Before we begin to read
the symbols and scripts and understand their meaning, it is essential to know
few tips about the arrangements of symbols and letters to read and understand
their inherent meaning.
01. The
shapes and its materials of Indus / Harappan seals were already studied.
02. The scripts are ornamented
and as raised (bass relief) type and as graffiti marks on pot shells.
03. The scripts begin from top
left/right corners and continued below or on the back side of the seals.
04. The scripts are written from
right to left in a zigzag manner/properly and later period they were written
from left to right. The above two writing systems can be confirmed with life
letter Uu (ஊ), O (ஒ) and life and body letters viz., Inga (ங), inja (ஞ), tha (த), ya (ய), and la(ல).
05. The scripts begin with
affixed symbol/shape/geometrical pattern.
06. The symbol/shape/geometrical
pattern was also in fixed and suffixed.
07. The symbols are in the form
of natural and ideogram types.
08. The words are written as a
single, double, triple and many letters.
The single/double/triple
lettered words are to be expanded suitably.
09. Two or three letters are
combined together.
10. The letters of same
group/family are written one below the other. In very few seals, as a rare case
the life and body letters with one maatra viz., na, ina, inna, ra and Ra were
wrongly indicated. Maatra is held to be the basic moment (duration) of
time. It is the time taken for a single twinkling of an eye or snapping of the
finger.
11. Very few life and body
letters can be observed with one or two maatras.
12. The divinities are expressed
in symbolic form or ideogram form.
13. The totemic symbols of
animals like Elephant, tiger, hill goat, buffalo, rhinoceros, bull, unicorn,
deer and others are shown with or without ritual fire post.
14. A peculiar animal appears
with human face and body with combination of elephant, bull, tiger, lion and
others.
15. The shapes of Fish,
crocodile, bird, scorpion and astrological/astronomical signs appear as
graffiti marks - drawn as art in colour in black and red ware pot shells.
16. The sacred trees are also
appearing to denote certain specific words.
We wish and hope that more observations will be added after further
studies by others/future generation.
Affixed, infixed and
Suffixed Symbols
There are some ideograms or geometrical patterns observed as affixed,
infixed and suffixed in the script. The below are the above said ideograms or
geometrical patterns:
Geometrical patterns
The geometrically square diagrams viz.,
four, eight, nine, and others appear in the seals. The four squared ‘pecaka
diagram’ denotes ‘Viyomam’ - the space and Param/Brahm - the Lord of Universe.
The eight squared diagram denotes
Attamoortham. According to Thamizh dictionary the word attamoortham means eight
forms of manifestation of Lord Siva viz., earth, water, fire, air, sky, sun,
moon and Iyamaanan (Soul).
The nine squares ‘Piitha diagram’
denotes the eight forms namely Bhava, Sarva, Ugra, Rudra, Mahadeva, Bhima,
Isana and Pasupathi. Collectively they are one of Lord Siva. His eight forms
being unified with him (one with eight) as nine. As a distinctly manifested
Divine, Lord Siva is one surrounded by His above eight forms. Distinctly the
manifested divine is ‘OM’.
Symbols
The clock-wise Swasththi symbol
manifested from thirty-six squares ‘Ugra Piitha diagram also appear as an
affixed symbol in the seals. In addition, various types of Swasththi symbols
manifested from various diagrams also appear independently on the seals.
The following symbols appear as
affixed, infixed and suffixed symbols: The logogram or ideogram symbols
denoting the various forms of Lord Siva viz., Bhiksaatana / Pitchaatana,
Pinaagapani, Kolangan, Duriyaadeethan.
Mother Goddess ‘Uma / Durgai’ – the
consort of Lord Siva, appear seated on Elva tree, with musical instrument
called as ‘Yaazh’, conquering Rakshasa in standing position and also Laya
gowri.
In addition, both male and female
figures and various types of trees denoting different meaning also appear on
the seal.
The Vertical lined
letters
The vertical lined letters are in three types viz., shorter, medium and
longer in terms of measurement of height.
Shorter type vertical
lines
The shorter type vertical lines refer the letters ‘It and Ta’
respectively- these letters mostly appear on the top.
The inclined forms of short letters turned 45 degree towards left or
right denote ‘Tai’ and ‘Ti’ respectively.
The vertical line and a inclined towards left or right denotes ‘Ittai
and Itti’ respectively. The two inclined letter combined together denote
Ittitai.
The short vertical line appearing at the bottom denotes ‘Tu’ - this will
appear at the middle/bottom. All the above said five letters are one
among the family of fifth life and body letter with one or two maatras.
Medium type vertical
lines
The medium type vertical lines are used to denote various numerical
numbers.
Longer type vertical
lines
The long type vertical lines are used to denote: Single line – life
letter with one maatra ‘Uo’; two lines – the eighth life and body letter with
one maatra ‘Na’; three lines – the eighteenth life and body letter with
one maatra ‘Ina’ (ன) and four lines – the sixth life and body letter with one maatra ‘Inna’
(ண).
The letters one above
the other
Only in the case when same group/family of letters appear in a word,
those letters are written one above the other. Those letters has to pronounced
and read with half maatra, one maatra and two maatra accordingly.
Combined form of
letters
The combined form of
letters could be two, three and four letters. In case of two different letters
appearing as one within other, then it is to be read with the inner letter
followed by outer letter.
In few cases of two identical letters, they appear as one in left and
other in right side of the prime letter. In this case the prime letter follows
the left letter and right letter follows the prime letter, in order.
In case of one prime letter and three identical letters, it is to be
read with prime letter followed by other letters from top to bottom.
There are some cases in which two different letters appear on top of a
prime letter. It is to be read first from prime letter and then the other on
top of it.
In case of three or four letters, the prime letter will be at the
middle/centre and other identical letters will appear one above the other. It
is to be read from prime letter and others are to be read from top to bottom.
Important Note:
It is to be noted the Indus/Harappan
letters might have undergone lots of modifications/changes during the long span
from 3500 to 1500 B.C. The above said tips are only primary or basics to read
and understand the Scripts appearing on the seals. Instead of speculations and
criticism, the healthy suggestions and observations will be useful to decode
the mysterious Indus/Harappan Symbols and Scripts.
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