Indian Antiquary Vol 02

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 136

124
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1873.
messenger (which has very little to do with the Dravidian numerals, at least up to 10, are original story), they are probably interpolations.
and not taken from the Sanskrit, a riew which, RAMKRISHNA G. BHANDARKAR. regarding 5 and 10, had been called in question by
a well-known scholar. How clearly the Dravidians SERPENT-WORSHIP.
are marked out by their numerals! That the SIR.-In his Essay on " Vasta-yaga and its
Penge Porjas, Tagara Porjas, and Durwa Gonds bearing upon Serpent and Tree Worship in India,"
use Uriya words for some of the lower numbers published in the Journal of the Bengal Asiatic is curious indeed, and the cause of their doing so Society (Part I. No. 3—1870), Babu Pratáp Chan
deserves thorough inquiry. Is there any unsurdra Ghosha, B.A., asserted that no templo has
mountable objection to the supposition that the ever been raised by Aryans for the sole worship
Dravidian numbers known to be used by them are of the Serpent in India, though the Hindus enter
the remnant of a complete set P or that by a more tain a kind of respect for the allegorical characters
intimate intercourse with the tribes the original Ananta and Vasuki. Now in Prayag (Allahabad) an series may still be found to exist among them ? It ancient temple still stands dedicated solely to the
may have been necessary for the tribes to adopt worship of the Ndga Vasuki. Perhaps it is the only
some numbers from their neighbours, who by way one of its kind in the N. W. Provinces, for I have
of intercourse learned to know and use a few of have seen none elsewhere, not even in Benares.
theirs, but did not care to acquire and use all. It is called by natives Rája Vasuk or Dusadowmddh. Concerning the Köis and Selliya Porjas, I sbould The spot is associated with several legendary
like to know whether their having borrowed some traditions, one of which is that Brahma, in ages
Telugu words is a fully established fact P The sogone by, performed there the sacrifice of a thousand
called Telugu words may be as original with them horses, -hence its sacredness. The temple is
as with the Telugus, and prove that the two tribes beautifully situated amidst a grove of trees,
once lived in a more favourable position in union overlooking the Ganges, which flows just under
with their kinsmen, the Telugus, and also with it. The scenery is charming. It is a massive
the other large Dravidian tribes. It is interestbuilding on an elevated terrace, and looks quite
ing to observe that the expression for "one" in new, for we learn that a hundred years ago it
Köi is orrote, in Togara Porja--vakat, in Teluguwas all repaired, and the pakka stone ghat under it
okati, the Köi being next to the root. The tom constructed by the millionaire of Daraganj, a
(another form of om, the first part of "nine" in detached village of Allahabad lying on the bank
Kõi aud Teluga) does not appear in other dialects of the river. The image of the Naga Vasuki is
before 19. carved out of a black stone set in the front wall of
With reference to Dravidian derivations, I take the temple, and is about a foot and a half high. It is
the liberty to state the Dravidian rule that a noun neatly sculptured as a hooded snake standing erect
may be formed by simply lengthening the verbal when enraged. There are other idols of less note. root; the inverse process would be against the A large fair is held here on Nagapanchami, to
spirit of the language. On this rule restu the which many of the Hindus from Allahabad and
derivation of ndlu, ndiku (Koi nalúr, Darwa Gond neighbouring villages come, to secure the double
ndir, Togara Porja--ndlu, Telugu-ndlugu, ndgu). merit of bathing in the sacred stream and wor.
The root nal, to be lovely, is very common with the shipping the serpent-god on the auspicious
Southern Dravidians; a root akin to it is nat, to occasion. The temple is resorted to by every
be fragrant. Both roots have been adopted by the pilgrim to Praydg, with whom it is a belief that
Aryas, as a study of the words beginning with the merit of bathing in the sacred confluence
their letters in a Sanskrit Dictionary will show. of Ganga and Jamuna is not complete until he
(Some of those words are to be referred to the visits the temple of the king of Serpents. Pilgrims
Dravidian root nad, to be erect, to be planted; de to other sacred places in India take Ganges water
L=1.) from this place only, as it is considered purer
F. KITTEL
Merkara, 25th March 1873. than elsewhere in Praydg.
KAGINATH.
THE GUJARAT LION. Sirsa, Allahabad, 2nd December 1872.
It is erroneous to suppose that the Kathi wad
(Gujarat) Lion is maneless, although in the speci. NOTE ON DRAVIDIAN NUMERALS. mens I have seen the mane has been consider. I have read with much interest the remark onably shorter and of lighter colour than that of the the note concerning ancient Dravidian numerals African species. One that I shot, supposed to (Ind. Ant. II. 97). It corroborates the view that the have been eight years old from its containing that