द्रविडम्

यन्त्रोपारोपितकोशांशः

Purana Encyclopedia

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

DRAVIḌA(M) : (DRĀVIḌA). In ancient days the whole of South India was known by the name Tami- laka, as Tamil was the language used throughout South India. Strictly speaking, all the languages used in South India were given the name Tamil. The word ‘Tamil’ underwent changes in the language of North India and took the form ‘Drāvida’. Etymologists are of opinion that the changes that took place in the word Tamil were are follows:- Tamil--Damil--Damiḍ- -Dramiḍ--Draviḍ--Drāviḍ. Reference to the Drāviḍa country occurs in most of the Purāṇas. Mahābhārata states that Sahadeva, one of the Pāṇḍa- vas, sent a note for collecting taxes from the people of Drāvida. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 31, Stanza 71.

“There are other countries also in the southern Bhārata such as Dravida, Kerala, Prācya, Mūṣīka, Vanavāsīka Karṇāṭaka, Mahiṣaka, Vikalpa and Mūṣaka.” This statement (M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 9) throws light on the various countries which existed in South India at the time of Mahābhārata. In Bhāgavata, Skandha 10, it is mentioned that Kaṁsa, the uncle of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was the son of Dramila, a gandharva. (See under Kaṁsa).


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*6th word in right half of page 246 (+offset) in original book.