Random glimpse into Thirukkural

The Lotus rises with the water And a man as high as his will’

(Couplet 595)

He was the greatest poet of classical Tamil literature. To be honest. I was not aware of the magnificence of poet Tiruvalluvar until I stumbled upon his Kural. This classic contains 1330 two-lined couplets that deal with every subject imaginable aura of excellence that is digestible even to non academics who will marvel at the concepts.

On Fate:

‘What is stranger that fate which foils’

Every ploy to counter it?’ (couplet 56)

The common knowledge of Indian literature (Tamil) among many of us is limited. But as a whole the exclusive classics that are associated with early Indologists vary with time upon such classics as the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Vedas and the works of Kalidasa and much later, that of Rabindranath Tagore. When I read the Vedas, I struggled to seep into its meaning so unlike the Bhagavad Geetha or the lesser known works of some Indian literati.

The Dravidian south was actually older than to the prior emergence of the Aryan invasion and today, a great deal of the pre-Aryan civilization still exists in the South. Tamil among all languages, is only next to Sanskrit and possess the oldest literary records and unlike Sanskrit, it is a living, bubbling language.

Impermanence:

‘He was here yesterday, gloats the earth over man.

Today, he is gone ....(couplet 336)

Truvalluvar lived and wrote between the second century BC and the eighth century after death though one cannot be very certain about his existence. More popularly referred to as Valluvar belonged to the weaver class but there are many who believe him to be the chieftain-king of Valluvar in India’s deep south. There is yet another version to his birth which many scholars think that he was the off-spring of a Brahamin father and a Harijan mother. All these concepts in any form, fail to establish beginning. However the firm belief that his birthplace is Mylapor in Madras is confirmed to the fact a temple dedicated to him, exists. There is evidence to indicate that Valluvar’s genius lay in the use of Tamil that helped him create fantastic imagery and aphorisms.

In writing the Kural, he was influenced by the works of legendary literary giants of ancient India. The Kural contains 1330 two lined verses that is quiet unusual to make him such a convincing poet whereas most poets have confined themselves to four-line, eighth-line and sonnets. He divided its contents into three parts (1) Dharma (2) Artha and (3) Kama. He also included Moksha which is salvation. The first three goals were followed diligently by salvation.

‘The Lotus rises with the water And a man as high as his will’ - From the Kural (couplet 595)

Renunciation:

‘To give up all behoves the ascetics;

Attachment deludes....

(couplet 344)

‘Those who give up all are saved,

The rest are caught in delusion’....

(couplet 348)

Poet Valluvar invariably had the honour of having ‘Tiru’ as a prefix to his name. Whether Valluvar was his real name or one derived from a sub-caste to which he belonged still remain a mystery. Valluvar was a name associated with a weaver while it is also a name given to a royal drummer. Those who refused to accept the fact that a non-Brahamin could produce such spectacular work, may have spread the worked that he was the illegitimate son of a Brahamin father and a Harijan mother. The more sane or perhaps like Mahavira and Gautama Buddha turned from Royalty to spiritual thinker. Mylapore has been where he died rather than where he was born.

Since it is not easy to fix the time and era when the Kural was written, diverse opinion still continue as its whereabouts. One probable thinker-scholar, the author of History of Tamil language, Vairapuri Pillai suggest that Valluvar probably was contemporary of Saivite, saint-poet Appar (AD 600). There is another school of thought that Kural because of its sovereign quality of forgiveness and supremacy of love and sacrifice could have had great influence of the followers of St. Thomas who apparently came to India a few years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Kural’s primary concern was a world that belonged to every one down the centuries.

Its great impact is still transcendental and not the work of a mystic but a great philosopher and a down-to-earth poet who was more in communication with his home community.

Valluvar makes no distinction between caste and religious thinking. He also realised that virtue is so supreme that it played a vital role in man’s life seeking truth and God. All his couplets take us in this direction.

Though Valluvar has been translated by several eminent scholars, there is no English translation of the Kural. However the learned translator, Dr. Pope who was fascinated by it, chose to display Kural in lines that extended right across the page like pythons.

Whether it was a good idea or not, no one knew. Other translations are mostly pedestrians and not, no one knew. Other translations are mostly pedestrians and not particularly outstanding.

But I do wish that some plucky Sinhala translator would take up the challenge to translate the Kural, especially because of its Sanskrit influence.

There is also a legends that does its rounds in adoration of Valluvar by his early admirers that he pierced a mustard seed and poured it into the seven seas.

Taken together the three books of Kural is brilliantly styled about life and the ways of the world. With the Kural, my curiosity of Tamil literature took a new turn and may be I will stumble upon another gem.

The Land:

‘A land’s limb are water of two kinds, hills with streams well placed;

And a strong fence;’....

(couplet 737)

An ideal land is free of hunger.

Pestilence and war’.....(couplet 735)

Wrath:

‘Is there a foe more fell than wrath.

Which kills laughter and love? .....

(couplet 304)

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