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From Being to Becoming, dhātugarbha, dagoba metallurgical metaphor hinted in Indus Script Corpora constitutes the central theme of kole.l'smithy' as kole.l 'temple'
-- Lokokti and Lokottara in tantra yukti
RV 1.102.08 Strong as a twice-twisted rope, you are the type of strength; protector of men, that are more than able to sustain the three spheres, the three luminaries, and all this world of beings, Indra, who have from birth ever been without a rival.
The expression triviSTidhAtu is explained as 'threefold'; triviSTi as 'thrice' (Monier-Williams) tridhāˊtu -- ʻ threefold ʼ RV., ayugdhātu -- ʻ having an uneven number of strands ʼ KātyŚr.). Thus, dhAtu is explained as a strand of rope, a layer, an element, relic.
Dhātu (f.) [Sk. dhātu to dadhāti, Idg. *dhē, cp. Gr. ti/qhmi, a)na/ -- qhma , Sk. dhāman, dhāṭr (=Lat. conditor); Goth. gadēds; Ohg. tāt, tuom (in meaning -- ˚=dhātu, cp. E. serf -- dom "condition of . . .") tuon=E. to do; & with k -- suffix Lat. facio, Gr. (e)/ )qhk (a ), Sk. dhāka; see also dhamma] element. Closely related to dhamma in meaning B 1b , only implying a closer relation to physical substance. As to its gen. connotation cp. Dhs. trsl. p. 198. -- 1. a primary element, of which the usual set comprises the four paṭhavī, āpo, tejo, vāyo (earth, water, fire, wind), otherwise termed cattāro mahābhūtā(ni): D i. 215; ii. 294;iii. 228; S i. 15; ii. 169 sq., 224; iv. 175, 195; A ii. 165; iii. 243; Vbh 14, 72; Nett 73. See discussed at Cpd. 254 sq. -- A defn of dhātu is to be found at Vism 485. -- Singly or in other combns paṭhavī˚ S ii. 174; tejo˚ S i. 144; D iii. 227; the four plus ākāsa Siii. 227, plus viññāna S ii. 248; iii. 231; see below 2 b. -- 2. (a) natural condition, property, disposition; factor, item, principle, form. In this meaning in var. combns & applications, esp. closely related to khandha. Thus mentioned with khandha & āyatana (sensory element & element of sense -- perception) as bodily or physical element, factor (see khandha B 1 d & cp. Nd2 under dhātu) Th 2, 472. As such (physical substratum) it constitutes one of the lokā or forms of being (khandha˚ dhātu˚ āyatana˚ Nd2 550). Freq. also in combn kāma -- dhātu, rūpa˚ arūpa˚ "the elements or properties of k. etc." as preceding & conditioning bhava in the respective category (Nd2 s. v.). See under d. -- As "set of conditions or state of being ( -- ˚)" in the foll.: loka˚ a world, of which 10 are usually mentioned (equalling 10,000: PvA 138) S i. 26; v. 424; Pv ii. 961 ; Vbh 336; PvA 138; KS ii. 101, n. 1; -- nibbāna˚ the state of N. S v. 8; A ii. 120; iv. 202; J i. 55; It 38 (dve: see under Nibbāna); Miln 312. Also in the foll. connections: amata˚ It 62; bhū˚ the verbal root bhū DA i. 229; ṭhapitāya dhātuyā "while the bodily element, i. e. vitality lasts" Miln 125; vaṇṇa˚ form, beauty S i. 131; Pv i. 31 . In these cases it is so far weakened in meaning, that it simply corresponds to E. abstr. suffix -- hood or -- ity (cp. ˚hood=origin. "form": see ketu), so perhaps in Nibbāna˚=Nibbāna -- dom. Cp. dhātuka. -- (b) elements in sense -- consciousness: referring to the 6 ajjhattikāni & 6 bāhirāni āyatanāni S ii. 140 sq. Of these sep. sota˚ D i. 79; iii. 38; Vbh 334; dibbasota˚ S ii. 121, 212; v. 265, 304; A i. 255; iii. 17, 280; v. 199; cakkhu˚ Vbh 71 sq.; mano˚ Vbh 175, 182, 301; mano -- viññāṇa˚ Vbh 87, 89, 175, 182 sq. <-> (c) various: aneka˚ A i. 22; iii. 325; v. 33; akusala˚ Vbh 363; avijjā˚ S ii. 132; ābhā˚ S ii. 150; ārambha˚ S v. 66, 104 sq.; A i. 4; ii. 338; ṭhiti˚ S ii. 175; iii. 231; A iii. 338; dhamma˚ Sii. 56; nekkhamma˚ S ii. 151; A iii. 447; nissāraṇiyā dhātuyo (5) D iii. 239; A iii. 245, 290. See further S i. 134, 196; ii. 153, 248 (aniccā); iii. 231 (nirodha); iv. 67; A i. 176; ii. 164; iv. 385; Dhs 58, 67, 121; Nett 57, 64 sq.; ThA 20, 49, 285, -- (d) Different sets and enumerations: as 3 under kāma˚, rūpa˚, arūpa A i. 223; iii. 447; Ps i. 137; Vbh 86, 363, 404 sq.; under rūpa˚, arūpa˚, nirodha˚ It 45. -- as 6 (pathavī etc.+ākāsa˚ & viññāṇa˚): D iii. 247; A i. 175 sq.; M iii. 31, 62, 240; Ps i. 136; Vbh 82 sq. -- as 7 (ābhā subha etc.): S ii. 150. -- 18: Ps i. 101, 137; ii. 230, Dhs 1333; Vbh 87 sq., 401 sq.; Vism 484 sq. -- 3. a humour or affection of the body DA i. 253 (dhātusamatā). -- 4. the remains of the body after cremation PvA 76; a relic VvA 165 (sarīra˚, bodily relic); Dāvs v. 3 (dasana˚ the toothrelic). -- abl. dhātuso according to one's nature S ii. 154 sq. (sattā sattehi saddhiŋ saŋsandanti etc.); It 70 (id.); S iii. 65.
-- kathā N. of 3rd book of the Abhidhamma Vism 96. -- kucchi womb Miln 176; -- kusala skilled in the elements M iii. 62; ˚kusalatā proficiency in the (18) elements D iii. 212; Dhs 1333; -- ghara "house for a relic," a dagoba SnA 194. -- cetiya a shrine over a relic DhA iii. 29; -- nānatta diversity of specific experience D iii. 289; S ii. 143; iv. 113 sq., 284; -- vibhāga distribution of relics VvA 297; PvA 212.(Pali)
-- kathā N. of 3
In Pali dhātuloka signifies 'condition of being', dhātu connotes an element.
From the occurrence of dotted circle in the context of smelting processes on Indus Script Corpora, the hieroglyph 'dotted circle' is interpreted as a strand of rope, an element. Three dotted circles together or trefoil hieroglyph signifies tri-dhātu 'three strands' rebus: three 'elements'. dhātugarbha is dagoba, the womb containing relic, a cetiya is a shrine over a relic.
This semantic excurcus from Vedic times provides a framework to unravel why kole.l 'smithy' becomes kole.l 'temple'.
dhātu 'element'subjected to the purification processes in the intense fire of the smelter results in metal, producing muhã 'quantity of metal produced at one time in a native smelting furnace' (Santali). This process is enacted in the metaphor of ekamukha (rebus: muhã 'ingot') as the Cosmic Dancer performing the ताण्डव
tANDava nRtya of dissolution and creation -- dissolving dhātu and transforming dhātu as ayas 'metal'. or meD, med 'copper, iron, metal'.
Sivalinga, Ekamukha (rebus muha 'ingot') sivalinga, a stele or a stalk is implanted in every fire-altar of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization as a mark of prayer for the successful smelting, melting processes converting dhātu into ayas, med, metal (of iron, of copper).
Hieroglyph: L. ṭāṇḍā m. ʻ dry stalk of bājrā ʼ, P. ṭã̄ḍā m. P. ṭã̄ḍhā m. N. tāndro ʻ dry stalk or straw ʼ (< *tāṇṭa -- ḍa -- ); M. tã̄ṭ ʻ stem ʼ.(CDIAL 5527) Rebus: ताण्डव tāṇḍava Dancing in general; मदताण्डवोत्सवान्ते U.3.18; भ्रू˚ dance or playful movement of the eye- brows; 3.19. -2Particularly, the frantic or violent dance of Śiva; त्र्यम्बकानन्दि वस्ताण्डव देवि भूयादभीष्ट्यै च हृष्ट्यै च नः Māl.5.23;1.1. -3 The art of dancing.
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tANDava nRtya of dissolution and creation -- dissolving dhātu and transforming dhātu as ayas 'metal'. or meD, med 'copper, iron, metal'.
Sivalinga, Ekamukha (rebus muha 'ingot') sivalinga, a stele or a stalk is implanted in every fire-altar of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization as a mark of prayer for the successful smelting, melting processes converting dhātu into ayas, med, metal (of iron, of copper).
Hieroglyph: L. ṭāṇḍā m. ʻ dry stalk of bājrā ʼ, P. ṭã̄ḍā m. P. ṭã̄ḍhā m. N. tāndro ʻ dry stalk or straw ʼ (< *tāṇṭa -- ḍa -- ); M. tã̄ṭ ʻ stem ʼ.(CDIAL 5527) Rebus: ताण्डव tāṇḍava Dancing in general; मदताण्डवोत्सवान्ते U.3.18; भ्रू˚ dance or playful movement of the eye- brows; 3.19. -2Particularly, the frantic or violent dance of Śiva; त्र्यम्बकानन्दि वस्ताण्डव देवि भूयादभीष्ट्यै च हृष्ट्यै च नः Māl.5.23;1.1. -3 The art of dancing.
The temple is thus kole.l, a smithy as a temple, a metaphor for the process from Being to Becoming, attested by the splendour of the smelting processes producing muhã 'quantity of metal produced at one time in a native smelting furnace'.
This is the philosophical statement of Indus Script Corpora and Indus Script Cipher and an explanation for aniconic linga as a fiery pillar of light transformed into the iconic form of the Cosmic Dancer. As dhātu melts, the dance unravels, defining the condition of being, the ātman.
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
November 24, 2015
