Om in Sumeria

The Origin of AUM In Sumeria.

It took me several days of deep thinking to realize that in the  Sumerian Temple Hymn 31 we have the elements of fully matured Mantrayana with Om recognized as the Primordial Logos and connected with Nanti, the Heavenly Bull. So I thought I should write about this which if true would clinch the fact that Saivism was already almost fully matured in the Third  Millennium BC itself and that the historical Saivism where Kailash , located in the Himalayas is a continuation of this Sumerian culture.

Ka-zal-lu and Kailasam

First we begin by noting that the city of  Ka-zal-lu can in fact be the present Kailasam also shortened as Kayilai, the abode of Siva and Sakti and located in the Himalayas.   But this Ka-zal-lu appears to be a huge and tall  mountain  touching the sky and may in fact be the Himalayas.

This follows from the line below where ‘ka-zal-la’ is to be “an-sa-ga’ (in the midst of sky) or as I take it as something that reaches the sky.

1 (396)

ka-zal-lu mus-zu an-sa-ga ( Kazallu your . . . (is) in the midst of the sky)

Ta. kasallu mudi ju vaan- saGka ( Kazallu your head joins the sky)

கசல்லு முடி ஜு வான் சங்க

I am inclined towards the interpretation I have given because  I take the meaning  of ‘mus-du” as mudi-ju’ ( your head). Thus ka-zal-la appears to be  a tall mountain that reaches the sky. 

Linguistically we can see the transformations as follows: ka-zal-la = ka-sal-la > kasallam> (metathesis) kalaasam > kailaasam . It is this which is abbreviated into kayilai etc. We may also connect with this “kalasam’ the huge pot-like structure placed at the very top of the Kopuram and which is one of the most sacred part of the temple. This globular Kalasam may in fact be a representation of Kailaasam, the Heavens.

Can all these be taken as evidences for the spread of SumeroTamils from the Himalayan region or at least a region where they were familiar with the Himalayas. e.g Harappa ? For I think around Sumeria there were no such mountains.

Ninda and Nanti

Now another fascinating detail in connection with this  identification is the mention of Ninda which is quite unmistakably the Nanti, the Divine Bull of wide occurrence in the deep past and which is continued to this day in connection with Siva worship and where Nanti is also in the puraNas the guardian deity of Kailaasam.

>>>>>>>>>> 

3(398)

nun-[zu] a- ninda x[x]x-a am-e tu-da ( (your) prince (is) the seed of a (the) steer, engendered by a wild ox  . .  [ . . ] . .  )

Ta. Nun  ju aal nanti x[x]xa amaa-ee todda ( Your Lord is a powerful bull, given birth to by the wild cow  . . . )

நுன் ஜு ஆல் நந்தி x[x]x]-அ அமாவே தொட்ட 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

The ‘am-e’ can certainly  be Ta. ammee, the Great Mother and which may be the root of Uma, the consort of Siva. The ‘a-ninda’ is Ta. ‘aal nanti’ the powerful (aal) bull (Nanti). It is interesting that Saivites  call Siva  also Nanti in view of the fact He also takes the form of Bull

Thus is confirmed further, I think, by the following line

>>>>>>>> 

4(399)

(alim-m]ah igi-gun en zu-pirig-ga  ( A great (bison) with speckled eyes, a lord with the teeth of a lion)

Ta. aalim maah imai-kan-a eeN ji-u piliku-a ) ( A great water-buffalo ? with fiery eyes , lord of even the tigers?)

ஆலிம் மாஹ் இமி கன்.அ ஏண் ஜிஉ பிரிக்க 

>>>>>>>> 

Here ‘alim mah’ may be actually ‘aalim maa’ i.e something very  broad or strong ( Ta. aal-im ) and huge (maa) and which immediately reminds us the attempts in historical times to build HUGE Nanti and very often out of a single rock. We see such Nanti-s  even today in many Siva temples in South India. Now the ‘zu-pirig-ga “ can also be “suu piraGka’ ( shining with pure light: and which goes better with ‘igi-gun’ (resplendent eyes)

It is against such an identification of Nanti that the true meaning of the following important line emerged.

>>>>>>>>>> 

5(400)

[umbin]-se-ba amar su-ti-a ( Who snatches the calf with (his) [cla]ws )

Ta. Ombi-in isaiba amar sootiya ( Who recits this mantra sound Om (Ombi-in-isai), lights up(sutiya) deathlessness (amar)

  Or :

Those who recite the sound Om, (activates deathless Light in the body) and becomes radinat(amar su-ti-a)

ஓம்பி-இன் இசைப அமர் சோதிய 

>>>>>>>>> 

The ‘um = Om” cannot be the claws for the  deity talked about is the Bull and not a bird like Garuda and so forth. In Su. we have ‘-u-a am-mi-de ‘ ( Ta. O-a idu-aamma)  where ‘u-O’ is certainly the sound ‘oh’ . In such expressions as “ u dalla-e-a ‘we have Ta. u, oL, uL etc i.e. radiant light. Thus it is clear that ‘um =Om’ is the sound “oom” and which perhaps is recognized through the bellowing sound of the bulls around.  Now  ‘se-ba’ taken as Ta. isai-ba” ascertains that ‘um= Om’ is the sound that is being talked about. Now the phrase ‘amar su-ti-a’ clinches the fact that the Om is the Mantra sound, the Primordial Logos, the Om that is analytically understood as “ A-U-M’ the union of akaaram and ukaaram, syllables of the Siva Tatvas Natam and Bindu. Here in “amar su-ti-a”  the su-ti as in  Su me su-ti , i.e. Ta, sooti  is  brilliant light.  In view of this ‘amar’ has to be ‘deathless-ness, immortality’ and so forth i.e. amar as amar-ar : the immortals, the celestial beings. It can also be taken to qualify the su-ti itself, i.e. the su-ti that is deathless.

If this is acceptable, as I think it is, there is already a recognition here  that the Om is not only  the Mantra  Sound but also Deathless Radiance - a Pure Light always there , the ‘u-dalla-e-a’ but now also understood as deathless, immortal, always there , Nityam etc.

The Recitation of Om

It appears that SumeroTamils not only discovered the Logos Om but also the sadhana of  Om-recitation for gaining the deepest metaphysical illuminations. The following lines are evidences for that

>>>>>>>> 

6(401)

[tu-tu-ba-lu] su-ti-a ( Who catches [a man in his net]

Ta. tuuttuba uLu -sootiya ( Illuminates those people who utter it *tuuttu-bi-a)

துதிப உளு சோதிய 

Tu-tu : Ta. tuti : to praise, recite etc. Su. du(g)-du(g) . du-du : id. Also Su. tu : to chant

7(402)

[kala-ga gu-ab-ba] su-ti-a (  [The strong one] who snatches [the bull]

Ta. kalai-ka  kuuvappa sootiya ( The art of uttering  that gains inner light)

கலைக கூவப்ப சோதிய 

>>>>>>>>>>> 

Here the ‘tu-tu-ba’ is certainly Ta. tutiba where ‘tuti’ means to praise, worship, recite etc. It also exists in Su as du-du related Su dug > Ta. tuukku)  and Su. tu etc. This makes the meaning of kala-ga as Ta. kala-kan, kalainjan etc the artist or the dance-priest. Thus ‘gu-ab-ba; has to be Ta., kuuvappa where we have also Su, gu (> Ta. kuuv) to call out, cry and so forth. So we can see that there was the art of RECITING the mantra Om and in order to enjoy deep metaphysical illuminations the ‘su-ti-a”

Concluding Remarks

This hymn, brief as it is , already clearly shows that around 2300 BC itself the SumeroTamils already had an understanding of  Om, the Primordial Logos and that they had instituted the Mantra Sadhana of Om recitation as the most useful technique for enjoying the deepest metaphysical illumination, the Njaanam. It also appears locally they identified this sound as the bellowing sound of  the  bull  and hence probably located the Divine Bull, the Nanti as the deity of this Om and the Kailash as the metaphysical realms where this Nanti resides. It also appears that Ka-zal-la is actually the Kailaasam is located in the Himalayas and which suggests that the Sumerians are probably Tamil folks who probably migrated from Harappa and transplanted Tantrism in Sumeria.

These ideas are put forward as matters for further research.

Loga

Sumerian Temple Hymns 31

1 (396)

ka-zal-lu mus-zu an-sa-ga ( Kazallu your . . . (is) in the midst of the sky)

Ta. kasallu mudi ju vaan- saGka ( Kazallu your head joins the sky)

கசல்லு முடி ஜு வான் சங்க

mus : Ta, mudi (, mushi? ) : head , the hair on the head.

an-sa-ga : Ta. vaan(aan) saGka : joins (saGka) the sky (vaan, aan)

2(397)

su-du-ag x x u-e-gub-ba (  . . . .  standing to be admired)

Ta. suudu-aak.u x x uuvee kuppa ( Lit with camphor  . . . that installs bright light)

சூடு ஆக்.உ x x  ஊவே குப்ப

Su-du-ag :  Ta. suudu-aak.u  that which can be lighted up to produce light . Also Ta. suudam : camphor that is lighted as part of temple ritual.

u-e gub-ba : Ta. uuvee (light) gets installed (kuppa) . Ta. uu, uL, oL etc; Pure light. Kuppu : to crowd around, to stand firm . See also Ta. kumpla: to crowd around, a gathering

3(398)

nun-[zu] a- ninda x[x]x-a am-e tu-da ( (your) prince (is) the seed of a (the) steer, engendered by a wild ox  . .  [ . . ] . .  )

Ta. Nun  ju aal nanti x[x]xa amaa-ee todda ( Your Lord is a powerful bull, given birth to by the wild cow  . . . )

நுன் ஜு ஆல் நந்தி x[x]x]-அ அமா தொட்ட

a-ninda : Ta. aal nanti : aal :powerful , strong etc Ta. nanti : the bull, the vehivle of Lord Siva

am-e : Ta. amaa: wild cow

tu-da  : Ta. todu: to shape, built etc. Ta. todda : a verbal participial form of of the verb ‘todu”

It emerges that the deity of the this temple Numusda is actually the bull, with sharp and tall  horns

4(399)

(alim-m]ah igi-gun en zu-pirig-ga  ( A great (bison) with speckled eyes, a lord with the teeth of a lion)

Ta. aalim maah imai-kan-a eeN ji-u piliku-a ) ( A great water-buffalo ? with fiery eyes , lord of even the tigers?)

ஆலிம் மாஹ் இமி கன்.அ ஏண் ஜிஉ பிரிக்க

alim : Ta. aal-im : Ta. aal : water and hence aalim  isperhaps the water-buffalo that lives in the waters.

igi -gun : Ta.  iGi kan ; fiery eyes , iGi> imi> imai : eyes. gun> gan > kan , kanal : to burn and radiate heat

pirig-ga ; Ta. piri , viri> vari : stripes . pirig-ga : the striped creatures and hence tigers. Ta. piri> pili> puli: tiger.

zu-pirigga : Ta. jii-u prikku-a : that which separates life and hence that which kills? Ta. piri: to separate. See uyir pirital : to die ie, the life separated from the body.

Notes: If my readings of the following lines are acceptable, it would follow that even in Sumerian times (around 2300 BC) there was already  the recitation of the mantra “Om” and where it was understood as that which  provides the Njanam that defeats death. It also appears to be connected with the worship of the Bull, the Nanti, the vehicle  of Siva. Interestingly  the place where this temple was located is Ka-zal-la and from which we may have  the Kayilai, the mountain where Siva resides.

5(400)

[umbin]-se-ba amar su-ti-a ( Who snatches the calf with (his) [cla]ws )

Ta. Ombi-in isaiba amar sootiya ( Who his mantra sound Om (Ombi-in-isai), lights up(sutiya) deathlessness (amar)

ஓம்பி-இன் இசைப அமர் சோதிய

Umbin-se : Ta. oombi-in-isai :  Ta. Om : the root mantra-syllable “Om’ that is widely prevalent to this day.  Se> Ta. isai . It is also rendered as ;isi-es, es’ etc in Sumerian literature. 

We have ‘u’ as radiant light as in “u-dall-e-a” and the sound O as in ‘u-a am-ma-idee’ and so forth.  Thus ‘u’ as light ( Ta. uL, oL, oLi eyc) is combined here with the sound ‘u> O “ and rendered as “um> Om”

amar : Ta. amar; deathlessness, amarar; the celestial beings who live forever. Na-mari> a-mari> amar. Ta. mari: to die

su-ti-a > Ta. sootiya : to light up. Ta. sooti , Su. su-ti : flame .

See  Temple Hymn 10

2(136)

eden muru sa-ta me su-ti ( plain (with) heavy clouds, taking the me’s from its midst)

Ta. eetil muru saaytta mey cooti ( Plain that brilliant and in the interior of which burns the true Radiance)

  ஏதில் முரு சாய்த்த மெய் சோதி

Thus if this alternate reading is correct we have in Sumerian times itself the Om and related both to the sound ‘u > O” and to the light “ u> Ol, oN) etc.  The deep metaphysical notion that the mantra-sould Om, lights up Njanam and with that blesses the souls with immortality (amarattuvam) seems to have prevailed in Sumerian times itself i.e. around 2300 BC.

6(401)

[tu-tu-ba-lu] su-ti-a ( Who catches [a man in his net]

Ta. tuuttuba uLu -sootiya ( Illuminates those people who utter it *tuuttu-bi-a)

துதிப உளு சோதிய

Tu-tu : Ta. tuti : to praise, recite etc. Su. du(g)-du(g) . du-du : id. Also Su. tu : to chant

7(402)

[kala-ga gu-ab-ba] su-ti-a (  [The strong one] who snatches [the bull]

Ta. kaaLaika kuuvappa sootiya ( The Bull which its cry lights up)

காளைக கூவப்ப சோதிய

nala : Ta. kaaLai : the bull, the strong one

gu-ab-ba : Ta. kuuv: to cry, call out etc. kuuv-abba.>kuu-avva : its cry

Note ; In Savism to this day the Nanti (<Su. ninda above) is symbolized as the BULL, the kaaLai here. It appears  that the bellowing sound of such bulls is taken as the local token of the mystical mantra-syllable Om,  This may explain why the Nanti is taken as the vehicle of Siva

7(402)

x[x x x x-g]-gi x- gal-la a sum-mu (  . . [ . . .] . . who gives strength to the  . . .]

Ta. x [x x x-g]-gi x-gal-la a sum-mu  ( “ )

x[x x x]  மீ.மீ  x- கால்ல ஆல் சும்மு

8( 403)

kun-sa-tu en-gal (d) nu-mus-da-ke  ( The great lard Numusda has, O ladder (leading up) to the mountain)

Ta. kunnu seettu eeNkaL (d) nuumusdakee ) The great Lord Numusda, helps to reach the peak)

குன்னு சேத்து ஏண்கள் (தெய்) நூமூஸ¤த்த

kun : Ta. kun, kunnu < , kunRu) ; the hill

Sa-tu ‘ Ta seettu: that which helps to attain, enjoin etc.

9(404) refrain

10 ( 405)

e-(d) nu-mus-da ka-zal-la  ( The house of Numusda in Kazalla)

Ta. el (d) nuumuusaththa ka-sal-la ( the temple of Nuumuusittha in Kasalla)

இல் (தெய்) நூமூசித்த கயில்ல 

ka-zal-la> kasalla> kayalla> kayilai?

Ullaganar 

2005.

( editing and re-paragraphing by his student )