148 



Mr. Taylor on Professor Wilson's 



[July 



It is not strictly accurate to restrict the meaning of the term Dravira 

 desam to " the extreme southern portion of the east-part of the penin- 

 sula," a definition which is besides so loose that it must in strictness ex- 

 clude the Chola desa and Chera desa which it professes to include, and 

 shut out all, but the Pandya-desa, which alone and by itself answers 

 to the definition? The Dravida-desa would answer to our familiar use 

 of the term Peninsula as regards extent. The common division, in 

 reference to languages, which is made by intelligent natives into 

 the Panja-gauda, and Panja-dravida, gives to the latter a measure 

 co-extensive with the more classical term Dacshin, or the south. 

 I am acquainted with one native authority which limits the term 

 gravida to the country wherein the Tamil language is spoken, 

 fixing the northern boundary at Tripeti. Extreme minuteness of 

 remark is not in this particular of consequence. A little further on 

 the Professor has the following statement. " An adventurer named Pan- 

 " diya of the Veldlar, or agricultural tribe, first established himself in 

 " that portion of the south to which his name was afterwards assigned." 

 To this sentence is appended a note which gives the native Hindu 

 statement, heretofore followed by me, by adducing the Hari vansa and 

 Agni Pur ana as affording another, and as I conjecture better, account 

 than the above ; but rejecting their authority, as far as 1 can perceive, 

 for no other reason than the silence of the Vishnu Parana, or an 

 omission in its genealogy. But it is an established axiom in sound cri* 

 ticism that an omission is not a contradiction. The statement which 

 the Professor has thought fit to prefer to the native accounts has been 

 before sifted, and disproved. It may be as well, notwithstanding, where 

 to introduce a faithful translation of the context in which the discussed, 

 and disputed, passage occurs ; which is the following : 



" That same Rama the king of Ayodhya making himself responsible, 

 that the lying-legend ( Poyy ana-pur ana) which he had made concerning 

 this place called Ramesuram was the true way to go to (attain to) 

 heavenly bliss {Mbcsham) and having disseminated it widely in the 

 north country, and in other countries, the people of all countries with 

 great intensity of thought (zeal, or enthusiasm) went on this pilgrimage. 



" In this manner an ancient agriculturist ( Pdndiydndkira velldzhari) 

 of the north-country having set out on this Ramesvara pilgrimage came 

 (thither). While coming, having seen this southern Danda-aranya- 

 plain (wilderness of Dandaca) and this (Pandya?) wilderness plain, 

 with the goodness of soil of this land, and the great rivers in this wilder- 

 ness, and reflecting on the (degree of) fertility of soil in his own king- 

 dom in the north, and the (degree of) fertility in the soil of this un- 

 tilledland, perceiving further the goodness of this (latter) he arrived, and 

 having bathed at this Chethu (isthmus, or bridge) of Ramesuram, com- 

 pleting his pilgrimage, and having paid personal homage to Paradvd* 

 sa-rishif he proceeded, and arrived at his town in the north." 



