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Agamic psychology is a modernized version of the ancient Tantric Psychology that developed in
India and took firm roots in South East Asia , the Far East and many other countries. Currently it
is also flourishing as an active field of research in the West in various forms. This ancient
psychology is being refashioned here as a rigorous field of science by through the use of
ACCESS TESTS an example of which is the NEW BAUM TEST. This test was originally developed
in Germany by some Jungian psychologists but now we have modified it suitably so that
historical ways of being of a person can be accessed. We are developing this field as belonging to
the general field of the Hermeneutic sciences. This we accomplish through what can be called
Hermeneutic Semiotics- a science of interpretation of symbolic elements in which the symbols are
also taken as TEXTS.
Part 1
ABOUT BAUM TEST
Picture-drawing techniques as a measure of cognitive functions and personality characteristics
have been popular with educationists and psychologists for several decades now. There is
renewed interest now among the cognitive psychologists , philosophers and others in view of the
recognition of the importance of metaphorical thinking as something peculiar to the humans,
something perhaps even the most advanced computers cannot accomplish. As early as 1926
GOODENOUGH developed a standardized procedure for evaluating the intelligence of children
from their drawings of a man. At about the same period Emil Jucker introduced the Tree Drawing
Test in vocational guidance settings that was carried farther in a more elaborated manner by
Charles KOCH (1952, 1957) . To date existing picture drawing techniques are: Draw-a- Man test or
D-A-M (GOODENOUGH, 1926) House-Tree- Person or H-T- P technique (BUCK, 1948), Draw-a
Person or D-A-P test (MACHOVER), the Michigan Picture Test ( Max L. HUTT, 1986) the Hand Test (
Edwin E. Wagner, 1986) and so forth.. A. I Rabin in His book PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES FOR
ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN provides a good account of most of these tests. The Tree Test
however was farther developed in Japan by Kimio YOSHIKAWA and associates who called it the
Baum Test in which the German word Baum meaning "tree" was used as a technical term for the
drawings of fruit trees as such.(Yoshikawa & K. Loganathan, 1985). Subsequent to that we
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developed the New Baum Test and have been doing many researches into the human
unconscious since 1987. This test, the central element for Agamic Psychology, will be described
in considerable detail later.
Picture drawing is an important tool with psychodynamic therapists who use it as a projective
technique. It is assumed that in the drawings a person discloses the elements of his own
unconscious, cognitive appropriation of which will serve to cure mental illness. However as it is
practiced at the moment, the relevance of Hermeneutics as such do not seem to be well
appreciated. KOCH (1952, 1957) used the Tree Drawing Test as an aid in diagnosing vocational
aptitudes in the educational settings , and for cognitive and personality functioning in clinical
settings. Yoshikawa and his associates in Japan used it as a tool for studies in the image
formation processes among children and the effects of ecology, culture and biological
endowments on them. And because of this not only it became an interesting alternative for
Pigetian type of studies on the cognitive development of children, but also a useful tool for cross-
cultural psychological studies.
The use of children's drawings in cross-cultural psychology was initiated mainly because of their
nonverbal character. DENIS(1966, 1970) analyzed children's drawings and found that they are
good indicators of group values, cognitive functioning and degree of Westernization. He found
that while familiarity is a factor in what they choose to depict, children do not always draw what
they are familiar with. There are selectional processes operating with desires, goals, wants,
wishes and other such intention related factors interfering what are chosen to be drawn. Children
depict objects in their drawings not simply because they are familiar with them but because they
value them. ADLER(1982) in a follow-up study also noted that although children's drawings may
mirror their environment, they also reflect existing value systems by presenting preferences. On
finding the predominance of apple trees in the drawings of children across Western and non-
Western countries, he concluded that the apple is representative of the spread of Westernization,
as well as desirability for modernization. On the whole he found support for the value hypothesis
of DENIS (1970) and concluded that drawings as a projective technique, provide children with a
good opportunity not only to reflect their personal feelings and their attitudes toward people and
situations, but also to express the group values that are prevalent within their cultural
environment.
The New Baum Test that we have developed has gone considerably much further. We found that
through the BAUMS we can in fact reach the subconscious or the unconscious layers of the
human mind in which the metaphorical and mythical ways of thinking of the person are disclosed
for everyone to see. This also necessitated the fine-tuning of the interpretive processes so central
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to the understanding of the metaphorical and mythical. This science that brings together
hermeneutics and semiotics is called by us HERMENEUTIC SEMIOTICS to distinguish it from
other related fields. It is this line development that links us with such ancient Tantric
psychologists as Thirumular, Pokar, Gorakkar and so forth who were also active proponents of
Saiva Siddhanta.
But why TREE over and above so many other objects in the environment? What is so peculiar to
the tree that it is the most suitable for the psychological tasks such as ours?
In addition to the tree being an object of experience practically of all people throughout the world,
there is something peculiar to it that makes it abundantly suitable for the Access Tests that we are
interested in. The tree is symmetrical about a vertical axis and Hermann RORSCHACH has noted
that symmetrical construction about a central axis is needed to render possible the projection of
the psychic contents onto it. But there are other reasons as well. It appears that the FORM of a
tree is somehow representative of the structural dynamics of the human psyche. The paragraph of
Hermann HILTBRUNNER (cf. KOCH, 1952, p.9) explains quite clearly the nature of this
relationship. Thus he says:
' Did we not say at the beginning that there is a relationship between tree form and human form,
that plant life in the tree, as in a standing statue, reaches the highest resemblance to humanity
and that memorable encounters with trees are indeed real meetings with oneself?.... But wherein
lies the distinction, and what reasons persuade us to contrast plant life with animal and human
life? See, the plant is an open system; everything pertaining to it strives outward; everything
happens at the periphery, is formed under the bark and at the ends of the axis of the shoots. No
type of plant demonstrates this to us more fully than a tree and a cross section through its trunk,
which is provided with vessels only in that part of the wood where the youngest and outmost
rings rare. The bodily constitution of the human beings and animals, on the other hand, is seen to
be a closed system in which everything is moved inward and which is nourished and controlled
by the central organs. The being of a plant therefore means outward movement of life, striving
away of the zones of growth from the core. this functionless, more symbolic center. Animal life on
the contrary means turning the physical life inward, concentrating it in a body and in the inside of
the body which in all its parts and organs is throughout life embraced and supplied with blood by
the same current of power. That which in all its organs thus seems concerned with and directed
towards a center and functions centripetally in this way, must all be there from the beginning and
must be complete, full-grown; it is, as it were, young to end; up to its natural death it forms buds
which may come to fruition according to circumstances."
The tree then, is an outward expression of the life force which in the case of animals is turned
inwards. Human beings see an affinity, unexplainably puzzling even to themselves, with trees; a
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fact that may explain why in many primitive cultures trees are objects of worship. A perception of
some similarity with something deep within may explain why trees figure such sacred objects in
many cultures throughout the world. This is also echoed in the words of Kitaro NISHIDA , one of
the most brilliant philosophers of Japan. In one of his books he says:
" A tree exists as an integration of branch, leaf, root and trunk which have their distinct functions-
a tree is not simply an aggregate of such elements. Also if the tree as a total integrated reality
does not exist, then such things as branch, leaf and so forth are meaningless. The tree exists as
an integrated totality that can be differentiated into distinct elements without, however, suffering
disintegration in the process. Then if a tree appears in the consciousness of an individual, it must
be reflective of the manner in which the individual has integrated into a coherent wholeness the
whole of objective existence"( Quotation provided by Yoshikawa)
It is possible that these affinities arise because there are elements similar to them in what
C.G.JUNG has called COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS that he discovered through his extensive
studies of dreams mythologies and folklores. It must be recalled that what led JUNG to postulate
the COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS as a layer deeper that Freudian personal unconscious is the
discovery of motifs and themes(called archetypes, imago, mandala, etc.) in the fantasies, visions,
and dreams of normal and abnormal people, strikingly similar to those in ancient and primitive
mythologies, religious cults and so forth. It is this notion that brings Jungian analytical
psychology close to Tantrism and Saiva Siddhanta. The New Baum Test also manages to reach
this deeper layer and through that capture the archetypes currently present in the deeper reaches
of the human psyche.
The archetypes are great 'primordial images' ' the inherited powers of human imagination as was
from time immemorial', (JUNG 1968, Col. Works., Vol., p.64). The archetypes are also described as
'thought-forms' of humanity and are as much feelings as thoughts(ibid.,p.65). It is also stated that
the greatest and best thoughts of man shape themselves upon these primordial images 'as upon a
blue print'. Jung has also something interesting to say about the active presence of archetypes in
the human mind. They are said to be 'deposits of the constantly repeated experiences of
humanity'(ibid.p.68); subjective fantasy-ideas activated in the unconscious by the recurrent
physical processes. This implies that the ecological factors have an important role in shaping the
psychological nature of individuals. It should be recalled here that Tantric Psychology, in the days
of Tolkappiyam (3rd cent. B.C) was also ecological in essence. We should not also forget the
biological maturational factors that bring about the existence of different kinds of impulses at
different stages of development and the sociocultural factors that regulate interactional behavior
in an important way.
The fundamental insights of Tantric Psychology, particularly as outlined by the Tamil Siddhas
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who were actually medical practitioners of a kind, must be recalled here as they are immensely
relevant for Agamic Psychology as well.
Agamic Psychology begins with the commonsense assumption that human behavior consists
essentially of doing something, acting to achieve something, to attain what is intended. However ,
unlike the Behaviorists we do not reduce them to response patterns strengthened by various
forms of schedules of reinforcement though we certainly do not deny the presence of positive and
negative reinforcements in social existence. However in the interest to UNDERSTAND human
behavior in all its depths, we take them as TEXTS and subject them to a hermeneutic analysis.
Such a form of analysis leads us to rediscover the NADIES of the ancient Siddhas. These nadies
can be rendered as PSYCHOTROPISMS, deep seated desires or motivations almost like instincts.
There are FOUR different types: numenotropism(or serpenotropism), lumenotropism,
charmenotropism and giggotropism( For further details see the article on Tantric Psychology, in
the Electronic Journal of Saiva Philosophy, Vol.1. No.1. in this Home Page) Some Siddhas
maintain that underlying these four is another, a more fundamental pull viz. GURU NADI, the
primordial source of all human dynamics. What is important to notice here is that these tropisms
are not culture-bound ; being the most primordial are common to all creatures, whether human or
non-human.
What links Tantric Psychology with the Jungian analytic psychology is the discovery that these
tropisms that form the springboards of all human actions are in fact instituted and regulated by
archetypes. We gain an understanding of human behavior by locating the archetype that has
emerged from the depths and taken possession of the psyche determining its psychodynamics
and hence behavior in general. The S.S elements of overt behavior are interpretively related to
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covert elements, the D,S , which are in fact some archetypes. Behavior is constituted by some
archetypes and behavior modifications can be accomplished successfully only by dislodging the
existing archetypes and installing new ones. Such a procedure belongs to domain of Hermeneutic
Counseling, which is again a modernized version of the ancient UPADESA KALAI of the Siddhas
and Saiva philosophers. The New Baum Test allows us to identify these archetypes and through
that gain an understanding of one's own behavior. Only when a person gains a TRUE
UNDERSTANDING of himself that he would know in what direction he has to change, and what he
must do in order to accomplish it successfully.
Part 2
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Part 3
Elements of Hermeneutic Semiotics
We are now ready for Baum Interpretation and through that getting to know the person through
getting to know his own subconscious or unconscious. What you have infront of you is not
simply some artistic productions unrelated to the existential struggles of the person. They are in
fact TEXTS of a kind in which the contents of the unconscious are available in symbolic forms. We
cannot understand them unless we INTERPRET them and cast thus acquired interpretive
understanding into the conceptual categories of ordinary language. This process of interpretation
is akin to dream interpretation but however here something we can also verify. But before we
begin to interpret the Baums we have to acquaint ourselves with their Surface Structure Features
in a very systematic manner.
There are THREE types of Surface Structure (S.S ) analysis: Global Structure Analysis (G.S.A),
Local Structure Analysis (L.S.A) and Sequential Structure Analysis(S.S.A).
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right side is more emphasized.
7. Some Baums, particularly C and D, may be archetypal in nature. Look at them carefully . You
may meet here snakes, ghost-like figures, imago dei's, geometrical yantras, mandalas and so
forth.
2. See whether there is a historical development of some kind when you move from Baums A to D
in that order. It may be possible that some features just present in one gets elaborated or deleted
in the next and so forth.
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essence. This IGNORANCE is akin to what Heidegger has described as CONCEALMENT and is
similar to the notions of AVIDYA, ANJNANAM and so forth in Tantric Psychologies.
The Sequential Analyses above disclose the form of such an existential understanding of the
person, how he has understood his own existence and how he continues to do so. In connection
with this it should be noted that on the whole the Baums A and B tells us how the person has
understood his OWN PAST, Baum C his PRESENT and Baum D, his own projections into the
FUTURE.
The fact that Baum D captures a person's own projections into the future and of which he may not
be very clear, will play a central in what we have called Hermeneutic Counseling that we shall
describe briefly later ( in a separate paper).
The intra form of S.S.A will disclose an underlying local dialectics while inter form global
dialectics. These Baum constituting processes are similar to meta-cognitive processes of the
cognitive psychologists. However the Saiva philosophers and Tantric Psychologists identify them
with the universal processes of production. retention, destruction and as underlying them the
processes of concealment and disclosure. They also see them as the workings of the root mantra
SI-VA-YA-NA-MA each syllable standing for each one of these dialectics constituting processes. It
is also metaphorically described as the DANCE OF SIVA.
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intelligence and so forth.
Such trees are expressions of the Natham of Saivites, the Yang of Taoism and the Sun principle of
the alchemists.
3. Fruits: The meanings differ depending upon a number of factors. If you have only one kind fruit,
it generally means the person is happy in his existence. Again the form of happiness will depend
on the type of fruits drawn. Red colored fruits disclose the presence happiness arising from a
loving disposition, purple colored sexual happiness, and yellow color happiness because of
sexual abstention.
If the fruits are drawn in clusters, that may indicate happiness arising through social integration,
cohesion and so forth.
If a variety of fruits are drawn on the same tree, it may mean that the person derives happiness
through a variety of activities. The person may also be someone socially very active, perhaps a
social worker and so forth.
Now if there are no fruits drawn, the person is unable to draw them at all or when he draws they
are almost invisibly small, it may indicate a state of depression, sadness and so forth. Now if a
person draws only fruits then that person may, not only be extremely selfish but also someone
who cares only for his own happiness.
4. Leaves: The presence of abundance of leaves may indicate uncontrollable thoughts, excessive
and perhaps imaginary worries. A leaf may be a representation of the presence of thought
producing cognitive operations.
When the leaves are few in number it may indicate that the person is rather lacking in imagination,
intellectually very constrained and so forth.
If the tree is barren with all leaves deleted so that the Baum resembles a tree in desert landscape,
it may indicate that the person, though in a very somber mood, is in fact casting away his old
values and generating new ones. The person is undergoing a change in personality so that in the
near future he would emerge as quite a different person
The trunk is the structure that discloses the workings of Natham, the Yang principle of Taoism.
The trunk in fact is the LINGAM of the Saivites, disguised to the point of no recognition. When it is
broad, firm and strong, it indicates that the person values independence, autonomy and enjoys an
authoritarian position in social existence. He will refuse to submit himself to other authoritarian
figures and because of this will also be quite reluctant to fall in love. Young women who draw
such Baums may not be inclined to get married for this reason.
Now if the trunk is narrow , thin and long like a creeper, it discloses the submergence of Natham
by Bindu or the Yin of the Taoists. The person becomes tender, soft, loving and because of all
these socially dependent on others.
Sometimes in the creeper-like Baums you may even note the presence of Snakes, concealed of
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course in the guise of a creeper or even a branch.
6. Branches
The branches may be radiating like rays of light of the sun. In fact such structures appear to be
related the presence of a inner sun , a variant of the sun principle of the alchemists. A person who
draws such Baums may generally be very intelligent, analytical and so forth. It generally shows an
aggressive disposition though directed at intellectual matters.
When there are too many of these branches, illformed and winding their way and sometimes even
intertwining, it may indicate a sate of intellectual confusion, an inability to think systematically
and come to a neat conclusion.
If the branches, or even the trunk itself, are cut, it may indicate the active presence in memory of a
painful experience which arrested the further development of a particular line of thinking or mode
of existence.
If the branches grow openly without having an envelope, which is Bindu related to the moon
principle, it may indicate the absence of an inner security hence the person being a bit nervous,
indecisive and so forth.
Now if there are wellformed and globular envelopes and the branches reachout even the outer
limits, it may disclose a disposition of confidence and courage. The person may be venturesome
and will not be reluctant to explore the new and the unusual.
7. The roots
The roots generally disclose a persons exploration of the hidden part within himself, viz. the
subconscious or the unconscious. Among the young people this exploration begins with
exploring their own sexuality. They may seekout emotionally satisfying sexual experiences.
However among the older people, it may indicate a serious interest in matters that are religious,
spiritual, philosophical and so forth.
Now if the roots are drawn as within a pool or puddles of water, it may be that the person is
involved in immoral sexual activities.
If the roots are covered up by a strong line indicative of the ground, in may show that the person
is on the whole reluctant to acknowledge and accept the reality of the unconscious within himself.
a.) the leaves, fruits and sometimes even branches are drawn falling to the ground: unhappiness,
wanting to getaway from the present situation because it is experienced as painful.
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b) curls and dark patches inside the trunk: may be related to the desire of the person to hide
something probably not sanctioned by the society. May also mean feeling guilty and so forth. c)
Flowers or flower-like things: happiness, full of joy, mirthful etc.
d) Bright and clean: may be a picture of the soul itself-clean, warm-hearted, honest, sincere, open,
truthful and so forth.
e) Painted dark, shaded in black: misery, depression, melancholy and so forth.
f) The whole Baum displaced to
[i] the left: introversion
[ii] the right: extroversion
[iii] the top: existing in the world of fantasy
[iv]the bottom: inferiority complex, social alienation etc.
g) the dominant presence of thorns, spikes and such knife-like shapes: aggressiveness, brutality,
frustration, deep-seated anger, violent temper and so forth.
These guide lines may not be exhaustive and thorough. It is always possible to come across such
symptoms and signs that are unique posing a challenge to our interpretive capacities. As a
general rule it is very useful to remember the following. The vision of a tree, by its overall form,
utility and functions, and by the texture and color of the trunk, leaves fruits and so forth, activates
a train of thoughts feelings and emotions some of which are felt agreeable and some not so for
reasons that are not always obvious and clear. Some of the elements in the unconscious may be
particularly associated with parts of the tree and not perhaps with the other parts. Such feelings
may not also be always negative- one may be fascinated and feel particularly attracted to some
parts or some kind of tree in comparison with others. One may be attracted or repelled by either
some parts or by the whole tree. One tends to delete the parts that arouse feelings unpleasant and
disagreeable; or diminish its size to make it unimportant. When fascinated one tends to magnify it,
exaggerate it so that it dominates the whole visual field. Sometimes under such compulsions that
are for the most part unconscious, the whole Baum is shrunk or magnified, displaced off center to
the left, right, up or down.
The naturalistic image of the tree suffer numerous kinds of transformations, distortions and so
forth that are however psychologically quite revealing. They disclose the presence of psychic
operations of various kinds the person carries along with him into every one of his perceptual
activity. A person who deletes some parts of the Baum, may in fact block off certain kinds
perceptual information from entering his consciousness or understanding.
Through Baum analysis of the above sort , we can identify the kind of unconscious psychic
operations the person is likely to effect upon the perceptual data in ordinary life-the psychic
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activities that would constitute his/her style of perceiving and hence behaving.
It should be noted that the absence of such abnormal transformations are just as important as
their presence. Their absence indicates what the person is not likely to do to the perceptual data-a
piece of information about a person just as important as the knowledge of what he is likely to do.
The most exciting discovery that allows us to link in a meaningful manner ancient Tantric
Psychology with the modern depth psychologies and alchemical studies is the success we have
had in accessing the archetypes that are currently present in a person through the New Baum
Test. When the test was administered to a large number of people, young and old, we met
archetypes in Baums particularly C and D. It appears that the instructions pertaining to these
Baums somehow reach the subconscious or unconscious layers so that their content is brought
out into the open. It appears then that it is not necessary to wait for a person to dream and relate
those dreams to reach his unconscious- it can be done through the use of the N.B.T.
We have pressed our Hermeneutics in this direction as well and below we describe the most
salient features of this science fully aware of its inadequacies. Certainly more researches are
necessary to secure very sound rules of interpretation.
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squares , rectangles and so forth. These are purer forms of Bindu and Natham with circular
formations related to Bindu and the rest related to Natham. Anyone who draws such yantras is
already very matured, spiritually speaking and hence quite at peace with himself. His aspirations
will be quite high and his personality will shine out with noble and endearing qualities. The
circular formations indicate productivity and the squares and rectangles self control. The
triangular formations are related to a capacity for penetrative and paistaking analytical capacities.
d) Ghost-Like Figures:
These are quite easy to recognise and are frequently met with In C and D Baums. These are the
archetypes of bad dreams and normally indicate a calamity, an impending disaster, difficulty,
disappoinment and so forth.
a) A Creeper climbing up a tree or a support: normally drawn by a young woman who clings on to
a man she loves like a creeper; incapacity to stand on one's own.
b) A boat tied to a Tree. Probably the person identifies himself with the boat and hence disclosing
that he is 'tied down' incapable of moving freely either in the social world or the mental world.
c) A house drawn with a fence. Discloses the presence of control in his social existence, there
being people always watching and because of which feels as if imprisoned.
d) Two trees crossing each other: a situation of conflict, incapacity to decide say, between two
lovers and so forth.
e) A lotus or a large flower: Normally drawn by young women; discloses the presence genuinely
femine and almost divine qualities of self-sacrifice, love, compassion and so forth.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
There are many more like these the meanings of which will be disclosed along with empirical
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studies in the pages of the Electronic Journal of Agamic Psychology soon to be launched within
this Home Page. Sufficient has been given, howver, for anyone who is keen to explore the inner
world of the human beings. This inner world is the world of MANTRAS, and this MANTRA SPACE
is in fact the Inner Cyber Space that new developments in Information Technology has made it
possible for us to explore. The TRAVEL in this inner cyber space is in fact the genuine pilgrimage
that all religions emphasize for it is in this journey that we meet the Gods. The Baum Test allows
us to locate the web-sites and explore them to our hearts content. We come to know in this way
the hidden secrets of Nature that always intrigues us beyond measure, attain illuminations that no
other forms of enquiry would furnish
Bon Voyage!
References(selected)
Adler,L.L 1965. Cross-cultural Study of Children's Drawing of Fruit Trees. Paper presented at the
First New York City Psi Psychological Convrntion, New York
Cawte, J& Kiloch, L.G. 1967 Language and Pictorial Representations in Aboriginal Children. Social
Science and Medicine,1: 67-76
Huzioka,Y &Yoshikawa,K 1971. Image Expression by Tree Test" from Anthropological Stand Point
Quarterly Anthropologist (Tokyo) 2(3): 3-28
Koch,K. 1935 Der Baum Test, der Baumzeichenversuch als Psychodiagnosticsches Hilfsmittel
Loganathan K. 1983 Analytical Psychology of Jung and the Agamic Psychology of Meykandar.
Tamil Civilization, Tamil University, Tanjore, India.
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