POTHURAJU, A Calumniated Pre-Vedic Deity
- DAKSHIN CULT
- Nov 30, 2024
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 24
This article is dedicated to “All the Adherents of the Buffalo Cult!”
I. PREFACE
By the decree of God, I present you this book, which is a result of various studies by historians, which helped me brew a concoction based on all their research and also not forgetting the ‘people’ who served as sources of lost folklores. A conglomeration of all these reports, shook my religious beliefs. I do not intend to offend any person or religion in this endeavor.
I hear by share this book, for the young and elderly, eager to understand and witness the changes that occurs by time, leading us to an uncertain destination.
II. INTRODUCTION
This research is about how, very few Pre-Vedic deities multiply themselves into various sects, cults and forms in accordance to the locations and native names as their key of acceptance. Though their shrines are now sanskritized and magnificent, these deities were once accessible to common man and their back stories simple. Until the Vedic Gods made their way through the Puranas, turning all the Tutelary Deities into Demi-Gods, who were classified as those who serve the supreme Puranic Gods.
There are historians and scholars who are putting out the facts of these Pre-Vedic deities and their survival, a result of the struggles their devotees went through.
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In a country like India that’s culturally diverse, there is always a battle amongst castes and races to prove themselves the cream of the society.
The haughty sects are those who won this battle, either by strength or “by any means necessary”. Though survival becomes secondary, holding the higher status is always envisioned as a sign of respect by human race.
Things get dark, when “hunt for hunger” becomes “hunting for sport”. When the remnants decay, the picture never looks pleasant. Unfortunately, this is what happens during the process of maintaining the higher stature in society. Falling prey to this battle are cultures and deities of those under.
One such deity is the topic of discussion recently.
III. A HUNT
A hunt for what’s lost. A pastoral deity who has various names in various regions. Stories of this deity has too many versions depending on the cultural exchanges, native languages and a hint of imagination in folklores.
Few of this deity’s names are:
Mhasoba/ Mhaskoba/ Mhatoba
Pothuraju/ Pothiraja
Karuppusamy
Sudalaimadan
Pavadairayan
Vishnu Maya/ Sathan Swamy
Mula Maysondayya/ Maisonday
Bhootharaja
Uramma and Marikambe – Buffalo/ Emme
Betal/ Vetal
Gorla
Mahisasura
Yamantaka/ Vajra-Bhairav
He is considered as the deity of the ignoble compared to the Puranic or Vedic deities. The topic is too vast to comprehend, hence we are going to take this step by step for easier understanding.
In this, there are numerous stories associated with each name of the same deity. There was once a period where nomads, tribes of various kind and diverse cults walked on this land. They coexisted without having to prove the superiority of their deities and belief systems.
These deities never needed an ‘invoking process’ nor any rules or rituals for installation. While the Aryans believed that an idol needed to be given its first breath through Sanskrit hymns by the Brahmin priests. They also believe till date, that through Mantras and rituals, an idol or the divine itself can be purified. This very idea of the Aryans is grotesque. They firmly believe that God is obliged to Sanskrit hymns and abide by the Brahmin rituals, whereas the pre-vedic deities are believed to be unbound and independent. Every man that walked on this very land had a deity associated with him or his bloodline, and these deities were believed to be the benevolent spirits of their ancestors, who would protect them when they surrendered themselves. Now, let’s go through the theology of Deccan deities, with different versions of each/ same.
Chapter 1: MHASOBA
First of the most misinterpreted pre-vedic deity, which was later absorbed into puranas and portrayed as the most unpleasant entity.
The Name “MHAS/ MHASO” originates from “MAHIS” (buffalo) which later becomes Mahish/ Mahisha, “BA” - a word used to address someone respectfully.
Though there are numerous temples for Mhasoba all over Maharastra, India, there are no background stories of the Deity’s origin. But in Maharastra, He is considered to be one of the most popular deities among certain clans. He also has a lot of folk stories.
Mhasoba or Mhatoba in Telugu states: The POTHURAJU.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 2: POTHURAJU
The migrating shepherds and cowherds are seen moving around the subcontinent in every direction, in search of food and pastoral land for grazing.
When this bunch entered the Telugu region, ’Mhasoba’ became ‘POTHURAJU’. The literal translation of “POTHU” is Buffalo or Cattle and “RAJU” means King. Here He becomes the KING OF BUFFALOES. He again is addressed as Pothuraju, Pothurayudu, Pothulayya, Pothulingudu etc. Again the name Pothulingudu signifies the idea, of being adopted by the Shaivaites.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 3: KARUPPU
KARUPPU/ KARUPPUSAMY is a complex perplexing topic – to simplify the idea of Karuppu, we must understand the concept of two different variations known so far.
First – Karuppu, the primordial one that actually traces back to Pothiraja cult.
Secondly – Karuppu, warrior men who lost their lives for a noble cause, sacrifice, trying to guard an ‘Ajivika’ guru or death by aspersion. This category includes various deities with a prefix of the weapons of their expertise or by locations, granting them all with the common title ‘Karuppu’. As Karuppu was a term or a recognition for those who were guards. This category also includes a few ‘Puli-Kutti-Kal Deities’, a hero who martyred trying to save his herd from wild animals.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 4: SUDALAI
This deity also has a puranic birth story. When Parvati wanted a child badly, she is guided by Siva to observe fasting while seated in front of a lamp. While doing so, she tried to adjust the wick of the lamp, during which the lamp scintillates and a spark falls on her lap, out of which MADAN is born (Spark-Tamil-Sudar-Sudalai). Again the suffix MAADAN, to all those associated with the stories of Siva can be commonly seen. The story goes on that, .....
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 5: PAVADAIRAYAN
The story of Pavadairayan, keeps us wondering about how the name itself is giving Pothuraju a new identity, His story is as goes –
He is born to ‘Periyandavar’ and ‘Periyandachi’ (no specific names mentioned anywhere, hence these names should have been a title to address a chief or a captain of a tribe), who are the chiefs of a ‘decoit’ clan, the region where they existed is still speculated. This childless couple pray to Siva, who at that time was wandering and begging. It so happened that the arrogant Brahma’s fifth head was slayed by Siva and Brahma’s skull stuck to Siva’s hand and was cursed to feed himself through alms.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 6: VISHNUMAYA CHATHAN
Residing in ‘Perungottakara’ near Trisur – KL, is the ‘Vishnumaya Chathan’ temple. ‘CHATHAN’ should have been a corrupt pronunciation of ‘SATHAN’. The Arabs who stayed at the Malabar region, were the reason of cultural exchange and conversions. When ‘Mappilla’ community grew in number, their new religious beliefs spread in Kerala, similarly the deities of Kerala became the ghosts of the Arab nations. As idol worship is strictly prohibited in Islam, the local tantric deity of Kerala i.e., ‘SATHAN’ had to face calumny in the west. He was called ‘SHATHAN’, later ‘SHAITHAN’ by the Muslims, finally ‘SATAN’ in the Biblical texts.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 7: MULA MAYSONDAYYA
In the ‘Karavali’ region of Karnataka, ‘Tulunad’, ‘South Canara’, ‘Kodagu’ and northern most parts of Kerala, Bhoota-kola art is widely practiced. Bhoota-kola is a celebration of the spirits of the deceased and powerful divine spirits. Here Mula-Maysondayya plays a very important role, he is considered one of the most powerful bhootas. Nowadays, in some places. ‘NANDIKONA-BHOOTA’, which is a form of ‘Nandi’ or the bull-spirit is often confused with Maysonday-bhoota for various reasons, which lack logic. Although there are many common deities among the Bhoota and Theyyam performances, .....
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 8: BHOOTHARAJA
A classic example of how various influences create various identities for the same persona. This deity has been influenced by various sects for every 100 KMS in the state of Karnataka giving rise to different genres of him. Starting from the pre-vedic period to the ‘Dwaita Philosophy’ of the Madhavas, has given birth to different flavors of Bhootharaja.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 9: URAMMA & MARIKAMBE – BUFFALO/ EMME/ KONA
URAMMA:
She is a village deity, to whom devotees sacrifice a buffalo annually. She is a tutelary deity to many lower caste communities. It is said that she was married to a buffalo king earlier, whom she later kills. Hence a buffalo is married to the goddess every year, sacrificing the previous one. The blood is collected in a brass utensil as a part of ritual and the head is placed at the deity’s feet just like the case of ‘BULKAMPET YELLAMMA TEMPLE’ (which is now banned). Although these practices have been brought to an end, there are villages even now practicing this ritual. The village goddesses are often associated with water buffalo sacrifices due to their marriage with a male deity ‘Buffalo King’. Initially, a buffalo is carefully selected .....
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
MARIKAMBE/ MARIAMMA:
In this story we see that, how a goddess (village/ tribal deity) is absorbed into the Aryan puranas. The goddess like ‘NRITTI’, ‘KALI’, ‘MAARI’, ‘URAMMA’ etc. become the wives of Siva and they turn against the non-brahmin crowd in some cases. This demeaning act was done to establish the superiority of the Aryan Brahmins over the natives. Such changes are still witnessed in temples and poojas where a Janehu/ Janjyam/ Poonool is put on to the idols by the Brahmin priests to claim their rights over the deities. In some cases, they create stories about these ‘native deities’, to be born in Brahmin communities.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
RENUKA as ‘Yellamma’/ ‘Gangamma’:
The puranic story describes her marital struggle with sage Jamadagni. She mothers four children, sometimes three, in some versions fourteen. She is described as the sexual energy of the Universe, where she demands her husband for sexual satisfaction, who fails her as he grew older. She is then punished for desiring a Yaksha (sometimes Gandharva), by her husband. Jamadagni then commands his son to decapitate Renuka. Her head is worshipped as ‘Mari’, ‘Yellamma’, ‘Gangamma’ etc. She is the goddess of rain, fertility and guardian of the frontiers where she blocks evil spirits, famine and plague from entering a village, just like ‘Pidari’ and ‘Ilakkumi’.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 10: BETAL/ VETAL
STORIES IN THE LAND OF KONKAN
In the northern parts of Karnataka, from Karwar extending up to Goa, which also includes parts of Maharastra, lies the land of Konkan, where Pothuraju/ Karuppu/ Madan becomes ‘BETAL BABA’. There are historical evidences that the ‘Kadamba’ kings worshipped Betal. Betal is misunderstood by people as ‘a corpse hanging upside down’ OR ‘an illusionary corpse’. Betal is the name given to this deity, to describe His wit, wisdom, valor, fierce and destructive energy. We can see a lot of similarities in the description of this deity with other Grams-Devatas like Karuppu and Madan.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 11: GORLA
STORIES IN THE LAND OF GUJARAT & RAJASTHAN
The ‘Jat’ community and the ‘Rajputs’ of Rajasthan and Gujarat worship ‘Mawli’, very similar to the concept of ‘Sati-Asaras’/ ‘Sapta-Kanyas’/ ‘Siri’ etc., not many stories are known about ‘Gorla & Mawli’. Here Gorla is always seen with His elder sister Mawli and six other sisters whose names vary according to locations and tales.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 12: MAHISARURA
STORIES AND BELIEFS IN CHATTISGARH, JHARKHAND, BENGAL
In the year 2016, a HRD (Human Resources and Development) minister of ruling party in India, churned a heated debate against the tribal, SC, ST and other minority groups. According to her understanding, goddess Durga was a puranic hero or savior while a tribal god like Mahisha had no significance. The minister’s comment displayed her lack of knowledge about the vast, diverse culture of our country.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 13: BHAIRAV, the smuggled concept of Pothuraju?
The altered identity of Pothuraju is not new, He becomes Bhairav in some places, whereas Veera Bhadhra in few, he becomes a hero in folklores, a villain in the puranas. When the (puranas) Aryans could not impose their ideas on a deity, they split a character in two, where one becomes the villain and another becomes a savior. There are too many examples as such.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
Chapter 14: YAMANTAKA
During the formation of ‘Mahayana’ philosophy in Buddhism, the Buddhist Brahmin cult introduced the idea of ‘Bhairav’ or ‘the wrathful Siva’, he was incorporated into the tantric ‘Vajrayana’. Though ‘Hinayana’ philosophy does not entertain idol worship or the existence of divine, ‘Mahayana’, which was the later outcome of Buddhism, outnumbered the Hinayana sect replacing the original idea of ‘Bodhisatva’. In the Vajrayana Buddhism, the idea of ‘Yamantaka’ is purely tantric, he who defies death. Yamantaka is the deity who eradicates ignorance. The name ‘Yamantaka’ (Yama-Death, Antaka-Destroyer) may have been the idea of ‘Kalantaka’ – a Hindu puranic god/ form of Siva.
For more, please read the book available at: Pothuraju
The Contents on the Book:
| INTRODUCTION |
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| A HUNT for lost Deities |
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Chapter 1 | MHASOBA |
| 1.1 AFTER BEING ABSORBED INTO PURANAS |
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Chapter 2 | POTHURAJU |
| 2.1 STORY IN THE LAND OF TELUGU |
| 2.2 STORIES IN THE LAND OF TAMIZH |
| 2.2.1 Story by Draupadi Pantheon |
| 2.2.2 ‘ELU SUTTINA KOTE’ Story |
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Chapter 3 | KARUPPU |
| 3.1 THE PRIMORDIAL KARUPPU |
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Chapter 4 | SUDALAI |
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Chapter 5 | PAVADAIRAYAN |
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Chapter 6 | VISHNUMAYA CHATHAN |
| 6.1 STORIES IN THE LAND OF MALAYALAM |
| 6.1.1 SATHAN, as per the priests of Vishnumaya Temple |
| 6.1.2 In THEYYAM culture |
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Chapter 7 | MULA MAYSONDAYYA |
| 7.1 STORIES IN THE LAND OF KARUNADU |
| 7.1.1 The story of SIRI |
| 7.1.2 MAISONDAY |
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Chapter 8 | BHOOTHARAJA |
| 8.1 BHOOTHARAJA |
| 8.2 THE MIGRATED BHOOTHARAJA |
| 8.3 ABSORPTION INTO THE MADHAVA MUTT |
| 8.4 BHOOTHARAJA OF THE VILLAGES |
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Chapter 9 | URAMMA & MARIKAMBE – BUFFALO/ EMME/ KONA |
| 9.1 URAMMA |
| 9.2 MARIKAMBE/ MARIAMMA |
| 9.3 RENUKA as ‘Yellamma’/ ‘Gangamma’ |
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Chapter 10 | BETAL/ VETAL |
| 10.1 STORIES IN THE LAND OF KONKAN |
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Chapter 11 | GORLA |
| 11.1 STORIES IN THE LAND OF GUJARAT & RAJASTHAN |
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Chapter 12 | MAHISASURA |
| 12.1 STORIES & BELIEFS IN CHATTISGARH, JHARKHAND & BENGAL |
| 12.1.1 The Story of Asur Tribe |
| 12.1.2 The Story of Munda Tribe |
| 12.1.3 The Story of Santhali Tribe |
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Chapter 13 | BHAIRAV, the smuggled concept of POTHURAJU? |
| 13.1 THE STORY IN NEPAL |
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Chapter 14 | YAMANTAKA |
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| EPILOGUE |
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My Kuladeivam