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Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Vayiraaviyaar-keeththu

வயிராவியார் கீத்து
Vayirāviyār Kīttu

Vayiraaviyaar+keeththu

The part (of paddy-field land) assigned to a Siva temple official

Vayiraaviyaar

a person or persons of a non-Brahmin Saiva religious order, associated with the administration and service of a Siva temple by hereditary commitment; identity of certain families that were traditionally associated with the administration and service (Thozhumpu) of the Siva temple at Thampalakaamam (Eezham Tamil, Trincomalee usage); Vayiraavi: a word cited as of Jaffna Tamil diction and equated to Vayiraaki (Tamil, Madras Tamil Lexicon); Vayiraakika'l: people of ascetic order in the administration or service of a Siva temple; often they were endowed with paddy-field land for their services (Tamil, inscriptions, 1201 CE, SII, xvii, 599); Vayiraagyar: Jaina ascetics who are firm in their commitment (Tamil, inscriptions, 771 CE, SII, v, 405); Vairaakkiyam: resoluteness, determination to get enlightenment (Tamil, Saiva literature, c. 5th century CE, Thirumoolar, 1585); Vairaagya: indifference to the world (Sanskrit, Upanishads, CDIAL 12144); Vearagga: freedom from passion (Prakrit, CDIAL 12144); Vayiraaki, Pairaaki: ascetic pilgrim from North India (colloquial Tamil, MTL); 1. Vajra: thunderbolt (Sanskrit, Rig Veda, CDIAL 11204); diamond (Sanskrit, Brahmanas, CDIAL 11204); Vajira: thunderbolt, diamond (Pali, CDIAL 11204); Vayara, Vaira: thunderbolt, diamond (Prakrit, CDIAL 11204); Vayiram: diamond (Tamil, Pura:Naanoo'ru, 365: 4); solidness, hardness, sharpness, enmity, strength (Tamil, literary usages); 2. Vaira: hostile, enmity (Sanskrit, Atharva Veda, CDIAL 12142); 3. Vai: sharpness, keenness, point (Tamil, DED 5552, Changkam diction, Ku'runthokai, 14: 2); Vayir: sharpness (Tamil, DED 5552); bamboo (Tamil, DED 5485, Aingku'ru:noo'ru, 395); a wind-pipe trumpeting instrument (Tamil, Natti'nai, 304: 3); 3. Vayiriyar: bards, singers and dancers (Tamil, Natti'nai, 100: 10; Paripaadal, 10: 130-131); 4. Vaya: strength, power (Tamil, DED 5254, Ku'runthokai, 88: 2); Vayam: power, might, victory, conquest (Tamil, DED 5254); Vayara or Vayra; a Tamil Brahmi pottery legend found at Porunthal in Tamil Nadu and is dated to 5th century BC. The word could be explained through both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan.

Keeththu

a part or portion of paddy-field land (Eezham Tamil, toponymic suffix found in land deeds, Trincomalee district); Keettu: slice, piece (Tamil, DED 1624); a frond of coconut palm leaf (Tamil usage); from Kee'ru: (verb) to slit, slice; (noun) slice, piece (Tamil, DED 1624); Koo'ru: section, division, part, share (Tamil, DED 1924);

Keeththu is a toponymic suffix noticed in the land-deed names of the paddy-field parts endowed to people in the service of the Siva temple at Thampalakaamam in the Trincomalee district.

The suffix is also of common usage in Thampalakaamam, as in the name Koayil-keeththu for the paddy-field part belonging to the temple. The Thampalakaamam Siva temple continued the traditions of the Siva temple of Trincomalee, when the Portuguese destroyed the latter.

The term Keeththu is a variant form of Keettu or Kee'ru, literally meaning a slice or piece in Tamil (DED 1624). In the context of the land name of this column, the suffix means a share or part. Another related term Koo'ru in Tamil means a section, division, part or share (DED 1924). This is the term that is commonly found in Tamil usage and in old inscriptions, in denoting a division of land. The use of Keeththu, coming from Kee'ru to denote a division of land seems to be peculiar to Trincomalee usage.

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Vayiraaviyaar is one of the identities of people who were in the service of the Siva temple at Thampalakaamam. Such service, rendered by hereditary commitment, was called Thozhumpu. The identity of Vayiraaviyaar families still survives at a locality called Kooddaam-pu'li, in the neighbourhood of the Thampalakaamam temple. Kaariyasthar (manager) was an alternative term used for Vayiraaviyaar in recent times (information from Mr Kasinathar Sivapalan).

Madras Tamil lexicon, citing Jaffna Dictionary for the word Vayiraavi, equates it with Vayiraaki. According to MTL, Vayiraaki and Pairaaki are colloquial Tamil terms for an ascetic pilgrim from North India.

However, in Tamil inscriptions of c. 12th century CE, we find references to Vayiraakika'l as Tamil ascetics in the service of Siva temples. There are also references to land endowments given to them.

Earlier inscriptional references, dating from 8th century CE, use the word Vayiraagyar in Tamil to mean Jaina ascetics of a strict order.

The Tamil Saiva text Thirumanthiram of Thirumoolar, dated to c. 5-6th century CE, uses the phrase Gnaana-vairaakkiyam to mean determination for enlightenment.

Vayiraaviyaar or Vayiraakkiyar therefore seems to have originally meant ascetic people who were resolute in their religious commitment and pursuits.

There is a strong possibility that Vayiraaviyaar in the context of Trincomalee district of the island were ascetics of Pasupatha Saiva order who became householders later, as this non-Brahmin order was the one that was originally associated with the Trincomalee temple (Koa'neasar Kalveddu).

In usage, form and religious context, the word Vairaakkiyam in Tamil corresponds to Vairaagya in Sanskrit, meaning indifference to the world (CDIAL 12144). However, the root Vayira or Vaira could be explained through both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan (see box above).

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Vayiraaki as a Siva temple ascetic:

“Vayiraakika'l iruvarkku ka'lach chaaththangkudiyil adaiththa nilam” (1201 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, xvii, 599)

“வயிராகிகள் இருவர்க்கு களச் சாத்தங்குடியில் அடைத்த நிலம்” (1201 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, xvii, 599)

The measure of land in the paddy field part of the Chaaththan-kudi village, endowed to two Vayiraakika'l (ascetics in the service of a Siva temple)

Vayiraakkiyar as Jaina ascetics:

“Padaarar u'l'liddup pathinmar vayiraagyarkku” (771 CE, SII, v, 405)

“படாரர் உள்ளிட்டுப் பதின்மர் வயிராக்₃யர்க்கு” (771 CE, SII, v, 405)

For ten Jaina ascetics (Vayiraagyar), including Padaarar (another type of Jaina ascetics

Vairaakkiyam meaning religious determination:

“Pakthiyum gnaana vairaakkiyamum para siththikku viththaam” (Thirumoolar, 1585)

“பக்தியும் ஞான வைராக்கியமும் பர சித்திக்கு வித்தாம்” (திருமூலர், 1585)

Devotion (to God) coupled with mental determination for enlightenment is the seed to bring in ultimate liberation

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Vayiraaviyaar-keeththu or Vairaaviyaar-keeththu is the deed name of a paddy-field part in Thampalakaamam in the Trincomalee district (noted by Pandit E. Vadivel, Editor's Preface to Koa'neasar Kalveddu, Thirukoneswaram, 2014)

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Related place names: (noted by Pandit E. Vadivel, citing land deeds in Trincomalee)

Maalai-kaddik-keeththu: The paddy-field part endowed to a garland maker (in the service of the temple); Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district

Mea'lakaaran-keeththu: The paddy-field part endowed to a Nadduva drummer; Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district

Pa'ndaari-keeththu: The paddy-field part endowed to a member of the temple service community; Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district

Kuyavan-keeththu: The paddy-field part endowed to a potter (in the service of the temple); Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district

Thampaddakaaran-keeththu: The paddy-field part endowed to a herald drummer (in the service of the temple); Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district

Thaddaan-keeththu: The paddy-field part endowed to a goldsmith (in the service of the temple); Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district

Koayil-keeththu: The paddy-field part belonging to the temple; Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district (information: Mr. K. Sivapalan, Trincomalee)

First published: Tuesday, 10 March 2015, 11:52