Saturday, May 16, 2020

Today's Tamil word - 16th May 2020 - ஆதாயம்/இழப்பு

Profit/Loss - லாபம்/நஷ்டம் (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word: - ஆதாயம்/இழப்பு

ஆதாயம் comes from root words ஆ and தா. ஆ means cow and தா is to give/provide.

Those days, cows were considered as family members and a symbol of wealth. A person was said to be rich depending on the number of cows he/she had.

The words ஆதரவு (ஆக்களைத் தருவது ஆதரவு - when someone gifts/donates cow) and ஆதாரம் (whatever achieved from this basic resource, the cow) became the word for support and livelihood respectively.

In the same vain, the benefits/money attained by possessing the cow's produce (like selling milk, ghee, butter etc) was called ஆதாயம், the profit from the ஆதாரம் (investment/basic resource)

This relationship and the status of the cow in the Tamil society, irrespective of/across religion, is continuing till today in the form of ஏறுதழுவல் (now popularly known as Jallikattu) a sport which isn't part of any other culture.

This sport is said to have been first played sometime between the 4th century BC to 1st century BC. Exactions from the Indus Valley civilisation sites have found symbols of this sport as coins, which suggests an older history to ஏறுதழுவல் and the proven link between Tamil and Indus civilisation.

Having to think of it, wonder if any other culture celebrates a festival (a cultural festival devoid of any religiousness) in the name of the cow. மாட்டுப் பொங்கல் is the Tamil festival to thank the cow for its services in the farm.


அண. நாகப்பன்



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