels in the course of making the plinth of the Garh higher and erection of mud rampart" (Sinha & Roy, pp 7-8). Most probably the present seal came from the lowest level reached at this site (ca. 1100 BC) [unquote]. Sourc: Sinha B.P. & Sita Ram Roy 1969. Vaisali Excavations (1958-1962). Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Patna.
    The three glyphs connote (from l. to r.): kolimi ‘furnace’; karaNaka ‘scribe’; baṛae ‘blacksmith’ [alternative: kang ‘comb’; rebus: kan:g = brazier, fireplace (K.)].
kōlemmu = the backbone (Te. Lex.) rebus: konimi = black- smith; Gowda); kolimi =a furnace; kolimi-titti =bellows used for a furnace (Te.lex.) kolime= furnace (Ka. kolime, kolume, kulame, kulime, kulume, kulme fire-pit, furnace (Ka. kolimi furnace (Te. pit (Te. kolame a very deep pit (Tu.) That this glyph connotes the ribs of the backbone is established in I. Mahadevan (Murukan in the Indus Script) Late Harappan Period at Kalibangan, the comparative glyph is a large-sized graffiti on pottery (See Fig.4 in the plate of Fig. 1-9). http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=194
kaNDa-kanka ‘rim of jar’; rebus: karaNika ‘scribe’ (Skt.) kaNDa = a pot of certain shape and size (Santali) Rebus: kaND = altar, furnace (Santali)
bar.ae-bur.ui = to oil and comb someone's hair (Santali); rebus: baṛae = blacksmith (Santali)
Vikalpa: Glyph, comb kangha (IL 1333) ka~ghera_ comb-maker (H.)
Rebus, substantive: kan:g = brazier, fireplace (K.)(IL 1332) Portable brazier; ka~_guru, ka~_gar (Ka.) whence, large brazier = kan:gar (K.)
Slide 207 Tablet with inscription. Twisted terra cotta tablet (H2000-4441/2102-464) with a mold-made inscription and narrative motif from the Trench 54 area. In the center is the depiction of what is possibly a deity with a horned headdress in so-called yogic position seated on a stool under an arch.
gumat.a, gumut.a, gumuri, gummat.a, gummut.a a copula or dome (Ka.); ghumat.a (M.); gummat.a, gummad a dome; a paper lantern; a fire-baloon (H.Te.); kummat.t.a arch, vault, arched roof, pinnacle of a pagoda; globe, lantern made of paper (Ta.)(Ka.lex.); gummaṭ m. ‘dome’ (P.) CDIAL 4217 ebus: kumpat.i = ban:gala = an:ga_ra s’akat.i_ = a chafing dish, a portable stove, a goldsmith’s portable furnace (Te.lex.) kumpiṭu-caṭṭi chafing-dish, port- able furnace, potsherd in which fire is kept by goldsmiths; kumutam oven, stove; kummaṭṭi chafing-dish (Ta.). kuppaḍige, kuppaṭe, kum- paṭe, kummaṭa, kummaṭe id. (Ka.) kumpaṭi id. (Te.) DEDR 1751. kummu smouldering ashes (Te.);kumpōḍ smoke.(Go) DEDR 1752.
பத்தர்² pattar , n. < T. battuḍu. A caste title of goldsmiths
paṭṭa— 1 m. ‘slab, tablet’ (CDIAL 7699)
pat leaf (Bshk.); pathar, patras (K.)(CDIAL 6455) h312
paṭṭar-ai community; guild as of workmen (Ta.); pattar merchants; perh. vartaka
This possible semantic link with vartaka is relatable to a Pali sentence: ussavo hoti, yathābhataŋ lasuṇaŋ parikkhayaŋ agamāsi "the garlic diminished as soon as it was brought" Vin iv.258. Here ābhata stands in rel. to harāpeti(to have it fetched & brought) and is clearly pp. of ābharati. (Pali.lex.)
samna samni = face to face (Santali); rebus: samanom 'gold' (Santali)
bail ‘bull’; rebus: bali ‘iron sand ore’ (Santali)
kuṭi ‘tree’; kuṭhi ‘smelter’ (Santali)
aḍaren ‘lid’; rebus: aduru ‘native metal’
ayo ‘fish’; ayas ‘metal’
bharaḍo ‘spine’; bharan ‘to spread or bring out from a kiln’ (P.) baran, bharat (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)(P.B.)
kaṇḍ kanka ‘rim of jar’; rebus: fire-altar miner (Santali)
kangha ‘comb’; kangar ‘portable furnace’ (K.)
vikalpa: kolimi ‘furnace’; karaNaka ‘scribe’; baṛae ‘blacksmith’
Trough hieroglyph
பத்தர்² pattar , n. < T. battuḍu. A guild title of goldsmiths
பத்தர்² pattar , n. < T. battuḍu. A caste title of goldsmiths; தட்டார் பட்டப்பெயருள் ஒன்று.
பட்டடையார் paṭṭaṭaiyār 1. Master of a shop; கடையின் எசமானர்.
பட்டடை¹ paṭṭaṭai
, n. prob. படு¹- + அடை¹-. 1. [T. paṭṭika, K. paṭṭaḍe.] Anvil; அடைகல். (பிங்.) சீரிடங்காணி னெறிதற்குப் பட்ட டை (குறள், 821). 2. [K. paṭṭaḍi.] Smithy, forge; கொல்லன் களரி
பத்தல் pattal , n. 1. A wooden bucket; மரத்தாலான நீரிறைக்குங் கருவி. தீம்பிழி யெந்திரம் பத்தல் வருந்த (பதிற்றுப். 19, 23). பத்தர்¹ pattar , n. 1. See பத்தல், 1, 4, 5. 2. Wooden trough for feeding animals; தொட்டி. பன்றிக் கூழ்ப்பத்தரில் (நாலடி, 257).
Ta. pātti bathing tub, watering trough or basin, spout, drain; pattal wooden bucket; pattar id., wooden trough for feeding animals. Ka. pāti basin for water round the foot of a tree. Tu. Pāti trough or bathing tub, spout, drain. Te. pādi, pādu basin for water round the foot of a tree. (DEDR 4079)
Ta. patalai large-mouthed pot. To. paQs̱ large, broad-mouthed clay pot. Go. (Mu.) patli cooking pot ( Voc. 2104).Malt. patli cooking-pot. (DEDR 3909)
pā́tra— n. ‘drinking vessel, dish’ RV., °aka— n., pātrı̄́- ‘vessel’ Gr̥ŚrS. [√pā 1] Pa. patta— n. ‘bowl’, °aka— n. ‘little bowl’, pātī̆— f.; Pk. patta— n., °tī— f., amg. pāda—, pāya— n., pāī— f. ‘vessel’; Sh. păti̯ f. ‘large long dish’ (← Ind.?); K.pāthar, dat. °tras m. ‘vessel, dish’, pôturu m. ‘pan of a pair of scales’ (gahana—pāth, dat. pöċü f. ‘jewels and dishes as part of dowry’ ← Ind.) S. pāṭri f. ‘large earth or wooden dish’, pāṭroṛom. ‘wooden trough’; L. pātrī f. ‘earthen kneading dish’, parāt f. ‘large open vessel in which bread is kneaded’, awāṇ. pātrī ‘plate’; P. pātar m. ‘vessel’, parāt f., parātṛā m. ‘large wooden kneading vessel’, ḍog. pāttar m. ‘brass or wooden do.’; Ku.gng. pāi‘wooden pot’; B. pātil ‘earthern cooking pot’, °li ‘small do.’ Or.pātiḷa, °tuḷi ‘earthen pot’, (Sambhalpur) sil—pā ‘stone mortar and pestle’; Bi. patī̆lā ‘earthen cooking vessel’, patlā ‘milking vessel’, pailā ‘small wooden dish for scraps’; H. patīlā m. ‘copper pot’, patukī f. ‘small pan’; G. pātrũ n. ‘wooden bowl’,pātelũ n. ‘brass cooking pot’, parāt f. ‘circular dish’ (→ M.parāt f. ‘circular edged metal dish’) Addenda: pā́tra—: S.kcch. pātar f. ‘round shallow wooden vessel for kneading flour’; WPah.kṭg. (kc.) pƏrāt f. (obl. — i ) ‘large plate for kneading dough’ (CDIAL 8055)
paṭṭar-ai community; guild as of workmen (Ta.); pattar merchants; perh. vartaka
పట్ర [ paṭra ] paṭra. [Tel.] n. A village, a hamlet. పల్లెపట్ర villages and hamlets. H. iv. 108
బత్తుడు battuḍu. n. A worshipper. భక్తుడు. The caste title of all the five castes of artificers as వడ్లబత్తుడు a carpenter.
పాత్రము [ pātramu ] pātramu. [Skt.] adj. Worthy, fit, adequate. యోగ్యము. పాత్రత pātrata. n. Fitness, worthiness. పాత్రుడు pātruḍu. n. One who is worthy, deserving or fit. A king's counsellor or minister. మంత్రి. "కోటలో గజపతివారు తమతట్టునుండిన పాత్రసామంతులను కొందరు మన్నెపువారినిని ఠాణా ఉంచినారు." పాత్రసామంతులు means principal servants. A title assumed by the members of a particular caste of Sudras in Ganjam and Orissa, as భోగన్నపాత్రుడు, వీరన్న పాత్రు డు, &c.
bhāṇḍaśālā— f. ‘storehouse’ Śatr. 2. *bhāṇḍaśāla-‘having a store’. 3. *bhāṇḍaśālin—. [bhāṇḍa—1, śā́lā—] 1. OH. bhaṛasāra f. ‘cupboard for keeping food in’, H. bhãḍsāl,°sār, bhansāl f. ‘storehouse, granary’; Si. baḍahala ‘pottery’. 2. Si. baḍahal, baḍālā ‘goldsmith’, baḍal—väḍa ‘gold- smith's trade’. 3. Si. baḍahäl ‘potter’. (CDIAL 9441)
Synonym: kammāra [Vedic karmāra] a smith, a worker in metals generally D ii.126, A v.263; a silversmith Sn 962= Dh 239; Ji.223; a goldsmith J iii.281; v.282. The smiths in old India do not seem to be divided into black -- , gold -- and silver -- smiths, but seem to have been able to work equally well in iron, gold, and silver, as can be seen e. g. from Jiii.282 and VvA 250, where the smith is the maker of a needle. They were constituted into a guild, and some of them were well -- to -- do as appears from what is said of Cunda at D ii.126; owing to their usefulness they were held in great esteem by the people and king alike J iii.281. (Pali.lex.)
"the pattars, who are brahmins dwelling among and beyond the mountain range. their native countries are the districts round tuticorin, coromandel, madurai and their neighborhood. they held themselves higher than malabar brahmins and namboothiris, who they say sprang from fisherman elevated to brahminical dignity by parusuraman. pattars build their own houses contiguously to one another in straight lines. they form themselves in to samoohams. these samooha-madams (body of pattars) have generally common funds replenished by the contributions made by the community. the pattar is found in every walk of life and he makes his presence felt by his superior intelligence, application and industry. they are the sowcars of malabar."--extracts from sri k p padmanabha menon history of kerala- appendix letters from malabar by vrischer courtesy : kerala pattars. http://rajaputhran.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/04/vishu-vishu-kani/comment/1066340.htm
bhaṭa— m. ‘hired soldier, servant’ MBh. [√bhr̥] 1. Ash. 3 sg. pret. bƏṛƏ, f. °ṛī ‘brought’, Kt. bŕå; Gaw. (LSI) bṛoet ‘they begin’. 2. Pa. bhata— ‘supported, fed’, bhataka— m. ‘hired servant’,bhaṭa— m. ‘hireling, servant, soldier’; Aś.shah. man. kāl. bhaṭa— ‘hired servant’, kāl. bhaṭaka—, gir. bhata—, bhataka—; Pk. bhayaga— m. ‘servant’, bhaḍa— m. ‘soldier’, bhaḍaa— m. ‘member of a non—Aryan tribe’; Paš. buṛı̄́‘servant maid’ IIFL iii 3, 38; S. bhaṛu ‘clever, proficient’, m. ‘an adept’; Ku. bhaṛ m. ‘hero, brave man’, gng. adj. ‘mighty’; B. bhaṛ ‘soldier, servant, nom. prop.’, bhaṛil ‘servant, hero’; Bhoj. bhar‘name of a partic. low caste’; G. bhaṛ m. ‘warrior, hero, opulent person’, adj. ‘strong, opulent’, ubhaṛm. ‘landless worker’ (G. cmpd. with u—, ‘without’, i.e. ‘one without servants’?); Si. beḷē ‘soldier’ < *baḷaya, st. baḷa—; — Pk. bhuaga— m. ‘wor- shipper in a temple’, G. bhuvɔ m. (rather than <bhūdēva—). *bhārta—; abhr̥ta—; subhaṭa—. Addenda: bhr̥ta—: S.kcch. bhaṛ ‘brave’; Garh. (Śrīnagrī dial.) bhɔṛ, (Salānī dial.) bh e ṛ ‘warrior’. (CDIAL 9588)
भट्टी [ bhaṭṭī ] f ( H) A kiln, a furnace, an oven. 2 A smith's forge; a furnace or stove in general (as of a confectioner, aभडभुंज्या). The large चूल or fireplace for the सतेल of a washerman. 3 A spirit-still. 4 By metonymy. The matter prepared in a kiln or furnace; or the quantity prepared at once, the batch: also the art, knack, method, process of preparation: also, laxly, cast, make, mould, build, air, style, fashion, character. Ex. ही भट्टी चांगली उतरली ती भट्टी बिघडली; ह्या रसायणाची भट्टी त्या वैद्यास चांगली ठाऊक आहे; त्यास स्वयंपाकाची भट्टी ठाऊक आहे; शरीराची भट्टी, पागोट्याची भट्टी, मसल- तीची भट्टी. 4 Straw or grass so disposed as to form ripening beds (for plantains, betel-leaves &c.) भट्टी भाजणारा A grain-parcher: also a potter, brickmaker, tilemaker, any kiln-burner. (M.lex.)
bhráṣṭra n. ‘frying pan, gridiron ‘ MaitrS. [√bhrajj]Pk. bhaṭṭha -- m.n. ‘ gridiron ‘; K. büṭhü f. ‘ level surface by kitchen fireplace on which vessels are put when taken off fire ‘; S.baṭhu m. ‘ large pot in which grain is parched, large cooking fire ‘, baṭhī f. ‘ distilling furnace ‘; L. bhaṭṭh m. ‘ grain -- parcher's oven ‘, bhaṭṭhī f. ‘ kiln, distillery ‘, awāṇ. bhaṭh; P. bhaṭṭh m., °ṭhī f. ‘ furnace ‘, bhaṭṭhā m. ‘ kiln ‘; N. bhāṭi ’ oven or vessel in which clothes are steamed for washing ‘; A. bhaṭā ’ brick -- or lime -- kiln ‘; B. bhāṭi ’ kiln ‘; Or. bhāṭi ’ brick -- kiln, distilling pot ‘; Mth. bhaṭhī, bhaṭṭī ’ brick -- kiln, furnace, still ‘; Aw.lakh. bhāṭhā ’ kiln ‘; H. bhaṭṭhā m. ‘ kiln ‘, bhaṭ f. ‘ kiln, oven, fireplace ‘; M. bhaṭṭā m. ‘ pot of fire ‘, bhaṭṭī f. ‘ forge ‘. -- X bhástrā -- q.v.bhrāṣṭra -- ; *bhraṣṭrapūra -- , *bhraṣṭrāgāra -- .Addenda: bhráṣṭra -- : S.kcch. bhaṭṭhī keṇī ’ distil (spirits) ‘ (CDIAL 9656)
*bhraṣṭrāgāra ’ grain parching house’. [bhráṣṭra -- , agāra -- ] P. bhaṭhiār, °ālā m. ‘ grainparcher's shop’.BHRĀJ ’ shine ‘: bhrājatē, bhrājas –(CDIAL 9658)
*bhrāṣṭraśālikā ’ furnace house ‘. [bhrāṣṭra -- , śālā -- ]H. bharsārī f. ‘furnace, oven’ (CDIAL 9685)
bhrāṣṭra m. ‘ gridiron ‘ Nir., adj. ‘ cooked on a grid- iron ‘ Pāṇ., °ka -- m. (n.?) ‘ frying pan ‘ Pañcat. [NIA. forms all < eastern MIA. *bhāṭha -- , but like Pk. none show medial aspirate except G. with -- ḍ -- poss. < -- ḍh -- . -- bhráṣṭra -- , √bhrajj] Pk. bhāḍa -- n. ‘ oven for parching grain ‘; Phal. bhaṛ<-> ‘ to roast, fry ‘ (NOPhal 31 < bhr̥kta -- with ?); L. bhāṛ ’ oven ‘; Ku. bhāṛ ’ iron oven, fire, furnace ‘; Bi. Bhār (CDIAL 9684)
पांढर [ pāṇḍhara ] f The whole community or body of a village; whether as assembled (as in matters of general concernment) or as considered collectively. 2 The tract or region of a village; the space occupied, circumscribed, or appertaining. Ex. ह्या पांढरीचें पाणी कोण्हास बाधणार नाहीं; ह्या पांढरींत पांखरूं देखील येत नाहीं. 3 The divinity, presiding genius, or tutelar spirit (of a village or of the village-soil). Ex. ही गोष्ट तू करतोस पांढरीस सोस- णार नाहीं; तुला पां0 पाहून घेईल; यंदा पांढरीनें हात दिल्हा; पांढरीनें पीक सोडलें. 4 Village-land appropriated; a village-farm or any villager's field. Ex. मी आपली पां0 ओसाड टाकीन; तुझें गुरूं माझ्या पांढरींत आलें तर. 5 Peopledness, peopled state or form; as disting. from Openness or unoccupied form of space. Ex. एथून पां0 उठली or ओसाड पडली; तेथें पां0 वसली. 6 (पांडुर S) White soil, 7 पांढर as contrad. from काळी (The black, i. e. arable, region) is Village-site. (this site being ordinarily on white earth). 8 A tract of white soil as occurring here and there in the usual काळी ground. 9 Duties on, or revenue arising from, commodities or chattels, excise.
पांढरकूळ [ pāṇḍharakūḷa ] n (पांढर & कूळ Tribe or family.) The village-community.
पांढरगण [ pāṇḍharagaṇa ] n The inhabitants of a village comprehensively or collectively.
पांढरगणा [ pāṇḍharagaṇā ] m The twelve village-officers termed बारा बलुते.
पांढरपट्टी [ pāṇḍharapaṭṭī ] f A cess upon the artisans, shopkeepers, and dealers (of a village)
Panchal
The surname, panchal, denotes a particular Black Smith status. The Panchals are lohar, smiths. engaged in carpentry, blacksmithy and goldsmithy, are called as Viswakarmas or Viswabrahmins
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.15.17
daśa-candram asiḿ rudraḥ
śata-candraḿ tathāmbikā
somo 'mṛtamayān aśvāḿs
tvaṣṭā rūpāśrayaḿ ratham
Lord Śiva presented him with a sword within a sheath marked with ten moons, and his wife, the goddess Durgā, presented him with a shield marked with one hundred moons. The moon-demigod presented him with horses made of nectar, and the demigod Viśvakarmā presented him with a very beautiful chariot.
பஞ்சகம்மாளர் pañca-kammāḷar , n. < pañcantaṭṭāṉ, kaṉṉāṉ, ciṟpaṉ, taccaṉ, kollaṉ தட்டான், கன்னான், சிற்பன், தச்சன் கொல்லன் என்ற ஐவகைப் பட்ட கம்மாளர். (சங். அக.)
పంచాణము panchāṇamu. n. The united five castes of the carpenter, blacksmith, brazier, goldsmith, and stonecutter.
Excerpts from Wikipedia entry:
Vishwakarmas are a community or caste who have adopted engineering, art and architecture professions in India, and are followers of Lord Vishwakarma. They are found all over India. They comprise blacksmith, carpenter, metal craftsmen, stone-carver, goldsmith. Being largely descended from Brahmins, Hindu law permits them to wear the sacred thread, perform various priestly duties and accords them a position equal to that of Brahmins. Hence, they are also known as Vishwa Brahmin (विश्वब्राह्मण)
…Brahminism basically divided in to two groups.
§ ARSHEYA BRAHMANEYAM
§ PARUSHEYA BRAHMANEYAM.
It is only Vishwakarmabrahmins belong to PARUSHEYA Sect.Rest of all brahmins sects fall under Arsheya sect.
Vishwabrahmin are also known as Vishwakarma Brahmin since they have their origin from LordVishwakarma. They are called Panchal which means specialized in five different works; they are identical to Kavi, Madhvi, Suhastasour and Narashansha castes in ancient Vedic reference. They were called as rathakar because they used to make the chariot for ancient kings. In Madras they are called Kammalar. Vishwakarma Brahmins / Vishwa brahmins are called with the following names.
In South India
§ Achari, Acharya, Vishwakarma, Vishwabrahmin, Sharma, Kammari, Kamsali,Shilpi,Vadrangi,Kambara,Pathara,Badiger,Kancgara.Vishwakarma Manu Maya Brahmin
In North India:
§ Panchal Brahmin, Dhiman Brahmin, Maithil Brahmin, Ramgarhia, Mistry, Sharma, Viswakarma,Tarkhan, Kalsi, Malik, Mahule, Sonar, Suthar, Swarnakar
In East India (Odisha)
§ Moharana (this title used by all Viswakarmas), Mohapatra (only Mayas -Kastakars), Ojha (Only Manu -Lahuakars) Cricketier Pragyan Ojha Example,:Sutar (only Maya -Kastakars), Sahu (Maya -Kastakars & Viswanja -Swarnkars), Parida,(Maya -Kastakar and Manu -Lahuakars), Choudhry,(Only Maya -Kastakars), Karamkar,(Maya and Viswanja), Das, (Maya -Kastakars), Bindhani, (Maya -Kastakars), Badhei, (Maya -Kastakars), Mistry (Maya -Kastakars & Manu -Lahuakars),
§ In West India Sutar, Mahtre, Pitroda, Gujjar, Jangid, Agnihotri, Dubey, Tiwari, Pathak
…Whilst many goldsmiths are descendants of Brahmin ancestry, people of the Kshatriya caste have also adopted the works of Vishwabrahmins, in particular, Goldsmith and Jewellery work. For example, in the Punjab region of North India, another group of Vishwakarmas/Goldsmiths exist, the Mair Rajputs, who have descended from the Rajput warriors of Rajasthan.
Consequently, Vishwabrahmins have surnames that are similar to those of the Brahmin or Kshatriya caste. For instance:
§ Brahmin: Verma, Sharma, Rao, Rastogi, Acharya/Achari, Chari, Jha, Ranjan, Dixit, Dhiman, Panchal
§ Kshatriya: Soni, Singh, Mair/Mayer/Mehr, Katta, Seth, Chauhan, Babbar, Rana, Sisodia, Gogna Shinh, Sehdev, Sudera, Kanda, Karwal
…According to traditional belief, Vishwabrahmins are descended from five sons of lord Vishwakarma. They are Manu (blacksmith), Maya (carpenter), Thwastha (metal craftsman), Silpi (stone-carver)Vishvajnya (goldsmith). The community is spread widely throughout India and played a vital role in the village economy. Their socio-economic status varied from a very high level to the low level in different parts of India as they earned high wages in towns because of their factory employment and low in villages[1]. About Vishwabrahmins Anand K. Coomaraswamy says ‘the Kammalar (i.e.Panchal) were known as Vishwa or Dev Brahman or Dev Kammalar. They spread gradually towards the south and then reached Ceylon, Burma & Java. The Kammalar claim to have been the spiritual guides and priests and their position in the society survives in the saying The Kammalar is guru to the world. They still have their own priests & do not relay on Brahman. They also perform priestly rites in connection with consecration of images[2]. They both claim and possess various special privileges, which they always upheld with much vigour, in some cases they claim a rank equal to that of Brahmans.” He also mentions “throughout the rest of ceremony all priest officers had been performed by the craftsman themselves acting as Brahman priest” [2]. Dr. Krishna Rao says “The most highly organized & efficient of the industrial classes was Virpanchal comprising of Goldsmith, coiner blacksmith, carpenter and mason. In finest period of Indian art particularly between eighth and ninth century, they claimed and enjoyed a social status in the community, equal to Brahmans. The art of engraving & sculpture had attained a high stage of development. It was exclusively cultivated by Panchals who wore sacred thread & considered themselves as Vishwakarma Brahmans. The craftsman being deeply versed in national epic literature always figured in the history of India as missionaries of civilization, culture & religion. The intellectual influence being creative & not merely assimilative was at least as great as that of the priest and the author” [3].…
Ernest B. Havell says “The northern quarter of (Patliputra) was assigned to Brahmans & certain of the higher craftsman such as armor, ironsmiths & workers in precious stones. The association of skilled craftsmen with Brahmans & Kshatriya is additional evidence that craftsmanship did not hold inferior status in Indo Aryan society[4]. The Stapathy or master builder is described in the Shilpa Shastra as officiating at religious ceremonies which preceded the laying out of the Indo Aryan town or village and some of the metal worker& carpenter of the south of India still retains as their caste indication the name Acharya which denotes a teacher of religion”.
1. Russell R.V. and Lai R.B.H., The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India, Asian Educational Services, 1995, ISBN 812060833X
2. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Indian Craftsman, Probsthain & co., 1909
3. Krishna Rao M.V., Govardhana Rao M., Jeevanna Rao K., Glimpses of Karnataka, Reception Committee, 65th Session, Indian National Congress, 1960
4. Ernest B. Havell, 1918, The history of Aryan rule in India, from the earliest times to the death of Akbar, K.M.N. Publishers; (distributors: Atma Ram, Delhi), 1972.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishwakarma_(caste)
Chinmayacharya, K. (2002), Devudu Manavudu, East Godavari.: Ramesh Kumar, K.
áyas--kāṇḍa [p= 85,1] [L=14772] m. n. " a quantity of iron " or " excellent iron " , (g. kaskā*di q.v.) kaskādi = a gaṇa (Pa1n2. viii.3.48)
(H2) ayo [p= 85,1] [L=14807] (incomp. for ayas).
क्षणः kṣaṇḥ णम् ṇam : (page 62)
The centre, the middle. (Apte)
kāṇḍa
(H1) kā́ṇḍa[p= 269,2][L=47500] mn. ([or kāṇḍá TS. vii]) (ifc. f(ā or ī).) ([cf. khaṇḍa , with which in some of its senses kāṇḍais confounded]) a single joint of the stalk or stem of a plant , such as a bamboo or reed or cane (i.e. the portion from one knot to another cf. tri-k°) , any part or portion , section , chapter , division of a work or book (cf. tri-k°) , any distinct portion or division of an action or of a sacrificial rite (as that belonging to the gods or to the manes) AV. TS. VS.
[L=47500.05] mfn. a separate department or subject (e.g. karma-kāṇḍa , the department of the veda treating of sacrificial rites Ka1s3. on Pa1n2. 4-2 , 51) AV. TS. S3Br. R.
[L=47500.10] mfn. a stalk , stem , branch , switch MBh. R. Mn. i , 46 , 48 Kaus3. Sus3r.
[L=47500.15] mfn. the part of the trunk of a tree whence the branches proceed W.
[L=47500.20] mfn. a cluster , bundle W.
[L=47500.25] mfn. a multitude , heap , quantity (ifc.) Pa1n2. 4-2 , 51 Ka1s3.
[L=47500.30] mfn. an arrow MBh. xiii , 265 Hit.
[L=47500.35] mfn. a bone of the arms or legs , long bone (cf. kāṇḍa-bhagna and pucchakāṇḍá) Sus3r.
[L=47500.40] mfn. a rudder (?) R. ii , 89 , 19
[L=47500.45] mfn. a kind of square measure Pa1n2. 4-1 , 23 Vop. vii , 55
[L=47500.50] mfn. a cane , reed , Saccharum Sara (śara) L.
[L=47500.55] mfn. water L.
[L=47500.60] mfn. opportunity , occasion (cf. a-kāṇḍa) L.
[L=47500.65] mfn. a private place , privacy L.
[L=47500.70] mfn. praise , flattery L.
[L=47500.75] mfn. (ifc. implying depreciation) vile , low Pa1n2. 6-2 , 126
[L=47500.80] mfn. = kāṇḍasyā*vayavo vikāro vā* g. bilvā*di
(H1B) kā́ṇḍī [L=47500.85] f. a little stalk or stem Ra1jat. vii , 117.
(H1) khāṇḍa [p= 339,1][L=61760] n. (fr. khaṇḍa) , the state of having fractures or fissures or gaps g. pṛthv-ādi.
(H1) kaṇḍ [p= 246,1][L=42560] cl.1 P. A1. kaṇḍati , -te , to be glad or wanton: cl.10 P. kaṇḍayati , to separate (the chaff from the grain) Dha1tup. (cf. kaḍ.)
(H1) áyas [p= 85,1][L=14766] n. iron , metal RV. &c
[L=14767] an iron weapon (as an axe , &c ) RV. vi , 3 ,5 and 47 , 10
[L=14768] gold Naigh.
[L=14769] steel L. ; ([cf. Lat. aes , aer-is for as-is ; Goth. ais , Thema aisa ; Old Germ. e7r , iron ;Goth. eisarn ; Mod. Germ. Eisen.])
(H1) ayā́s [p= 85,3][L=14875] (2 , twice 3 [i.e. ai0ā́s] RV. i , 167 , 4 and , vi , 66 , 5) mfn. (fr. a + √ yas? ; » ayā́sya) , agile , dexterous , nimble RV.
(H1B) ayā́s[L=14875.1] n. (ind.) fire Un2.
[Source: Monier Williams dictionary]
कण्ठीलः kaṇṭhīlḥकण्ठीलः A camel.-लः,-ला A churning vessel (Apte).
अयस् ayasअयस् a. [इ-गतौ-असुन्] Going, moving; nimble. n. (-यः) 1 Iron (एति चलति अयस्कान्तसंनिकर्षं इति तथात्वम्; नायसोल्लिख्यते (Apte)
Aryan-Indian ties debunked
Kumar Chellappan (Deccan Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2009)
Indians were pioneer metallurgists and the Indo-Aryan-Dravidian-Munda division among languages is false, claims a Chennai-based Indologist, insisting that Indian culture did not owe it to the Aryan invasion.
“People speaking old versions of the languages in the country were living together and had evolved words to describe advanced metallurgy,” Dr S. Kalyanaraman, chairman, Saraswathi Research Foundation, told Deccan Chronicle.
The deciphering of the 4,000-year-old writing system prevalent during the Indus civilisation proved the close link between metallurgy and the writing system, he said.
“The sub-continent had its own indigenous writing and culture. Postulations that our culture is indebted to the Aryan invasion are wrong,” he said. Dr Kalyanaraman says he has deciphered the Indus writing system through research spanning three decades.
“These scripts were found on nearly 4,000 seals and objects with the first seal excavated by archaeologist Alexander Cunningham in 1875,” he said.
The anxiety to prove the existence of the great Saraswathi Civilisation made him to take voluntary retirement from the Asian Development Bank.
“I could track the course of Saraswathi river from Manasarovar through Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and beyond. A progressive civilisation existed along the Saraswathi’s banks and it was what historians termed as the Mohenjodaro-Harappan civilisation. The course of the Saraswathi was substantiated by satellite images from ISRO,” he said.
The inscriptions from the region had pictures and pictorial writings.
“A close study indicated that the ancestors of the present-day speakers of all Indian languages were living together in a linguistic area, where speakers of different dialects borrowed language features from one another and made them part of their own dialect,” he said.
According to Dr Kalyanaraman, this decoding had proved that more than 30 per cent of agricultural words and most of metallurgical words in Indian languages did not have any links with Indo-European languages.
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2009/02/27/Photographs/004/27_02_2009_004_009_011.jpg
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/aryan-indian-ties-debunked-379
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