#6B8E23 Nagswamy R 2013-08-27 Vēlvi means a Vedic sacrifice, an offering of cooked rice in fire with recitation of Vedic hymns to the gods praying good progeny, wealth and prosperity and peace for all. There are two similar Vēlvis that were common in Sangam Tamilnad that come in for praise in the Sangam poems. One is called "Kaḷa Vēlvi" performed by the cultivators and the other was the "Marakkaḷa Vēlvi" perforformed by the kings in their victorious battle field. When the cultivators reap their paddy, bring them to threshing floor, and seperate the paddy from the hay by threshing they make a special porridge out of the newly harvested rice and first offer the same to god and make gifts of the grains to those who come asking for it and eat offered food. As this is done in the threshing floor it is the dharma of the cultivators and is called Kaḷa Vēlvi, sacrifice in the threshing floor. The kings do a different kind of Vēlvi sacrifice as their main function was to, protect the country they wage war and when they gain victory they offer victory sacrifice which goes by the name "Marak Kaḷa Vēlvi". They prrform this in the victorious battle field itsellf. But the situation is frightful where hundreds of men are killed and their bodies remain scattered. So they make use of these bodies and limbs and blood to offer sacrifice. The severed heads are arranged as ovens the severed limbs like hands and legs are used as fire woods and the blood of men and flesh of different parts of the body are boiled and made into a porridge and offered to goddess Koṛṛavai - Durgā, the giver of victory. The king and his commanders and soldiers join hands and dance as victory dance. One verse in Puranānūru anthology no 372, was sung by poet Māngudi kiḻār another early poet on the victory of Pāndya Nededuncheḻiyan, who won a signal victory at Talayālamkānam. The poem was probably sung at the battle field of that war. It says that the field were this kaḷa vēlvi took place was resounding with the victory drum tied with leather straps, and there was the jubilation all over with the victory by flash of the swords and arrows that fell every where. The severed heads of opponents, necks were used as cooking vessels in which the oozing blood and slashes flesh of the enemies were cooked stirring the with the severed limbs of hand. The cook of the battle field Vāluvan, carried the ball of this awesome cooked ball of flesh as a Pinda on his head and offered the same to all the Peys (goblins) as food as one offered in marriage festival for all the guests. This poem mentions "the great Pinda" offered by the Vāluvan in the battle field is like a Vedic sacrifice in an altar. Secondly it refers to a marriage festival as "vaduvai vilā". Vaduvai is a Sanskrit term for marriage. Vēḷvi means a Vedic sacrifice. In this poem another early poet Mangudi kiḻār sings what is defined as Marakkala Vēḷvi which means it is a Vedic sacrifice in the battle field like the Arakkala Vēḷvi of Brahamanas cai. So it is clear the Tamil life style included Arakkaḷa Vēḷvi, Kala Vēḷvi and Marakkaḷa Vēlvi. There can be no doubt that the early Tamils likened their historic achievements in war as Vedic sacrifice. The bard sings the patron praising him that her performed such a sacrifice and that he gifted all the captured wealth to the bards.