Varma Kalai – The Ancient Martial and Healing Art Created by the Early Tamils
Varma Kalai – The Ancient Martial and Healing Art Created by the Early Tamils
One of the extraordinary arts created by the ancient Tamils was Varma Kalai, a discipline that emerged in India more than a thousand years ago. This art spread across Tamil Nadu, Eelam, Kerala, and the eastern regions of present-day Andhra Pradesh. It was developed during the reign of the Pandya kings with Siddha medicine as its foundation and companion science.
The creator of this art was the great Siddhar Agastya. The birthplace of Varma Kalai is believed to be the Podhigai Hills, today known as the Courtallam Hills. An ancient palm-leaf manuscript dating back to the pre-Christian era bears the line:
“By the grace of the Lord of South Podhigai, I have composed this proper method.”
This verse is considered evidence of the antiquity of the art.
Among the Varma texts and systems taught by Agastya are:
- Agastiyar Varma Thiravukol
- Agastiyar Varma Kandi
- Agastiyar Oosi Murai Varmam
- Agastiyar Vasi Varmam
- Agastiyar Varma Kannadi
- Agastiyar Varma Varisai
- Agastiyar Mei Theenda Kalai
One Pandya king, Jatavarman Pandyan, is said to have excelled greatly in this art. As the Pandya dynasty declined, Varma Kalai too began to fade. Later, the Cholas learned and preserved aspects of the discipline, after which it gradually spread to countries such as Eelam and China.
A monk named Bodhidharma, who lived in Kanchipuram, is traditionally believed to have spread this art in China. The Chinese expression “Tenjiku Naranokaku,” when translated into English, is interpreted as “The fighting techniques to train the body from India.”
Varma Kalai was never taught openly to everyone. A master would first observe a student’s behavior and character for twelve years before imparting the knowledge. If a person was injured through Varma techniques, only specialized therapeutic methods unique to Varma medicine could heal the damage. Ancient verses explain:
“Learn striking, gripping, cutting, and piercing in Varma, and only then proceed to the advanced target points.”
When we realize that this is a unique art unknown among any other people in the world, every descendant of the Tamil tradition stands with pride. This Varma art, inherited through the spiritual austerities of the Siddhars, is the accumulated wisdom discovered and refined by generations of ancestors over countless ages.
Ironically, many Tamils themselves remain unaware of the extraordinary applications of this rare art that belongs to them. Even more painful is that some dismiss Varma Kalai as an outdated or impractical tradition. This account itself is an attempt to highlight its greatness.
Historical records indicate that Tamil civilization, Greece, and other ancient maritime cultures maintained close connections through sea trade. During those interactions, several Tamil words entered Greek usage. One such example is the Tamil word “Varmam,” which evolved into the Greek “Pharmos,” and later into the English medical term “Pharmacy.”
The phonetic transformation of the “V” sound into “F” can be observed in many Western languages. For example:
- “Five” becomes “Fifty”
- “Leave” becomes “Left”
Likewise, “Varma” gradually became “Pharma.”
The Tamil people not only introduced the word “Varma” to distant eastern cultures, but also transmitted the martial art itself. Historical evidence suggests that the Dravidian martial tradition known as “Southern Kalari” spread as far as China through figures such as Bodhidharma. Martial arts historians openly acknowledge that as Buddhism spread across East Asia, Tamil Varma traditions traveled alongside it and evolved into various forms.
Not only Kung Fu in China, but also martial systems such as Judo, Karate, and Taekwondo are believed by some traditional accounts to share roots connected to the ancient Tamil Kalari system. History preserves many such testimonies celebrating the glory of the ancient Tamil civilization.
The Four Divisions of Varma Kalai
Agastya divided Varma Kalai into four main branches:
Thodu Varmam (Touch Varma)
This involves injuries caused by physical strikes or force. Such conditions can usually be treated relatively easily.
Thattu Varmam (Tap Varma)
This method involves lightly tapping specific points with a single finger, causing severe effects without obvious pain. Injuries caused in this manner can only be cured through specialized Varma treatments.
Nokku Varmam (Sight Varma)
Nokku Varmam is the ability to create effects merely through focused gaze and concentration. Agastya described this as highly dangerous and claimed that those who mastered it had no equal in the world.
Padu Varmam (Deadly Varma)
This is considered the most dangerous among the four forms. Striking certain vital Varma points can lead to unconsciousness or even death. Agastya notes that victims may collapse instantly, foam at the mouth, extend the tongue outward, and experience coldness at the site of impact. Such techniques could only be performed by highly trained masters.
Major Varma Points in the Human Body
According to Varma texts, the body contains:
- 37 important Varma points in the head
- 13 points in the chest
- 15 points in the front torso
- 10 points in the back
- 9 points on the front of the arms
- 8 points on the back of the arms
- 19 points on the front of the legs
- 13 points on the back of the legs
- 8 points in the lower back
The Wonders of Varma Kalai
Varma Kalai contains remarkable techniques rarely found in other martial or medical systems.
Among its extraordinary claims are:
- Unique combat principles known as concealment, locking, and separation techniques.
- The ability to stop bleeding from deep wounds without bandages by controlling Varma nerves.
- The treatment of ailments such as vomiting and nervous disorders through therapeutic massage methods without medicine.
- Relief from severe one-sided headaches within minutes by stimulating specific Varma points near the ankle.
- The ability to incapacitate an enemy while appearing merely to shake hands or embrace them.
- The revival of unconscious individuals or those near death through activation of vital energy channels.
Varma Kalai remains not merely a martial art, but a profound combination of medicine, spirituality, anatomy, and ancient Tamil wisdom passed down across generations.
Eelam Histrory
Translation by Hari
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