Tag Sanatana Dharma

People who were living North of Vindhyas were not seemingly unaware of the existence of the Great Culture that was thriving in the Dravida, meaning South, part of India , The South of Vindhya ranges.

Viswamitra, banished his 52 sons to Dravida for having disobeyed and questioned him to the Dravidian Region.

They found a superior culture, if not on par with the Vedic culture to be thriving there.

They found that , of all the civilizations known then , The Tamils were the only Culture, who were so evolved that they ascribed five landmasses in their territory, ascribed Gods, birds.Animals, Palnts, Lifestyle to each of these Divisions, this was explained in Agathiyam , Thokappiyam , the ancient Grammatical works of the Tamil language, dated some five thousands years!

Curious fact is that these Tamil texts quote Vedas and they , in turn, quote, the Tamils!

Please read my post, Million year Old Tamil quotes Vedas and They quote Tamil.'

The great Tamil Chera King Nedunchearalaathan was the man who fed both the armies of the Mahabharata War, Kauravas and Pandavas.

He had been addressed as P'erunchotru Udiyan' one who fed many number of Stomachs-Nedunchotru Uthiyan Neduncheralaathan was how he was called.

He donated 100 veli( one veli= 100 acres) of land to Brahmins on the condition that he should see the Homa Smoke in the morning from this area every morning!

( source.History of Tamils By PT.Srinivasa Iengar)

There are references to Arjuna marrying a Princess from Madurai on his pilgrimage.

Now coming back to Viswamitra's sons.

The sons of Viswamitra mingled with the Tamils and followed the Tamil Customs.

Their descendant , Apasthamaba, combined the best of Tamil practices and the Sanatana Dharma ad compiled the Apashamba Sutra, which is practiced by the Brahmins even to-day(Apasthamba Sutra)

One notable custom is the inclusion of Mangaya Dharana, Thali in a Marriage, which is not found in Vedic Marriages.

In Santana Dharma, marriage is complete with the performance of Panigrahana and Sapthapati.

And the wearing of 'Metti', wring worn around the toe of the leg of Man was practiced among the Tamils, to indicate that he was married.(women were decribed as not looking at Men in the Face!)

This custom was changed to Women by Apasthamba.