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JUNE, 1924] A NOTE ON THE PRATHAMASAKHA BRAHMANS
A PAHLAVI INSCRIPTION ROUND A PERSIAN CROSS AT KATAMARRAM,
TRAVANCORE.
By T. K. JOSEPH, B.A., L.T.
IN vol. LII of this Journal, pp. 355-356, I mentioned a Pahlavi Inscription round the cross in Katamarṛam Church in Travancore, and stated that the renderings by scholars varied greatly. I gave three versions of the readings of previous inscriptions.
1. "In punishment (?) by the cross (was) the suffering to this (one): (He) who is the true Christ and God above, and Guide for ever pure."-Dr. Burnell.
2. "Whoever believes in the Messiah, and in God above, and also in the Holy Ghost, is in the grace of Him, who bore the pain of the Cross."--Dr. Haug.
3. "What freed the true Messiah, the forgiving, the upraising, from hardship? The crucifixion from the tree and the anguish of this."-Dr. West.
I also pointed out that the dates suggested for them varied from the seventh to the ninth century A.D.
The plate attached is from an estampage recently taken and the whole question can, therefore, now once again he gone into by scholars.*
The inscription does not appear to be, as before thought, a replica of any of the other Pahlavi Inscriptions at Kottayam and Mailapore.
A NOTE ON THE PRATHAMASAKHA BRAHMANS. BY PROF. JARL CHARPENTIER; UPSALA.
123
MR. H. E. A. COTTON has, ante, vol. LI (1922), p. 158 ff., a very interesting notice concerning the "Prathamaśâkha Brahmans" or "Midday Paraiyans." The tradition referred to by Mr. Cotton seems to be attached to a certain sub-caste of Yajurvedin Brahmans in Mannargudi, Tanjore District, in Southern India. Without being in the least able to solve the riddles connected with this tradition, I may be allowed to point to its existence also in another part of India.
While going through, for cataloguing purposes in the India Office Library, part of the Mackenzie Collection, I came upon the following notice in the Manuscript Translations, Reports, etc., vol. XIII, p. 24.1
"Karattee Brahmins. These Brahmins are natives of the Sammuntvaddy Cooncan, which is one of the twelve Dashums 4 of Cooncan. Their tribes are Valmeeka Gotrum [fa] and Vamen Gotrum []. They follow the Pratama Shaka Vadum [are] whose history is as follows :
46
'Formerly, when the Rooshaswar [P] first begun to deliver the Vadum to the Pratama Shaka people, they became very insolent, which offended the Rooshee [], who declared, as they had become so proud, they must return the Vadum and whatever they learned from him; on which they vomited before him, believing they were thus disburthened of whatever they learned, for which the Roosheeswar instantly laid this curse upon them 'that they should be Chandal or Parias for three and three quarter hours, whence their caste and Vadum is Pratama Shaka and no Brahmins go into their houses for 3 hours after noon daily. They worship the Saktee [ ] or Goddess.
* Dr. Modi of Bombay has given the following rendering to the Superintendent of Archæology, Tra vancore :-" Le Zibah vai min Ninav val denman | Napist Mar Shapur || Le (mun) ahrob Mashiah avakhshahi az khâr bokht-I, a beautiful bird from Nineveh (have come) to this (country). Written Mar Shahpur. I, whom holy Messiah, the forgiver, freed from thorn (affliction)."-T.K.J.
1 Cf. Wilson, Catalogue of the Mackenzie Collection, 2nd ed., p. 509. This apparently stands for Mar.
一个
कर्कट.
3 This is apparently a misreading for Sawant-wadt.
; cf. Molesworth, Marathi-English Dictionary, .v.,
• देश.
