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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ NOVEMBER, 1924
MISCELLANEA, MOUNT D'ELI.
| modern Konkan (Narrinai 391). His chief cities In the issue of this Journall for January, 1923 were Kadambu-peru-vâyil (Padirrup-pattu IV, (pp. 83.5), Sir Richard Temple appears to accept Epilogue), Pali (Ahandnúru 15; 258), Viyalar (Aha. almost too readily the view expressed by Mr. K. V. | ndnaru 97), and Pirambu (Ahandnúru 356); and he Subramanya Aiyar in his article on "An Uniden
owned two mountains, Elil Kungam or Elin Nedu.
Varai (Narrinai 391, Agananúru 152) and Pâli tified Territory of Southern India," that the real
Silambu (Ahandnúru 152). Kunram, Varsi, and meaning of Mount D'Eli is the Rat Hill, and not
Silambu are synonyms, meaning mountain. It is the Seven Hills. I venture to suggest that Mr.
this Elil Kunram or blin Neduvarai—the seven Subramanya Aiyar's explanation is ingenious but
mountains that the European navigators came to incorrect, and that Sir Richard Temple and others
call Mount D'Eli. Thus, if the evidence of ancient who have held that the vernacular name for Mount
Tamilliterature be accepted - and there is no reason D'Eli signified the Seven Hills need not so easily
why it should not be the term eli in the European abandon that opinion.
Mount D'Eli has no connexion with eli, the Mr. Subramanya Aiyar admits that in Sanskrit
Tamil word for múshika or "rat", but it stands for works like the Kerala-Mahdimya the region sur
dlu, the Tamil numeral denoting seven. In these rounding this hill is called the land of the Seven
circumstances, no purpose is served by attempting Hills (Saptasaila); but he states that the mistake
to connect the name of the hill with the Tamil word arose with the Indian scholiast, who confounded
for rat, as Mr. Subramanya Aiyar has done, on the the dentall with the lingual in transcription. This
strength of a story told by a romancing poet.chroappears to me to be a gratuitous assumption; for
nicler of comparatively recent date. It will be much it is not only in Sanskrit works, which are more or
nearer the fact to hold that the poet gave an ingeless modern, that the hill in question is known
nious twist to the name of the hill to suit the as the Seven Hills, but also in Tamil works of un.
exigencies of his miraculous story. doubted antiquity, in which this hill is mentioned,
K. G. SESHA AIYAR. the name it bears means unequivocally the Seven Hills. Thus in Narrinai, which is one of the ac
TOOTNAGUE, knowledged Sangam works, we find in lyric No. 391 For examples of the use of this term, 800 ante, the following passage
vols. XXVI, p. 223; XXXIII, p. 323. Ponpadu Korkdna Nanna nannatt
Yule, Hobson Jobson, derives the word from Blir kunram perinum,
Port, tutenaga and says that the formation is obewhich means even if we obtain the Seven Hills cure. A recent Reply in Notes and Queries, vol. (Elir Kunram) situate in the prosperous territory CXLVI, p. 258, however, goes into this origin and of Nannan in golden Konkana." Again in Ahand- there seems no doubt that it is derived from Skr. núru, another well-known Sangam collection, we tuttha, blue vitriol, sulphate of copper +naga, read in lyric No. 152, Nannan éļinedu-varai, that is, tin or lead. **the Seven Hills of Nannan." We gather from old The Madras Manual of Administration, Vol. III, Sangam works that this Nannan belonged to a 8.v. Toottam has : Tootnaug (ndga, San.; tuttindga, minor branch of the Céra line (Ahandndru 97; 258) Marh.; tuttindgamu, Tel.; nagam, Mal.; tuttundgam, and ruled over a territory, Pali-nadu (Padirrup Tam.). Zinc......spelter. pattu IV, Epilogue), situated in KopkAnam, the
L. M. ANSTEY. BOOK NOTICES. A METAPHYSIQUE OY MYSTICISM, by A. GOVINDA other mystio systems, such as Sufi.ism, even other CHARYA SVAMIN (Vedically Viewed).
religions such as Christianity and Buddhism, or It is impossible in the course of a brief review to
other philosophical doctrines such as Tao-ism in its
earliest and purest form, derived their inspiration, notice in detail tho many aspects of mysticism,
if not their origin, from the Vorlanta philosophy 98 related to other philosophical systems or scienti.
of the Upanishads and of the Bhagavad Gita, must tic data, or the various view.points of other mystics,
be left to the reader himself to judge in which have beon quoted by the author, sometimes,
each
particular case. But it may be remarked in general at considerable length, to support his views and that the claim appears to be a large one, that it sometimes in defence of the general tenets of mys. ignores the possibility of independent and indigetidsm. Suffice it to say, that the author has filled nous origins of creeds and philosophical systems, his work with copious extracts from writers, both and that it rests on no very clearly defined evidenoo. Eastern and Western, on Mysticism, Philosophy It is, moreover, & question whether the mystic and Religion. How far there is justification for sense has not boon read by the Author into the the claim which is inade throughout the work that whole Vedanta philosophy of the time of the Upani
1 Reprinted trom JRAS., April, 1994, pp. 257-258.
