Subject:[world-vedic] Re:scope of dravidism
Date:15.2.2004 22:19
From:"vrnparker" <vrnparker@yahoo.com>
To:vediculture@yahoogroups.com
          
--- In VFA-family@yahoogroups.com, vedicinst@a... wrote:
REPLY FROM DR DAVID FRAWLEY/VAMADEV SHASTRI

> The number of Dravidisms -- in all aspects of the language including 
> phonology -- increased in the post-Rigvedic era

There is no record of an Dravidian languages before the early 
centuries BCE. Whatever are so-called Dravidisms in the the Vedic 
language are speculative reconstructions of modern linguists, who 
often are not adept in Dravidian languages themselves and have little 
sense of the mantric power of Vedic Sanskrit. 

The oldest and most central of the Dravidian rishis and founder of 
Tamil grammar is Agastya, who also has 25 hymns in the Rig Veda and 
appears as the older brother of Vasishta, the greatest Vedic rishi.

Even the oldest Dravidian Sangam literature mentions Krishna and 
speaks of Dravidian kings as descendants of the Yadus. Dravida in 
Indian parlance is a regional term for people in South India. It does 
not designate any separate racial or religious group. So what exactly 
is meant by Dravidism is a matter of doubt.

Vamadeva