Editing Varuna (section)

=== Sri Lankan Tamils (Karaiyar caste) ===

[[Karaiyar]] is a Sri Lankan [[Tamils]] caste found mainly on the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and globally among the Tamil diaspora.
They are traditionally a seafaring community that is engaged in fishing, shipment and seaborne trade. They fish mostly in deep seas, and employ gillnet and seine fishing methods. The Karaiyars were the major maritime traders and boat owners who among other things, traded with pearls, chanks, tobacco, and shipped goods overseas to countries such as India, Myanmar and Indonesia. The community known for their maritime history, are also reputed as a warrior caste who contributed as army and navy soldiers of Tamil kings. They were noted as the army generals and navy captains of the Aryacakravarti dynasty. The Karaiyars emerged in the 1990s as strong representatives of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism. The nuclear leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have background in the wealthier enterprising section of the Karaiyars.

The word "Karaiyar" is derived from the [[Tamil language]] words ''karai'' ("coast" or "shore") and ''yar'' ("people").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dravidian Linguistics Association |title=International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics |date=1990 |publisher=Department of Linguistics, University of Kerala. |pages=110 |language=en}}</ref> The term ''Kareoi'' mentioned by 2nd century CE writer [[Ptolemy]], is identified with the Tamil word "Karaiyar".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Arunachalam |first=S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2vhIAAAAIAAJ |title=The History of the Pearl Fishery of the Tamil Coast |date=1952 |publisher=Ananamalai University |pages=34 |language=en}}</ref> The Portuguese and Dutch sources mentions them under the term ''Careas'', ''Careaz'', or ''Carias,'' which are terms denoting "Karaiyar".<ref name=":0" />

''Kurukulam'', ''Varunakulam'' and ''Arasakulam'' were historically one of the significant clans of the Karaiyars.<ref name=":13">{{Cite book |last=Raghavan |first=M. D. |title=The Karāva of Ceylon: Society and Culture |date=1961 |publisher=K.V.G. De Sīlva |pages=5, 13, 195 |language=en}}</ref> Kurukulam, meaning "clan of the ''Kuru''", may be a reference to their origin from [[Coromandel Coast|Kurumandalam]] (meaning "realm of Kuru's") of [[Southern India]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Raghavan |first=M. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fb4LAAAAIAAJ |title=Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction |date=1971 |publisher=Kalai Nilayam |pages=194 |language=en}}</ref> They attribute their origin myth from the [[Kuru Kingdom]], mentioned in the Hindu epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kemper |first=Steven E. G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pGUEAAAAYAAJ |title=The Social Order of the Sinhalese Buddhist Sangha |date=1973 |publisher=University of Chicago. |pages=215 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NA5uAAAAMAAJ |title=Nēthrā: A Non-specialist Journal for Lively Minds |date=2000 |publisher=International Centre for Ethnic Studies |pages=47 |language=en}}</ref> Some scholars derived ''Kurukulam'' from Kuru, the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] name for [[Jupiter]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Perinbanayagam |first=R. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tzPXAAAAMAAJ |title=The karmic theater: self, society, and astrology in Jaffna |date=1982 |publisher=University of Massachusetts Press |isbn=9780870233746 |pages=30 |language=en}}</ref> Varunakulam, meaning "clan of ''Varuna''", is a reference to their maritime origin.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Vriddhagirisan |first=V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GD_6ka-aYuQC |title=Nayaks of Tanjore |date=1995 |publisher=University of Annamalai |isbn=9788120609969 |pages=91 |language=en}}</ref> Varuna is the god of sea and rain, mentioned in [[Vedic Literature]], but also in [[Sangam literature]] as the principal deity of the ''Neithal [[Sangam landscape]]'' (i.e. [[Littoral zone|littoral]] landscape).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Xavier Thaninayagam |author-link=Xavier Thaninayagam |title=Tamil Culture: Its Past, Its Present and Its Future With Special Reference to Ceylon |date=1966 |publisher=Academy of Tamil Culture |language=en}}</ref> Arasakulam means "clan of kings".<ref name=":13" /> They used the [[Makara (Hindu mythology)|Makara]] as emblem, the mount of their clan deity, the sea god Varuna, which was also seen on their flags.