The Sumerian Se-ir mal (Enlil)
and Dravidian Tirumaal (Vishnu)
The study of Sumerian gods
indicate that most of them still survive as gods worshipped by the Hindus
especially the Tamils. This goes to show that Hinduism is essentially Agamism
and that it is PreVedic and perhaps also something that has
influenced profoundly the genesis of some aspects of Vedism.. While some
names of these ancient gods might have changed but, interestingly enough , not
their epithets or attributes. The Sumerian pantheon is essentially the same as
the present day Dravidian and pan Indian Hindu where one of the habits of
the Sumerians, praising the deities in terms of epithets, the namaavaLi , is
still widely prevalent.
This study discloses another
problem about conservation of language : proper names changing but not the
epithets, the ways BEING is understood and represented in both descriptive
terms and iconographic representations.
This institution of namavaLi, so
ubiquitous in Hindu culture appears to combine both metaphysical understanding
along with elements of Bakthi.
This series is just brief note on
Enlil( also called se-ir mal) where some lines are taken from a book
"a-ab-ba hu-luh-ha" (Oh Angry Sea!) ,(Raphael Kurtscher, 1975, Yale
Univ. Press) a very scholarly book that also details the distinction
between the eme-gir and eme-sal forms of Sumerian language. There are also many
useful discussions on phonology in its relationship to orthography
, very useful for the study of the evolution of Tamil from Sumerian.
It appears that SumeroTamils
were acutely aware of the distinction between the oral and written forms
of Sumerian and in their written form they also wanted incorporate
language as spoken!
I shall confine myself here
just to some basic issues that may throw some light on the origins of
VishNu worship which along with Siva worship , Murukan
worship and Ammai worship were central features of the
cultural ethos of the Sumerians.
We note here another aspect of
conservatism : descriptive terms that epithets are metaphysical insights
about the ways of BEING are more conservative and less subject to mutation than
perhaps the proper names.
Some of these epithets are
represented ICONOGRAPHICALLY which is also a form of a script, the script that
represents the contents of the unconscious.
1. The Ta. aRituyil and Su.
False Sleep (u-lul-a ku-ku)
The notion of aRituyil, sleep where
there is learning, is something we see as a Yogic posture of Tirumaal in Cangkam
classics. Perhaps it is the same as yoganidra in Sk. However it is clear
that it is FALSE sleep for it is in fact enjoying transductive
perceptions, a state of being similar to enjoying dreams but
something higher than even that. Perhaps it is to be understood in terms of
Lucid Dreams that recent developments in Dream Psychology have come to
recognize. What is clear however is that it is something very clearly
associated with Yoga which in Saivism is understood as the experiences of Third
Eye while in Vaishnavism as that of aRituyil.
Both the cults of Saivism and
Vaishnavism are deeply Yogic however they seem to have gone about it
differently and this may underlie the growth of different yoga systems in Hindu
culture.
This notion , interestingly enough
exists in Sumerian too, as the following lines would indicate.
5. a-a (d) mu-ul-lil sipa
sag-gig-a ( Father Enlil , Shepherd of the Black-headed)
Ta. ayyaa moo uLLil civa caan
kaikka ( Father who pervades in the interior of all, the savior who is black)
6. a-a (d) mu-ul-lil i-bi-du
ni-te-na ( Father Enlil, the one inspecting for Himself)
Ta. ayyaa moo uLLil imaiyidu nii
taanee ( Father who pervades the interior of all, and sees all on his own
accord)
7. a-a (d) mu-ul-lil am erin
di-di ( Father Enlil, the Warrior Who Leads the Troops)
Ta. ayyaa moo uLLil amaa araN
titii
8. a-a (d) mu-ul-lil u-lul-la
ku-ku ( Father enlil, Who Feigns Sleep ( lit. Who Sleeps a False Sleep)
Ta. ayyaa moo uLLil uuzalla kokkoo
( ...)
We should note the following things:
a. Tirumaal is BLACK, i.e. maal and
perhaps this is what is being communicated by the phrase 'sag gig-ga" the
black head or black person ( sag, sa-an: head , person, gi-g-ga > kringka,
kalingka; gi = mi :Ta. mai: black)
b. The notion of False Sleep -
u-lal-la ku-ku , uuzalla kokkoo , along with " inspecting for
Himself or who sees all on his own accord pretty well communicates the
notion of the vision of Third Eye, the EYE that does close at all. The term
ku-ku ( Ta. kokkoo) is available in the term kokkookam, the science of sexual
embrace hence sleeping by wrapping around. Tirumaal does NOT sleep at all, but
only PRETENDS to sleep for otherwise he cannot SEE everything as the indweller
in all.
This description should be compared
with the following in Paripaadal (13) perhaps of early Pre Christian era.
25. -- 29
kaalamum vicumbum kaaRRodu
kanalum
tannuru vuRazum paaRkadal naappaN
minnavair cudarmaNi aayiram viritta
kavai naa varuntalai kaanbin ceekkai
tuLavanj cuudiya aRituyiloonum
Meaning ( roughly)
The God of aRituyil , He who
wears TuLaci and sleeps over the Snake with mouths of
split tongues that spill out thousands of brilliant
stones coiled in the midst of the Ocean of Milk, that stands
in contrast to His Darkness and also to Time , Sky , Wind, and Fire
.
The Black complexion of Tirumaal and
his false sleep form the common themes. This description in Paripaadal also
explains why Tirumaal is BLACK. His DARK complexion stands in contrast to all
that is visible-- the Sky, Wind, Fire etc. and hence for the fact
that Tirumaal is the WHOLLY MYSTERIOUS, the INVISIBLE, the
Difficult to UNDERSTAND, the Uncanny , the Supremely Unfathomable etc. But HE
SEES all nevertheless for HE is CONSCIOUS of all as the
indweller of everything, the antariyaamin, the Person - moo, inside all
--uLLil.
Now this notion that EnLil pervades
the INTERIOR of all (si-ba sag gig-ga> ciiva saan kaikka) and which has
given rise to the VaishNava notion that BEING is the indweller in all (Antariyaamin)
may the pre-understanding that launched the INWARD GAZE (i-bi-da ni-te-na)
However the following line from the
same book clearly outlines the disciplining the body into new postures by way
accessing deeper and untapped parts of the brain:
A19 (p.94)
gu-zu ur-ra ba-e-ni-mar-ra
si-mah-en ( (You), who
placed your neck between your thighs, you are likewise exalted)
Ta. kuuv-juu uur-ra baayinee malla sii maahyen (“)
Bending and placing the neck (kuuv)
between the thighs (uur-ra) is certainly an attempt to break the normal body
habits and initiating it into something new. It may be possible that all these postures
(projected onto Enlil) are in fact attempts to access the deeper brain parts
that would allow the visions into the hidden and concealed and hence ARituyil.
The Sumerian Se-ir mal
(Enlil) and Dravidian Tirumaal (Vishnu)
I shall conclude this brief note by
bringing to attention one of the epithets that has become very popular in the
Bakthi period and linked with the mythology of "Muuvadiyaal ulagaLanta
PerumaaL' the great person who measured out the whole universe with his three
strides. It is insinuated here that His feet were so large that he could
measure out the whole of the manifest universe. Such metaphysical
insights of BEING appear as early attempts of man to comprehend the
ubiquitoes presence of BEING that in later philosophical reflections came
to be called 'antaryaami" , the immanent presence of BEING
everywhere.
Enlil as Vishnu
The following lines are enormously
important in connection with tracing the genesis of BEING as Vishnu (Ta,
viNNavan)
113. mu-ul-lil me-ri-mu-ta me-ri
sa-a nu-ma-al
Enlil, a foot equal to your foot
does not exist
( Ak. be-li-ku it-ti se-pe-ia
sa is-sa-an-nu-na ul i-ba-as-si )
Ta. moo uLLil mitimoottu miti caa
caana naa maal
193. a) (d) mu-ul-lil am! zi-ga
an-na nam-us
Enlil is the rising Wild Ox, he
reached up the sky
Ta. moo uLLil amaa! ciika
vaannee nam u(ra)cu
b) (d)
mu-ul-lil zi-ga-ni an-ne nam-us
Enlil, the Wild Ox , his rising
reached up to the sky
Ta. moo uLLil ciikanee vaannee
nam u(ra)cu
199 a) umun su asa-ni an-e
nu-il-e
The Lord , his unique hand the
sky cannot bear
Ta. oorman(an) cuur acaanee
vaannee naa iyalee
Ak. sa be-lu t-ri-is qa-ti-su
samu-u ul ina-as-su-u
The Lord , stretching of his
hand the sky cannot bear.
b) e-lum-e su-ni tab-ba-bi an-ne nam-us
The Dignitary , the grasp of his
hands reached up to the sky
Ta. vizummee cuurni tappapi
vaanee nam u(ra)cu
200 a) (d) mu-ul-lil me-ri asa-ni
ki nu-il-e
Enlil , his unique foot ( var.
planted foot) the earth cannot bear
Ak. ti-ri-is se-pe-su KI-tim
ul ina-as-si
Enlil , the stretching (var
putting ) of his foot the earth cannot bear
b) (d)
mu-ul-lil-le me-ri gub-ba-bi ki-e nam-us
Enlil, the treading of his foot
abutted the earth
Su. am and Ta. amaa, The
Theme of Sacred Cow
Let us note the following :The
description of Enlil reaching unto the sky ( an-e nam -us, vaanee nam
uracu) clearly contains the concept of VishNu, He who has spread across the
universe, the vicuvam (<Ta. bi-cu-am, the manifest world), the sky being
extended here to the whole of the manifest world. The Ta. viNNavan betrays the
origin of Vishnu initially as HE who is spread within the sky, Ta. viN. However
a METAPHOR of 'am' translated here as Wild Ox is brought in to describe
another understanding that comes along with it. I think this other notion along
with the immanent presence of BEING is that of infinite productivity,
tireless fecundity of nature and which is symbolized here by the bull, ox , cow
and so forth. The Su. am corresponds Ta. amaa, the wild cow or ox and we can
see here that it was a SYMBOL or Metaphor for understanding BEING and
which came along with the understanding of BEING as Vishnu. It may be
possible that it was instituted as the reverence for cow and
perhaps later generalized to the whole range of animals and hence the birth of
vegetarianism , as an expression of the SACREDNESS of the animal world. However
in Sumerian times itself , it appears that the cattle along with the goats were
sacrificed and eaten as the following lines from Kes temple Hymns would show:
63. e gu-sar-ra al-ku-e ( The temple
consumes many oxen)
Ta. il koo carva val kuuyyee
64. e udu-sar-ra -am al-ku-e ( The
temple consumes many sheep)
Ta. il udu carva aam val kuuyyee
BEING as Transcendent.
Vishnu is not only immanent but also
transcendent, a notion that was grasped in Sumerian times in terms of the
Metaphor of Purushoottama, the BEING whose form is such that both the
earth and sky cannot contain it. He EXCEEDS the whole manifest world and
it is this EXCESS that is being rendered metaphorically here in terms of the
Lord whose hands the sky cannot bear, the treading of the foot the earth
cannot withstand..
These themes were elaborated
further in historical times in terms of understanding BEING with a form
in which he is understood in terms thousands of arms, feet, heads
and eyes , elaborations that we see both in Tamil and Sk texts that bespeak of
certain continuity.
Just to give an example we have from
Paripaadal 3:
35 -45
irukai maa, al , mukkai muniva,
naaRkai aNNal, aingkaim mainta aRukai neduveeL, ezukai yaaLa, eNkai eental ,
onpathiRRut tadakkai manpeeraala, patiRRukkai matavali nuuRrukkai yaaRRal,
aayiram viritta kaim maaya maLLa, patinaariyarangkai mutumozi mutalva,
nuuraayirangkai aaRaRi kadavuL, anaittum alla palavadukkal aambal. inaittena eN
varambu aRiyaa yaakkaiyai ..
A rough translation:
The Black One of two hands,
the illuminated with three hands, the Great One with four hands, the Tall
God of six hands, the Ruler with seven hands, the Lofty with eight hands,
The Ever Present Great Person with nine hands, the One of Great Strength with
ten hands, the Power itself with a hundred hands, the Dwarf Player of
magic with a thousand hands spread out , the Lord of Ancient Wisdom with
ten thousand hands, the BEING who understands with a hundred thousand
hands, also not all these and the millions and billions. Oh thou ! who
is with a BODY beyond any kind of measurements.
These descriptions should be
compared with the following descriptions of Purusha in the Purusha Suktam:
1.
Om/ Sahasra-sirsa purusah/
sahasraaksah sahasrapaat/ sa bhuumin visvato urtvaa/ atyatisthad dasaangulam//
µõ º†ŠÃ-º£÷º ÒÕ„‹/ º†ŠÃ¡ìº‹
º†ŠÃÀ¡ò/ º¡ âÁ¢ý Ŋŧ¾¡ °÷òÅ¡/ «¾¢ÂŠ¾¢¾ð ¾º¡íÌÄõ//
The Purusa (or the Primeval
Being) has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. He has
enveloped this world from all sides and has (even) transcended it by ten
angulas or inches.
2.
Purusa evedam sarvam/ yad bhuutam
yac ca bhavyam/ utaamrtatvasyesanah/ yadanneenaatirohati/
ÒÕº ±¦Å¾õ º÷Åõ/ ¡ò â¾õ Â¡î º¡ ÀÅ¢Âõ/
¯¾¡õ÷¾Å…¢¦ÂºÉ‹/ ¡¾ý§ÉÉ¡¾¢¦Ã¡†¾¢/
All this is verily the Purusa.
All that which existed in the past or will come into being in future (is also
the Purusa). Also , he is the Lord of immortality. That which grows profusely
by food (is also Purusa)
3.
Etaavaanasya mahimaa/ ato
jyaamsca puurusah/ paado'sya visva bhuutaani/ tripaadasyaamrtam divi/
²¾¡Å¡ÉŠÂ Á¸£Á¡/ «§¾¡ ˆÂõŠº ÒÕº‹/
À¡§¾¡«ŠÂ Å¢ŠÅ ⾡ɢ/ òâÀ¡¾ŠÂ «õ÷¾õ ¾¢Å¢//
So much is his greatness .
However, the Purusa is greater than this. All the beings form only a quarter
(part of) him. The three-quarter part of his . is immortal, is established in
heaven
4.
Tripaaduurdhva udaitpurusah/
paado'asyehaabhavaatpunah/ tato visvaan vyakraamat/ saasanaanasane abhi/
òâÀ¡à÷òÅ ¯¨¼òÒÕº‹/ À¡§¾¡«Š¦Â†¡Å¡òÒÉ‹
/¾§¾¡ Å¢ŠÅ¡ý ùÂìÃÁò/ º¡ºÉ¡Éº§É «À¢//
The Purusa with the three
quarters (of his being) ascended above. His one quarter here became (this
world) again again. Then he pervaded this world comprising a variety of
sentient beings and insentient objects.
The parallels are unmistakable and
we can see a developmental trends here: The initial attempt in Sumerian times
to describe the metaphysical understanding of BEING in terms of the human
bodily form itself, certainly a primitive situation where the earthly
understanding f the familiar Human bodily structure is used in
METAPHORICAL WAY to understand BEING the incomprehensible but WHO is immanent
as well as transcendent and for this purpose the FIGURE is itself distorted
into a Super Human Being.
During the Prusha Suktam period this
gets elaborated in terms thousands of feet hand eyes and so forth. And the
period of Paripaadal, this gets elaborated to the limit and whereby HE is
noted to be just BEYOND any such attempts to measure out his form.
I have also shown that the language
of Purusha Suktam appears to be an evolute of Sumero Tamil. Putting all
these together we can say this:
There is a cultural continuity
between the sumerian and Tamils as evidenced by not only the language but also
cultural themes. If this prevedic culture is Agamism , then it follows that
Vedism of the variety of Purusha Suktam and related texts is something very
deeply influenced by this Agamism. Not only that : noting that Purusha Suktam
itself can be seen as ancient variant of Sumero Tamil, there must have
Dravidian folks closely related to the Sumerians who contributed substantially
to the later evolution of Vedism as well as Sanskrit language and now
constitute the basic core of Tamils.