History of Sengol (Dharma DaNDa, the sceptre of Dharma Devata (=Yama)) in Sumeria and in India

Good summary by Jeyamohan: https://www.jeyamohan.in/183402/ . But all the newspaper items, social media outpourings do NOT show how the concept of Sengol developed across the World, and in India, and for 2000 years in Tamil Nadu. Here is the outline. See my note on how the 1947  was done. Important is the musicologist, Dr. B. M. Sundaram 's  interview. youtu.be/lPSPFxsILAU . As a school student he accompanied his father, and Nagasvara Chakravarti TNR Pillai in the delegation headed by Tiruvavaduturai Thambiran in 1947 to Delhi durbar event. Sasi Tharoor has said correctly. https://twitter.com/naa_ganesan/status/1664128223897083906

Rasikamani TKC (Tirunelveli), Rajaji and Dr. P. Subbarayan seem to have decided on the Nandi Sengol gift from Tamils to Nehru. All the three were interacting with the Śaiva Adheenams of Tanjore. Their attendance in Adheenam functions is recorded in Tamil journals Gnanasambandham, Tamizhp Pozhil, ... More research into the Tamil magazines of the period will show essays and recordings of the Delhi event. For example, Kalki may have written about this Sengol delegation. American eagle, sacred for the Native Americans, adorns the Mace of the House of Representatives in the USA:   It was made for $ 400 in 1842.

Shashi Tharoor, M. P.  rightly said: "the Sengol sceptre is a traditional symbol of power & authority, and by placing it in the Lok Sabha, India is affirming that sovereignty resides there", i.e., with the democratically elected members. Similar to the Mace of the Republic in the USA, the Sengol must represent the just rule of the democratic Govt. of India via Parliament for centuries to come, and treat all the people of India with equal dignity and honor. That is principle of Sengol in all of Tamil literature including Tirukkuṟaḷ, Tolkāppiyam and Cilappatikāram.

The historic event of installing Nandi Sengol, near the Lok Sabha speaker's chair, by the PM of India is well recorded. For example, see Nandi Sengol in the pantheon of sceptres in World history:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sceptre . May be at an appropriate time, a commemorative coin can be issued by the Govt. of India, The coin should contain the Lion Capital of Asoka on one side and on the other, the Nandi Sengol. These are symbols of Democratic India's parliament, and are Indian civilizational links, the Lion Capital relates originally to Buddhism, while the symbol of righteousness (Dharma) - the Nandi relating to Hinduism and Jainism. The India's future coin, with the Lion Capital and Nandi Sengol on its obverse and reverse sides, has a parallel from United States govt. coin, See the Sengol of the US House of Representatives, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mace_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives#/media/File:1989_US_Congress_Bicentennial_Silver_Dollar_Obverse_and_Reverse.jpg

History of Sengol (Dharma DaNDa, the sceptre of Dharma Devata (=Yama)) in Sumeria and in India
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Mesopotamia had the concept of Sengol developed very well. The god holding sengol/dharma-daNDa was Utu/Shamash. As the Sun god, he was believed to see everything that happened in the world every day, and was therefore responsible for justice and protection of travelers. As a divine judge, he could be associated with the underworld. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamash
The Code of Hammurabi stela depicts the god Shamash holding a staff.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sceptre#/media/File:Codice_di_hammurabi_03.JPG

In Sangam Tamil and in Sanskrit, the god of justice is the god of Death, Yama. He is called Dharma Devata or Dharma Raja, he holds the Sengol. The *only* god holding the Sengol in Sangam texts is the Yama, called naman/njeman/kuuRRu. I consider the occurence of Dharma DaNDa with Yama in Sangam texts is a heritage from Indus Valley, probably it ultimately is linked to Mesopotamia's Utu/Shamash .

In the Tevaram period, Dharma devata, called aRak kaDavuL in Tamil (actually Yama), becomes the white zebu, Nandi, to carry Mahadeva Siva. Hence, the Adhikara Nandi anthropomorphic sculptures hold the Dharma Danda (Sengol) in his hands, as a symbol of justice (Niiti) and righteousness (Dharma). All this contributed to the Tiruvaduturai Adheenam's gift of Nandi Sengol to Pundit Nehru on the evening of 14 August 1947. Listen to youtu.be/lPSPFxsILAU .

Mesopotamina links with Indus civilization can be clearly seen in two examples. (1) A parallel of Shamash/Utu and his sceptre in Sumeria with that of Yama's daNDa described in many places of Sangam literature, and the Sengol tradition continuing to this day, and now India's parliament has Nandi Sengol as a symbol of justice and dharma. (2) The tavvai/muudevi/jyesTha and her younger sister, koRRavai/Lakshmi. This tavvai was not worshipped after 10th century. Until then, in many texts and 100s of sculptures in Tamil Nadu. tavvai/jyesTha derives from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ereshkigal  .  And, the surviving traditions in Tamil Nadu derive from Indus civilization which was interacting with Mesopotamia.

N. Ganesan
https://nganesan.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/naa_ganesan
https://archive.org/details/@dr_n_ganesan

Please see:
https://twitter.com/MaliniP/status/1663399030943252481

A colorized version,
https://twitter.com/colorize_bot/status/1663614625513115648

Dr. Malini Parthasarathy,

vanakkam. This is Dr. N. Ganesan, Space Structures specialist, Houston, Texas. The Hindu publications' book on Harappan Civilisation (2022), edited by T. S. Subramanian, has my essay also. https://archive.org/details/harappan-civ-the-hindu-dr-nganesan-essay

 

Looking at different references about Sengol gift event in 1947, here are some observations.

(1) The Tiruvavaduturai Adheenam team went to Delhi by train from Madras. They did not board any aircraft.

(2) The gifting of the golden Sengol to J. Nehru had nothing to do with Lord Mountbatten. The Viceroy may not even have heard of the Sengol gift to Nehru. This can be seen in all the books and magazine articles that describe the events on 14th August 1947.

(3) Dr. B. M. Sundaram, famous musicologist from Thanjavur,  talks about his father and him (then a school boy) accompanying T. N. Rajarathinam Pillai to Delhi. It was Dr. P. Subbarayan who informed about the auspicious instrument, Nagasvaram to the PM elect, Nehru and arranged for the playing of the instrument. See the old program on Pothigai TV: https://youtu.be/lPSPFxsILAU

(4) Rasikamani TKC (Tirunelveli), Rajaji and Dr. P. Subbarayan seem to have decided on the Nandi Sengol gift from Tamils to Nehru. All the three were interacting with the Śaiva Adheenams of Tanjore. Their attendence in Adheenam functions is recorded in Tamil journals Gnanasambandham, Tamizhp Pozhil, ...
More research in to the Tamil magazines of the period will show essays and recordings of the Delhi event. For example, Kalki may have written on this  Sengol delegation. Kanchi Periyavar telling that the Adheenam give the Sengol to the Viceroy and then the transfer of power to Nehru is only from the year, 2019. There are no earlier records for this new story.

(5)  American eagle, sacred for the Native Americans, adorns the Mace of the House of Representatives in the USA:   It was made for $ 400 in 1842, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mace_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives
It symbolizes the governmental authority of the United States, and more specifically, the legislative authority of the House of Representatives.  In one of its first resolutions, the U.S. House of Representatives of the 1st Federal Congress (April 14, 1789) established the Office of the Sergeant at Arms. The resolution stated "a proper symbol of office shall be provided for the Sergeant at Arms, of such form and device as the Speaker shall direct." The first Speaker of the House, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, approved the mace as the proper symbol of the Sergeant at Arms in carrying out the duties of this office. Commemorative coins have been released by the United States Govt. showing the Mace of the Republic. Similarly, Govt. of India can issue coins showing the golden Nandi Sengol in the future.

For 7000 years, zebu cattle is used in Farming in the Indian subcontinent and so has entered India's religions. As a symbol of Shiva in Hinduism, and that of the first Theerthankar in Jainism and so on. Shashi Tharoor, M. P.  said: "the Sengol sceptre is a traditional symbol of power & authority, and by placing it in the Lok Sabha, India is affirming that sovereignty resides there", i.e., with the democratically elected members. Similar to the Mace of the Republic in USA, the Sengol must represent the just rule of the democratic Govt. of India via Parliament for centuries to come, and treat all the people of India with equal dignity and honor. That is principle of Sengol in all of Tamil literature including Tirukkuṟaḷ, Tolkāppiyam and Cilappatikāram. ~NG