Kalari is a very tiny and surviving fragment of ancient Indian martial art called 'Varma Kalai'. Varma is the mother of all martial arts which spread across Asia through Hinduism and Buddhism.
Proof:
These techniques are extensively developed by Siddhas (well known for their Ayurvedic and alchemy works), who dwelt in mountains of South India, especially Tamil Nadu. Even today, there are legends around Courtralam, Suruli, Pazhani and Nilgiri hills, which speak about surviving Siddhas till date, who have eventually achieved longevity through their knowledge in Ayurveda, alchemy, meditation, etc.
Sadly, many of these techniques are lost due to the Guru's fear of misuse on co- species (as we humans are notorious for turning any scientific works, bar none, into weapons of destruction), and thus they refused to transfer the knowledge to others, including to their own descendants. This happened particularly, when Buddhism turned into political movement and the Buddhists started to learn these arts for their political gains.
However tiny fragments of Varma survived in the form of literature, mainly Tamil & Malayalam, and got the attention of Gurus in Kerala, a small state in south India, arround ~15-17th centuries, and became Kalarippayattu. This famous traditional training of Kalari of Kerala, is always done inside the Kalari (literally, threshing floor or battlefield), which is a specially constructed practice area. Payattu means 'exercise in arms or practice'.
A few centuries back in Kerala, quarrels between local kings were resolved by fixing an Ankam (war), a duel to the death, between two Ankachekavars (Kalari fighters), each ruler being represented by one Ankachekavar. The ruler represented by the surviving Ankachekavar was considered the winner.
Proof:
- Similarities could be found in Chinese, Tibetan, Sri Lankan, etc. dance, music, martial arts with Indian arts. E.g. Therukootthu, Kathakali (flamboyant facial make-ups), Kerala Chenda drums, the rhythm all are adopted in China, Tibet, Japan and other south-eastern countries in the form of Lion, Dragon dances' flamboyant decorations, drums, rhythm, etc.
- Similarities could be found between martial arts and Mudras (symbolic gestures) of yoga & Indian classical dances, and their movements. Probably dance, martial arts and yoga all might have evolved at the same time along with music, meditation, etc. They share the common property of being melodic.
These techniques are extensively developed by Siddhas (well known for their Ayurvedic and alchemy works), who dwelt in mountains of South India, especially Tamil Nadu. Even today, there are legends around Courtralam, Suruli, Pazhani and Nilgiri hills, which speak about surviving Siddhas till date, who have eventually achieved longevity through their knowledge in Ayurveda, alchemy, meditation, etc.
Sadly, many of these techniques are lost due to the Guru's fear of misuse on co- species (as we humans are notorious for turning any scientific works, bar none, into weapons of destruction), and thus they refused to transfer the knowledge to others, including to their own descendants. This happened particularly, when Buddhism turned into political movement and the Buddhists started to learn these arts for their political gains.
However tiny fragments of Varma survived in the form of literature, mainly Tamil & Malayalam, and got the attention of Gurus in Kerala, a small state in south India, arround ~15-17th centuries, and became Kalarippayattu. This famous traditional training of Kalari of Kerala, is always done inside the Kalari (literally, threshing floor or battlefield), which is a specially constructed practice area. Payattu means 'exercise in arms or practice'.
A few centuries back in Kerala, quarrels between local kings were resolved by fixing an Ankam (war), a duel to the death, between two Ankachekavars (Kalari fighters), each ruler being represented by one Ankachekavar. The ruler represented by the surviving Ankachekavar was considered the winner.
For more details: Thamizhar Martial Arts
A glimpse of Kalari Payattu.
You have inserted your own views "In local tongue often Varma is called as ''Marma'', which may not be correct" .... that being the case , what is the correct usage . Ohh , the correct usage has to be the one used in Tamil , since that is your mother tongue.
ReplyDeleteI would have been happy if at least this one article on the web was devoid of jingoistic tenor.
Note that Siddha terminology and vocabulary extensively use Sanskritic words or their derivarives .... Pati/Pasu/Pasa used by TiruMular in his TiruMandiram , is one case in point. Of course you would make words such as these Tamil words taken into Sanskrit , so there is no point in prolonging the argument.Cittar itself is a corrpution of Siddha for the obvious reason - Siddhi is a derivative word , again you would argue otherwise . Agasthya / Akattiyar , himself has extensively used words that are obviously of Sanskritic usage , but with a purely contextual meaning in Tamil .... Iham is used for 'This World' , is a context of Sanskrit 'Iham' meaning 'this'.
And as for martial arts deriving from Varma kalai ( ohh for kalai as in varma kalai - prana kalai , you decide where the word comes from ) , it is a very silly statement .... it is just a part of the knowledge , not the source of the knowledge of martial arts.
Do hope to hear from you.
You have inserted your own views "In local tongue often Varma is called as ''Marma'', which may not be correct" .... that being the case , what is the correct usage . Ohh , the correct usage has to be the one used in Tamil , since that is your mother tongue.
ReplyDeleteI would have been happy if at least this one article on the web was devoid of jingoistic tenor.
Note that Siddha terminology and vocabulary extensively use Sanskritic words or their derivarives .... Pati/Pasu/Pasa used by TiruMular in his TiruMandiram , is one case in point. Of course you would make words such as these Tamil words taken into Sanskrit , so there is no point in prolonging the argument.Cittar itself is a corrpution of Siddha for the obvious reason - Siddhi is a derivative word , again you would argue otherwise . Agasthya / Akattiyar , himself has extensively used words that are obviously of Sanskritic usage , but with a purely contextual meaning in Tamil .... Iham is used for 'This World' , is a context of Sanskrit 'Iham' meaning 'this'.
And as for martial arts deriving from Varma kalai ( ohh for kalai as in varma kalai - prana kalai , you decide where the word comes from ) , it is a very silly statement .... it is just a part of the knowledge , not the source of the knowledge of martial arts.
Do hope to hear from you.
As per your article ... 15 - 17th century , suddenly some 'gurus' come out of the middle of nowhere , study your Varma-kalai from , you would say something like 30,000 BC and invent kalarippayattu. You are really amazing !!!
ReplyDeleteThese gurus have palm-leaf writings ( they or some guru up their lineage ) , written in Tamil ( that being the language spoken in the region upto the 8th Century AD and the bedrock of Malayalam ), Sanskrit , and Malayalam.
15th to 17th century is the Potuguese period.
Hi Shyam, thanks for your views. First of all my mother tongue is not Tamil. I am one among many linguists (from different part of the world) who consider that the world of linguists has done a great injustice to Tamil. This is all because of, when the western world discovered Sanskrit, they found a mother language in it and thus tried to claim that it is from Europe (the birth of Aryan Invasion theory) and forget the other living classical language, Tamil. Or worst, they degraded it as some aboriginal language.
ReplyDeleteBut now, we learn that
* there are so many palatal borrowings in Sanskrit which are originally from Tamil (or some proto-dravidian mother language)
* we can decipher Indus script using Tamil or PDL, but not using Sanskrit
* we can create a link to Japanish, Fino-Ugric, Basque, Korean (latter 2 are isolated lanugages) from Tamil, but not otherway around.
* if we can decipher Indus script using Tamil or PDL we may dechipher Rongorongo script of Easter Islands too which may indeed give clues to the ancient Kumari Kanndam, Bay of Campbay legends, etc.
Such is the mighty of Tamil or PDL. Tamil is the one and only language of the world which has created academy to improve and beatify it in the field of literature, music and theater/dance. We call it as Sangam which is in fact a Sanskrit word. The usage of one single Sanskrit word doesn't mean that Tamil Sangam is full of Sanskrit literature. It is absurd.
What happened to modern Tamil in regards of Sanskrit influence is just like what is happening to our Indian languages in regards of English influence. It does mean English is a superior and ancient language. Same applies to Sanskrit.
What I discussed in linguistic point of view applies to scientific understanding of ancient Tamil or PD people (say Harappans or much older race of south and north-west, etc).
If you are a simple IT guy or Brahmin or North Indian guy, just get this fact straight in your head, "Tamil is the pride of Our Country, India". Had it been born somewhere close to Europe, say even Egypt, the Europeans would have claimed it as their pride and decorated it in every possible way.
It is sad that Indians are still largely divided and follow their colonial masters' foot steps. We need a new India.
PS: I am not JUST a simple IT guy, I have good linguistic, scientific, philosophic, etc. understanding of India. To prove Kumari Kanndam one can call the "Purple Frog" for help. To understand Dravidian and Dravido-Aryan (Pure Aryanism doesn't exist. If at all guys called Aryans entered India, they lost their faces into the existing Dravidian culture and created this beautifully woven Davido-Aryan culture of India. In the contrary, the Dravidianism survived in south) divide one can consider the evolution of Zebus and importation of Horses in India. I can give numerous examples like this. I have written this article considering all the above said facts. So don't just call "I have inserted my own views". Hope you heared from me, loud and clear.
Shyam Kumar, I don't hear from you? Disappeared magically? Or burying your head deep in the sand?
ReplyDelete