Devaneya Pavanar

Devaneya Pavanar (also known as G. Devaneyan, Ñanamuttan Tevaneyan; 7 February 1902 – 15 January 1981) was an Indian scholar who wrote over 35 research volumes on Tamil language and literature. Additionally, he was a staunch proponent of the "Pure Tamil movement" and initiated the Etymological Dictionary Project primarily to bring out the roots of Tamil words and their connections and ramifications with Nostratic studies.

In his 1966 Primary Classical language of the World, he argues that the Tamil language is the "most natural" and also a proto-world language, being the oldest language of the world, from which all other major languages of the world are derived. He believed that its literature, later called Sangam literature and usually considered to have been written from 200 BCE and 300 CE, spanned a huge period from 10,000 to 5,500 BCE. Mainstream linguists, geologists and historians do not subscribe to his theories.

Devaneya Pavanar composed many musical pieces (Isaik kalambakam) and many noteworthy poems, including the collection of Venpa. The title was conferred on him by the Tamil Nadu State Government in 1979, and he was also addressed as Dravida Mozhi nool Nayiru ("Sun of Dravidian languages").

Biography Gnanamuthu Devaneyan Pavanar was a Tamil professor at Municipal College, Salem, from 1944 to 1956. From 1956 to 1961, he was the head of Dravidian department at Annamalai University. He was a member of the Tamil Development and Research Council, set up by the Nehru government in 1959, entrusted with producing Tamil school and college textbooks. From 1974, he was director of the Tamil Etymological Project, and he acted as president of the International Tamil League, Tamil Nadu. (U. Tha. Ka.).

The Chennai District Central Library is named after Devanaya Pavanar and is located at Anna Salai, Chennai.

Views on Tamil versus Sanskrit "Lemuria" according to Pavanar, connecting Madagascar, South India and Australia (covering most of the Indian Ocean). Mount Meru stretches southwards from Sri Lanka. Pavanar's Vadamoli Varalaru argues that hundreds of Sanskrit words can be traced to a Tamil origin, and at the same time he insisted that pure Tamil equivalents existed for Sanskrit loan words. He claimed that Tamil is a "superior and more divine" language than Sanskrit. In his view the Tamil language originated in "Lemuria" , the cradle of civilisation and place of origin of language. He believed that evidence of Tamil's antiquity was being suppressed by Sanskritists.

Pavanar's timeline for the evolution of mankind and Tamil is as follows: ca. 500,000 BC: origin of the human race, ca. 200,000 to 50,000 BC: evolution of "the Tamilian or Homo Dravida ", c. 200,000 to 100,000 BC, beginnings of Tamil c. 100,000 to 50,000 BC, growth and development of Tamil, 50,000 BC: Kumari Kandam civilisation 20,000 BC: A lost Tamil culture on Easter Island which had an advanced civilisation 16,000 BC: Lemuria submerged 6087 BC: Second Tamil Sangam established by a Pandya king 3031 BC: A Chera prince wandering in the Solomon Islands saw wild sugarcane and started cultivation in Tamil Nadu. 1780 BC: The Third Tamil Sangam established by a Pandya king 7th century BC: Tolkāppiyam, the earliest extant Tamil grammar

In the preface to his 1966 book The Primary Classical Language of the World he wrote:

In a chapter entitled Tamil more divine than Sanskrit, Pavanar gives the reasons why he judges Tamil to be "more divine" than Sanskrit, arguing for "Primary Classicality of Tamil", he enumerates:

Tamil Language Sanskrit Language Primitive and original. Derivative. Spoken and living language. Semi-artificial literary dialect. Scriptural studies exoteric. Scriptural studies esoteric. Inculcation of cosmopolitanism. Division of society into numerous castes on the basis of birth and parentage. Admission of all to asceticism. Holding higher education common to all. Encouragement of gifts to all the poor and needy. Enjoinment on the donors to give only to the Sanskritists. Love of truth. Love of imposture and plagiarism. Laying of emphasis on love, as means of attaining eternal bliss. Laying of emphasis on knowledge, as means of attaining union with the universal soul. Having a system of sacrifices to minor deities as religion. Having monotheistic Saivism and Vaisnavism as religions. Literary description natural. Literary description imaginary.

Publishing history The Central Plan Scheme for Classical Tamil of the Centre of Excellence for Classical Tamil recommends "To publish the translated but not yet published Sattambi Swamigal's Adhibhasa which seeks to establish that Tamil is the most ancient language. When published, it will provide an impetus to Pavanar's findings"

The literary works and books of Pavanar have been "nationalised" by the Government of Tamil Nadu in the course of the "Golden Jubilee year of National Independence" (2006). This means that the copyright for Pavanar's work is now owned by the state of Tamil Nadu, his legal heirs having been compensated financially.

Awards and honours A Silver plate presented to him by the Tamil Peravai, Salem in 1955 in appreciation of his service to Tamil. A Copper Plate presented to his by the Governor of Tamil Nadu 1960 in appreciation of his contribution to the collection of administrative terms in Tamil. In October 2007, a memorial was installed at Madurai by the Government of Tamil Nadu in honour of Devaneya Pavanar.

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Devaneya Pavanar award Devaneya Pavanar award was instituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu to honour the legacy of this renowned Tamil scholar.