Agastya - Parallels From Old Tamil Traditions

Parallels From Old Tamil Traditions

Old Tamil literature contains several references to akam in the sense of ‘fort, palace or inner place’. (e.g.) akam ‘palace’ (Perun^.32.100)

aka-nakar ‘the inner city’ (Cil. 2.15.109; Man@i. 1.72)

aka-p-pa ‘inner fortification’ (Nar\. 14.4; Patir\.22.26; Cil.28.144)

aka-p-pa ‘matil-ul| uyar met|ai : high terrace inside the fort’ (Tivakaram 5.198)

matil-akam lit., ‘fortified house’; (Cil.2.14.69); the palace of the rulers of Kerala. A clear distinction is drawn in Old Tamil literature between those who ruled from inside the forts and those who served them, even though the expressions for either group have the same base aka-tt-u ‘in the house’. The rulers of the forts were known as: (e.g.) aka-tt-ar : ‘ (princes) of the palace’ (Kali. 25.3)

aka-tt-ar ‘ those inside the (impregnable) fortification’ (Kural| 745)

aka-tt-or ‘ those inside the fort’ (Pura. 28.11)

aka-tt-on\ ‘ he (king) inside the fort’ (Tol. III: 68.4, 69.5)

Those who served as palace or temple attendants were known as follows: (e.g.) aka-tt-at|imai, aka-t-ton@t|ar, aka-mp-at|iyar etc., (Tamil Lexicon). The palace or temple service was generally called: (e.g.) aka-p-pat|ai, aka-p-pan@i, aka-p-parivaram etc., (Tamil Lexicon). Another important set of Old Tamil expressions for palace and temple attendants is derived from the root culÈ ‘to surround’ > ulÈiyam ‘service, especially in palace or temple’, ulÈiyar ‘palace or temple servants’ (DEDR 2698 > 758). Cf. ulÈi, ulÈai ‘place esp. about a king (DEDR 684) which also ultimately looks to culÈ ‘to surround, surrounding area’. Note the distinction between ul\ai-y-iruntan\ ‘minister of state, companion of the king’ and ul\ai-y-al|-an\ ‘attendant (in the palace)’ (Tamil Lexicon).