The Colas c12.90

c12.90

This ode shows not only the dominance of Vedic ritualism, but contains an allusion to disputes between the followers of the Veda and other religionists, the latter being stigmatised as followers of false doctrines and sophists who make the false appear true. What these other religions were can only be guessed; most likely they were Buddhism and Jainism which had a vogue in the Tamil country from very early times. The ceremony of *upanayana* is clearly known to the *Maṇimēkalai* which mentions Brahmans who began the study of the Veda soon after they were invested with the sacred cord.¹²⁷ The twice-born are mentioned in the *Puṟam*.¹²⁸ Even in the houses of merchants marriages were, as has been seen, performed according to Vedic ritual. The *Tolkāppiyam* defines *kaṟpu* in a manner which implies that, in one important respect, the distinction between *kaḷavu* and *kaṟpu* was based on the difference between the indigenous Tamil form of marriage and the exotic Aryan form which had been superposed on it: