Thiruvalluvar and
Thirukkural
Introduction
In
the course of human history, there have been many philosophers, prophets, sages,
and saints who have contributed to the development of religious and
philosophical ideas. The Vedas are the oldest religious and philosophical text.
Historians surmise that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was
composed during the period 1,500 BC to 1,000 BC. The monotheistic religion of
Judaism, founded by Moses almost 3,500 years ago, is considered one of the
oldest religions in the world. After the early Vedic period and the beginnings
of Judaism, the sixth and the fifth century BC seem to have been the time when
many philosophical ideas simultaneously blossomed around the world. During the
sixth century BC, Mahavira (540 BC
– 468 BC) and the Buddha (563 BC – 483 BC) appeared in the Indian philosophical
scene. Mahavira was the twenty-fourth in the lineage of saints of Jainism, one
of the major religions of India. Although the Jains (the followers of Jainism)
do not consider Mahavira as the founder of Jainism, he certainly established a
firm foundation for the Jainism of the future. The ultimate Jain ideal is to
lead an ascetic life and achieve liberation from the unending cycle of births
and deaths. To this end, Mahavira preached five ethical principles. They are
nonviolence towards all living beings, truthfulness, non-stealing, restraint
over yearning for sensual and sexual pleasures, and complete detachment from
people, places, and material property. The Jains consider Mahavira as their
last and final Guru, and he is worshiped by the Jains all over the world.
Among all the philosophers and religious
leaders of India, the Buddha is perhaps the most well-known in India as well as
in the rest of the world. He was a contemporary of Mahavira. His enquiring mind
had several questions about life and the ultimate reality. The Buddha was not
satisfied with the answers to those questions provided by the Vedas and the
Vedic religion of his time. As a result of his own prolonged meditation, he
attained enlightenment. After his enlightenment, he formulated the Four Noble
Truths and the Eightfold path. The first Noble Truth states, “Life is
suffering.” The second Noble Truth states, “Suffering is caused by desire.” The
third Noble Truth says, “In order to eliminate suffering, one has to eliminate
desire.” The fourth and final Noble Truth states, “In order to eliminate
desire, one has to follow the Eightfold Path.” The Eightfold Path includes the
right understanding, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. It is
obvious that the Buddha was very systematic in his approach to explaining his
ideas to his followers. Buddhism, the religion founded by the disciples of the
Buddha, had a tremendous appeal throughout the eastern hemisphere.
Contemporaneous to Mahavira and the Buddha,
Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC), the most renowned Chinese philosopher, preached
civic humanism, morality, ethics, and social order in the Far East. Confucius
was less concerned about metaphysics and the ultimate reality. However, he was
an advocate of social order and rituals. The philosophy of Confucius gradually
permeated Chinese politics. The Han dynasty originally adopted Confucianism as
the state ideology in the second century AD, and later, the Song Dynasty (960
AD – 1279 AD) revived Confucianism as the state ideology. In short, there has
never been a more influential person than Confucius in Chinese philosophical
thought.
Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) was the most
eminent philosopher in the western hemisphere during the fifth century BC. Although
Socrates did not leave any written documents behind, Plato (428 BC – 348 BC),
who was his contemporary, and Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC), who was Plato’s
disciple, have abundantly described Socrates’ contribution to western
philosophy. Based on their writings, scholars agree that the dialectical
reasoning methodology proposed by Socrates is the foundation for the entire
western philosophical system. Plato and Aristotle also made their own
contributions to the development of western philosophy.
Although there was a significant development
in philosophical thought during the sixth and fifth centuries BC, that period
did not have a monopoly in that field. There have been many outstanding
philosophers and religious leaders in many parts of the world subsequent to the
fifth century BC. Two major religions of the world, Christianity and Islam were
formed based on the teaching of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed during the
first and the seventh century AD, respectively. Over the past two millennia,
there have been several other outstanding philosophers who have made remarkable
contributions to the philosophical and religious ideologies of the world.
About
two thousand years ago, in the state of Tamil Nadu (the land of Tamil-speaking
people), India, there was an extraordinary man who was an outstanding
philosopher who analyzed almost all aspects of human life and offered practical
guidelines for a purposeful life on earth. His ideas are considered by scholars
to be eternally valid and universally acceptable. His name is Thiruvalluvar
(hereinafter referred to as Valluvar). His legacy is his magnum opus called
Thirukkural(hereinafter
referred to as the Kural with an upper case “K,” and the individual stanzas are
referred to as kural with a lower case “k,” or a couplet), and it is considered
a veritable guide for the “Art of Living.”
He is very well known in the state of Tamil Nadu, where people of all
ages study his book.
About Valluvar
In spite of these adulations by eminent
philosophers and the availability of numerous translations of the Kural, we
have very little factual information about its author, Valluvar. Most of the
biographical information available about Valluvar is anecdotal. The only
information that we know for certain is that he was born in the state of Tamil
Nadu, which lies in the southeastern part of India. There is a controversy
about the exact place of his birth. Some people believe that he was born in
Mylapore, a suburb of Chennai, which is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu.
Others claim that he was born in the district of Kanyakumari, which lies in the
southern tip of India.
Just like the mystery surrounding his place
of birth, the year of Valluvar’s birth is also an unresolved issue. There are
some scholars who believe that he was born in the third century BC. Others
argue, based on literary evidence, that he was born sometime between 400 AD and
500 AD. A group of renowned Tamil scholars met in 1921 and decided that
Valluvar must have been born in 31 BC. The government of the state of Tamil
Nadu has officially recognized that Valluvar was born in 31 BC. In spite of the
uncertainty surrounding his exact year of birth, it is generally believed that
Valluvar was born about 2,000 years ago. From the various stories about his
personal life, we infer that Valluvar was married, and his wife’s name was
Vasuki.
Assuming that Valluvar was born about 2,000
years ago, the primary religions in Tamil Nadu, as well as in India during that
time, were the Vedic religion (the forerunner of modern-day Hinduism), Jainism,
and Buddhism. In the Kural, we see evidence of Vedic thinking, reflections of
the Buddha’s enlightenment, and the sanctity of nonviolence, as emphasized by
Jainism. Based on his own work, one can only conclude that Valluvar was well
aware of the three religions of his time, and he has included appropriate ideas
from all three religions in his book. In fact, in addition to the influence of
the Indian religions of his time, we can also hear the echoes of Jesus Christ’s
Sermon on the Mount, see the semblance of the Ten Commandments and even notice
the rationalism of atheists in the Kural. But, in spite of all these
similarities, there is no evidence to identify to which religion Valluvar
belonged to, or for that matter, there is no information in his book to suggest
that he really belonged to no religion at all. His book is strictly secular in
nature. Yet, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and even some Christians try to argue in
vain regarding the religious affiliation of Valluvar.
Appreciation
of Valluvar and the Kural by scholars worldwide
Professor
Moriz Winternitz (1863-1937), an eminent Austrian orientalist, says,
“Valluvar’s Kural is one of the gems of the world literature. He
(Valluvar) stands above all races, castes, and sects, and what he teaches is
general human morality and wisdom. No wonder that the Kural has been
read, studied, and highly praised in the land of its origin for centuries but
also found many admirers in the west ever since it has become known.” In the
words of Prof. Kamil Zvelebil, a renowned Tamil scholar from the Czech
Republic, “…Thirukkural is a contribution of the Tamil creative genius to the
world’s cultural treasure and should be familiar to the whole world and admired
and beloved by all in the same way as the poems of Homer, the dramas of
Shakespeare, the pictures of Rembrandt, the cathedrals of France and the
sculptures of Greece.” Dr.
Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965), the German Philosopher, physician, and Nobel
laureate admired Valluvar’s positive view of the world and life as opposed to
the “world and life negation” preached by the religions of India. Leo Tolstoy
(1828 – 1910), the famous Russian novelist, was very impressed with Valluvar’s
ideas on nonviolence. Also, Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948) was so fascinated by
the Kural that he wanted to learn Tamil so that he could study the original
version of the Kural. The Russians are said to have preserved important books
of lasting value in the Kremlin in an indestructible Tungsten chamber so that
they may outlast even a nuclear attack and be useful to posterity. The Kural is
one of the books in that chamber. Many other scholars and philosophers from
various parts of the world have recognized and admired Valluvar’s profound yet
pragmatic view of human life and the practical guidelines he has offered for a
purposeful life. The Kural has been translated into more than forty languages
of the world. There are more than 55 translations of the Kural in the English
language alone.
About the Kural
The Vedic religion of Valluvar’s time
considered the pursuit of virtue, wealth, love, and salvation (the liberation
of the soul from the never-ending chain of births and deaths) as the four
primary goals of human life. Valluvar also accepted these four goals as the
foundation for his book. But his book deals with the first three of these goals
in great detail. It looks like he has deliberately avoided writing a separate
section for the fourth goal, which deals with the liberation of the soul.
However, he briefly mentions this goal and prescribes his own approach to
attain this goal in the first part of his book. It should be noted that
although there have been many literary works dealing with virtue, wealth, love,
and salvation, Valluvar was the first one to address all four goals in the same
book.
The Vedic religion during Valluvar’s
time advocated the social doctrine of four stages of life. It maintained that
one should first become a chaste student, then become a married householder
discharging his duties to his ancestors by begetting sons and to the gods by
sacrificing; then retire with or without his wife, to the forest to devote
himself to spiritual contemplation; and finally, but not mandatorily, become a
homeless wandering ascetic. In reality, the last two
stages were considered optional, and many people might not have pursued those
options. The virtues discussed by Valluvar in the first part of the Kural are
mostly applicable to people in all four stages of life, with a few exceptions.
For example, virtues such as hospitality, charity, and munificence are
applicable only to the householder. An ascetic would not have the wherewithal
to practice these virtues. In lieu of these virtues, Valluvar outlines certain
virtues that are only applicable to the ascetics.
Valluvar’s Kural contains 1,330 couplets,
and it is divided into three parts. The first part is known as “Virtue,” and it
contains thirty-eight chapters, with each chapter consisting of ten couplets.
The second part, which is titled “Wealth,” has seventy chapters with ten
couplets per chapter. The last part is titled “Love,” and it covers both premarital
as well as conjugal love in twenty-five chapters, with ten couplets in each
chapter.
First part of the Kural: It is truly a misnomer to refer to the
contents of the first part of the Kural as “virtue.” The first part of the
Kural deals with the various aspects of righteousness with respect to human
conduct. In Tamil, the first part of the Kural is called araththuppaal, which means the part of the book dealing with aram. As the learned scholar Dr. V. C.
Kulandaiswamy rightly points out that although many have translated the term aram as “virtue,” the term “virtue” does
not convey the full meaning of the word aram
and therefore it is misleading. Aram
is the summum bonum of all values and virtues essential for human
society. Since there is no equivalent word in the English language for the
all-inclusive Tamil word aram, we
will continue to use the word “virtue” as the English equivalent of aram.
Valluvar’s
concept of virtue is fairly simple and straightforward. According to him,
virtue consists of avoiding negative qualities and adhering to positive
qualities. Quality in an individual
that might cause mental or physical harm to himself or others is considered a
negative quality, and it is the result of blemishes in the person’s mind. “It
is the supreme virtue not to have a harmful thought about anybody in any degree
at any moment (Couplet 317).” In Couplet 318, Valluvar says, “Why does a man
inflict upon other living beings those things he found harmful to himself?”
Considering the implications behind these two couplets, it is clear that
Valluvar warns against doing harm to any living being by thought, word, or
deed. Envy, coveting,
and anger are examples of evil thoughts that may lead to actions
resulting in harm to others. Indulging in slander and idle talk are
examples of the use of words that may hurt others. Finally, physically harming
other living beings, killing, adultery, evil deeds, eating
meat (non-vegetarianism), and committing fraud are definite
acts of aggression intended to harm other people or other living beings. A
harmful speech or a harmful act must have been conceived in the mind before
they manifest in speech or action. Therefore, all the negative qualities
mentioned above are considered blemishes of the human mind. Valluvar is very
emphatic in saying, “Virtue is nothing but cultivating a mind without
blemishes; everything else is an empty show (Couplet 34).”
Although
for the sake of emphasis, Valluvar says that having a mind without blemishes is
a virtue and discards everything else as a mere show (Couplet 34), his concept
of virtue is certainly inclusive of several positive qualities that would
enable an individual to overcome the negative qualities and to eliminate the
blemishes. According to Valluvar, love, compassion, use of
sweet words, impartiality, exercising self-control, adhering
to righteous codes of conduct, having forbearance, and being truthful
are the positive qualities that one should cultivate and maintain in order to
erase blemishes from one’s mind. Valluvar considers truthfulness as one of the
highest virtues and extols its value by saying, “Purity of body is produced by
water; purity of mind comes from truthfulness (Couplet 298).” Valluvar maintains that compassion is the
outgrowth of love (Couplet 757). When love and compassion are the dominant
emotions in an individual’s mind, then he/she will be kind and considerate to
other living beings and will be less prone to inflict harm on others.
Valluvar
is of the opinion that love and compassion are two basic emotions that motivate
a person to share his food, wealth, and other resources with those who need
help. He asserts, “Those who are destitute of love will keep everything to
themselves, but those who possess love will give even their bones to others
(Couplet 72)” and “Love is the quintessence of life; without it, a man is
nothing, but a frame of bones covered with skin (Couplet 80).” He considers that it is an individual’s duty
to practice hospitality, charity, and munificence. He also
reminds the one who receives the help that he should always be grateful
for any help received from others.
Finally,
Valluvar says that the fame that arises from a charity is the most
popular kind of fame (Couplet 232) and, therefore, “Give to the poor and live
with fame gained from your charity; other than that, there is no greater gain
in life (Couplet 231).”
As
everyone knows, life is transient, and there is nothing that is permanent in
this world. But most eastern religions posit that the human soul is immortal
and that it exists even after the death of the individual. Therefore, there
have always been curious seekers of the ultimate truth and the nature of the
human soul. Such seekers of the truth tend to renounce worldly passions and
pleasures and follow an ascetic way of life in order to concentrate on their
pursuit of the ultimate truth. Also, the major religions of Valluvar’s time
considered that one who seeks the ultimate truth and attains enlightenment
would be able to break the chain of births and deaths. In line with the
thinking of his time, Valluvar suggests,
“If you desire to be an
ascetic, there are several things you must do and
therefore, go ahead when you still have the
time.” (Couplet
342)
Therefore, according to Valluvar, following
an ascetic way of life is optional, and even if one were to follow such a
lifestyle, one would still have to eliminate the blemishes of his mind and
pursue the positive qualities mentioned above. Since an ascetic is devoid of
material resources, he may not be able to practice hospitality, charity, and
munificence and may not seek fame. Valluvar delineates a few special virtues
that are applicable to those who follow the ascetic way of life. He is of the
opinion that the one who chooses to be an ascetic should become aware of the impermanence
of everything in this world. Once the impermanence is realized, the ascetic
should control the five senses and renounce all objects of desire
at the same time (Couplet 342). Then the ascetic should pursue penance which
is to endure one’s own sufferings and not to injure any living being (Couplet
261). Valluvar is extremely critical of the impostors who pretend to be genuine
ascetics, and he warns against such hypocrisy. Finally, the ascetic’s
only goal should be to realize the ultimate truth. Valluvar advises that
in order to realize the ultimate truth, the ascetic should eliminate all
desires because it is the desire that is the seed that yields unceasing
births to all beings at all times (Couplet 361), and once the desires are
eliminated, the ascetic would be blessed with uninterrupted joy (Couplet 370).
In the case of virtue, one can find
similarities between the ideas of the Kural and the ideas in religious
literature like the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, the Torah, the Jain Agamas,
Buddhism’s Dhammapada, the Quran, and other similar texts. But there is an
essential difference between the Kural and the religious texts. Religions
preach the need to follow the path of virtue because that will lead to a better
life in the future, a place in heaven, or even salvation. Although Valluvar
points to certain potential benefits that might result from following the path
of virtue, he says that even if there is no benefit, virtue must be pursued for
its own sake because it is the right thing to do. For example, the popular
belief during Valluvar’s period was that the one who is giving charity would
find a place in heaven. But in Couplet 222, Valluvar says, “Even if there is no
heaven, it is still good to give.” So, as far as Valluvar is concerned,
following the path of virtue (aram)
is an end in itself and not a means to an end. Regarding this aspect of the
Kural, Dr. Albert Schweitzer says the following:
“Ethics in the Kural are not
so entirely dominated by the idea of reward as in Brahminism, Buddhism, and
Bhagavad Gita. We already find here (in the Kural) the knowledge that good must
be done for its sake.”
Second part of the Kural: The second part of the Kural deals with porul. Generally, the Tamil word porul is translated as “wealth” in
English. But this translation does not describe the full meaning of the
contents of this part of the book. According to the Tamil Lexicon of the
University of Chicago, the Tamil word porul
has twenty-seven different meanings depending upon the context in which it is
used. “Wealth” is only one of the meanings of the word porul. According
to Dr. T. P. Meenakshisundaran, a highly respected Tamil scholar of the
twentieth century, this part of the Kural deals with the structure of an
organized society, and only in an organized society can the wealth be
generated, protected, and enjoyed by all sections of the society. Therefore, he opines that the translation of
the term porul as wealth is not totally
inappropriate. Although this explanation is not completely satisfactory, it
seems somewhat plausible.
During the time of Valluvar, the form of the
government was the monarchy. Unlike in modern-day democracies, as the head of
his country, the king had all the executive, legislative and judicial powers
vested in him, and there were no checks and balances. Despite the concentration
of all the powers in him, the king was supposed to cherish his subjects and
exercise these powers with prudence and equanimity for the welfare of his
citizens. The king’s primary duties were to protect his country from foreign
and domestic enemies, maintain law and order, ensure the economic prosperity of
his country and create an environment in which his citizens could enjoy material
prosperity. While recognizing and praising the value of the valiant defense
forces, Valluvar does not advocate a war to expand the king’s territory. His
idea of having a strong defense force is only for the purpose of protecting the
country from wars waged by others. Regarding maintaining law and order, he is
in favor of careful consideration of all aspects of a crime and dispensing
punishment proportionate to the crime in a dispassionate manner. In Couplet
541, he says as follows:
“With thoughtful
consideration, searching inquiry, impartiality, consultation with experts,
enforce the law justly. That is the proper way to administer justice.”
This part of the Kural deals with “wealth” both
at the national level as well as at the individual level. During Valluvar’s
time, “Unclaimed wealth, wealth acquired by taxes and the wealth obtained from
the defeated foes belonged to the king (Couplet 756).” In those days, there was no real distinction
between a country’s wealth and the king’s wealth. According to Valluvar, in the
area of economic development of the country, the king’s duties included
production, acquisition, conservation, and distribution of the wealth of his
country (Couplet 385). At the national level, in order to generate and protect
wealth, the society needs to have an effective leader, efficient
administration, loyal citizenry, friendly allies, strong defense forces, and
adequate fortifications. With this in mind, Valluvar says, “He who possesses an
army, a people, wealth, ministers, friends and fortifications is a lion among
kings (Couplet 381).” When a king has
all the six elements mentioned in Couplet 381, he can protect his country, maintain
law and order and the people can generate wealth and enjoy material
prosperity.
Valluvar mentions that a king
should have courage, liberality, wisdom, energy, alertness, knowledge,
learning, and bravery (Couplets 382 and 383). If he were to be considered an
outstanding king, Valluvar says, the king should also have additional qualities
such as beneficence, benevolence, concern for his citizens, and
rule with rectitude (Couplet – 390). Also, he should be able to bear bitter
criticism (Couplet– 389), should be easily accessible to his citizens, and
should not use harsh words (Couplet – 386). In this part of the book, Valluvar dedicates
several chapters to provide details regarding the conduct of the king, the
leadership skills, and the management skills expected of a king. These topics
are covered in such a general fashion that in the modern days, they are
applicable to a President, Prime Minister, Governor of a state, or even the
Chief Executive Officer of a Corporation who has similar management and
leadership responsibilities. Also, many of the qualities described in this part of the
book as essential for the king are also applicable and equally essential for an
ordinary citizen, even in modern times to be successful in his/her life. The
profound wisdom of Valluvar and the generality with which he deals with the
topics have enabled the Kural to stand the test of time and serve as an eternal
beacon of wisdom to humanity.
Valluvar’s
economic and political philosophies, as enunciated in this part of his book,
are radically different from those of others of his time and those of later
periods. For him, life is worth living, and gathering wealth is essential for
life on earth. He says, “There is no place in this world for people without
wealth (Couplet 247).” He encourages the
accumulation of wealth by saying, “Accumulate wealth; it will destroy the
arrogance of your foes; there is no weapon sharper than that (Couplet 759).” Another important
aspect of Valluvar’s approach to wealth and material prosperity is his
distinction between the means and the end. According to Valluvar, a goal should
be reached by the right means. In other words, wealth should be gathered by
honest and righteous means. For example, in order to emphasize the need for
purity of actions even under dire circumstances, he says, “Even if one’s mother
is starving, one should not act in a way the wise men would condemn (Couplet
656).” According to him, “Men of
noble birth will avoid evil deeds even if they can gain many millions by those
deeds. “ In
the case of a king, he should avoid plundering and coveting others’ property by
unjust rule and excessive taxation. In general, Valluvar’s advice is that one
should instantaneously avoid any gain that results from unfair means (Couplet
113). This distinction between the means and the end makes Valluvar’s Kural
different and highly venerable compared to other treatises before and after
him.
Another noteworthy aspect of Valluvar’s
thinking on wealth is his insistence on beneficence towards those who need
help. The purpose of gathering wealth is to enjoy the wealth and to share it
with deserving others. In Couplet 212, he says that “All the wealth gained from
hard work is for the purpose of helping the deserving others.” In the case of a
king, “He is the beacon among kings who has beneficence, compassion, rectitude,
and care for his people (Couplet 380).” This is akin to the modern-day concept
of a welfare society.
Valluvar’s Kural is often compared with Arthasasthra,
written by Kautilya (379 BC – 283 BC), and “The Prince” written by Machiavelli
(1469 – 1527). Arthasasthra is a book on statecraft, political economy,
crime and punishments, and other topics relevant to the governance of a
country. The contents in Arthasasthra are specific to the socio-economic
conditions of Kautilya’s time, and as such, their relevance to the modern era
is very limited. Furthermore, achieving the desired end by any means seems to
be the general theme of Kautilya’s strategy. Although topics covered in The
Kural are somewhat similar to those in Arthasasthra, the generality and
the emphasis on virtue found in the Kural are missing in Arthasasthra.
Machiavelli’s cunning and duplicitous strategies for statecraft and his total
disregard for virtue and morality are clearly evident in his book, “The
Prince.” Therefore, “Arthasasthra” and “The Prince” do not
belong to the same class of books as the Kural, and they are not really
comparable to Valluvar’s ethical masterpiece, the Kural.
The Third part of the Kural: The third and final part of the Kural is on “Love.” The first
seven chapters of this part deal with premarital love, and the next eighteen
chapters are about post-marital love. A young man meets a beautiful young lady,
and they both fall in love. After their initial meeting and subsequent
rendezvous, they consummate their love. Gossip about their secret love affair
starts to circulate in their community. The young lovers get married. The
husband has to leave his wife and go out of town to partake in a war on behalf
of his king. The wife patiently waits for her husband’s return. But she is
unable to bear the pain of separation from her beloved, and she is often in
tears. She does not eat or sleep and becomes very weak, and her health
deteriorates. She longs for her husband’s immediate return. Finally, he returns
from the battlefield. She feigns to be angry with him and pretends to be in a
bad mood. However, she is unable to control herself and embraces him, and they
make love and enjoy their intimacy. Valluvar describes all these scenes in
exquisite poetry in the third part of the Kural.
One would think that this is a typical tale of lovers and,
therefore, there is nothing new in it. But then, why did Valluvar include this
love story in his book, and what is special about this part of the book? As
mentioned before, according to the philosophical thinking of Valluvar’s time,
“virtue, wealth, love, and salvation” are the four goals of life. Since he has
already covered virtue and salvation in the first part and wealth in the second
part, for the sake of completeness, he might have included “love” in the third
part of his book. This part has its own special significance.
Valluvar
considers virtue as the basis of all human endeavors. In other words, all
aspects of day-to-day life, including the acquisition of wealth and sexual
relationships, should be based on righteous conduct. In this part on “Love,” we
see that premarital as well as conjugal love are based on the principles of
virtue. Almost twenty percent of ancient Tamil literature of the Sangam period
(300 BC - 300 AD) deals with lovers’ quarrels, and invariably the reason for
their quarrels is the promiscuous behavior of the male partner. In the Kural,
there is no mention of promiscuity on the part of the male partner. The wife
quarrels with her husband when he returns from war to simply tease him and to
make him wait before she begins to be intimate with him. This is radically
different from the literature before Valluvar’s period. Valluvar considers
“Sexual delight is more delicate than a flower; only a few understand its real
nature (Couplet 1289).” Dr. S.M. Diaz, an Indian commentator, elaborates on
this Couplet as follows:
“The concept of true love is really tender, like
the softest of the floral blossoms of this world. And therefore,
the lover who truly understands and appreciates it
will proceed to enjoy the bliss of joy that arises from it,
with the merited delicacy and gentleness in all
its aspects, spiritual, intellectual, and physical.”
Some scholars compare Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra (3rd
Century AD) to the third part of the Kural. In reality, there is nothing in
common between the Kural and Kamasutra. Kamasutra is a veritable
warehouse of information on sensual pleasures and sexual intercourse. The third
part of the Kural presents a poetic exposition of the love between a man and a
woman in dramatic situations. If this part of The Kural can be compared to a
modern movie with a rating of “Parental Guidance Suggested (PG),” Kamasutra is
comparable to a movie with a rating of “X.”
In the three parts of the Kural, we see three different
aspects of Valluvar. In the first part, we see him as an outstanding ethicist
who enumerates moral and righteous codes of conduct. In the second part, we see
him as a multidisciplinary scholar well-versed in statecraft, economics,
defense, psychology, and other related disciplines. In the third part, we find
him as a poet extraordinaire expressing the subtle emotions of lovers with
exquisite lyrical excellence.
Special features of the Kural
Uniqueness of the Kural: As mentioned before, during the days of
Valluvar, the three major religions were the Vedic religion, Buddhism, and
Jainism. The primary focus of these three religions was the liberation of the
human soul from the never-ending chain of births and deaths (salvation). These
religions considered life on earth as a preparatory stage for a better life
after death and also as an opportunity to pursue the ultimate goal of attaining
salvation. Although Valluvar concurs with the idea of salvation as the goal, he
considers it as an option rather than the absolute goal for everyone. Valluvar
is more concerned with living a good life on earth. For him, the world is real,
and life is worth living. His book is all about the world and life affirmation.
According to Valluvar, “A man who leads an ideal life in this world will be
ranked among the gods in heaven (Couplet – 50).” He says, “If you want to pursue the goal of
salvation, renounce the worldly pleasures. Once you renounce the worldly
pleasures, there are many things that need to happen before you attain your
goal (Couplet 342).” Compared to the prevailing philosophical ideas of his
time, Valluvar’s book is really unique in that it reinforces world and life
affirmation and treats the pursuit of salvation as an option.
As noted earlier, Valluvar has covered the
four primary goals of life (virtue, wealth, love, and salvation) in one and the
same book. In fact, he was the first author to do so. This is another example
of the uniqueness of Valluvar’s book.
Classical Tamil literature is
divided into two main categories: akam, “interior” and puram,
“exterior.” The poems belonging to akam
are love poems dealing with different situations in the development of love
between a man and a woman. These poems are about life “inside” family,
especially about sexual relations between men and women. The “exterior” poems
concern life outside the family, that is, the king, the king’s wars, greatness
and generosity, ethics, and death and dying. During the days of Tholkaappiyar
and in the following few centuries, all books in Tamil literature either dealt
with akam or puram genres. The Kural was the first book that
contained poems in both genres in the same book. Lastly, the Kural was the
first book with only two-line poems.
The Kural is revolutionary: In addition to being unique, the Kural is
also revolutionary in many respects. In Couplet 972, Valluvar declares,” All
human beings are equal by birth, but distinctions arise only because of the
different qualities of their actions.” Considering the fact that Valluvar made
his declaration of human equality about two thousand years ago is indeed
remarkable. During his time, the Vedic idea that people in the world belong to
four distinct hierarchies of classes, the priestly class, the warrior class,
the business class, and the class of laborers, has already begun to have its
roots in Indian society. The class of an individual is determined by the family
in which he is born, and there was no provision for migration from one class to
another. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that he himself
created this hierarchical class structure, and even he cannot change it. In such a class-based society, it was indeed
revolutionary on the part of Valluvar to proclaim that “All are equal by
birth.” The elitist document, “the
Declaration of Independence,” which was adopted by the Continental Congress of
the USA in 1776, declares that “All men are created equal.” It is obvious that
women were not considered equal to men, and people of color were not considered
equal to white men. Women and people of color had to fight for their equality
and obtained equal rights only in the 20th century. Even in the 21st
century, we find that in many countries, women do not enjoy equality with men.
Therefore, Valluvar’s declaration regarding equality by birth is undoubtedly
revolutionary.
Rationalism
in the Kural: Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines rationalism as
a theory that
reason is in itself a source of knowledge superior to and independent of sense
perceptions. Based on this definition, we see that Valluvar’s ideas are
in total agreement with that of rationalism. For example, in Couplet 355, he
says, “Whatever be the apparent
nature of things, it is wise to investigate their true nature.” It is this type of free
inquiry that forms the foundation of science. If Isaac Newton had ignored to
investigate why an apple fell towards the ground instead of going up in the
air, we would not have the laws of Newton. If Thomas Alva Edison did not pursue
his investigations relentlessly, he would not have invented the incandescent
electric bulb. He would not have developed
many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, motion
pictures, etc. Valluvar’s
idea that one should investigate the true nature of things is entirely
compatible with rational thinking and scientific methodologies.
In Couplet
423, Valluvar advises his readers, “True
wisdom is to discern the truth in whatever is said by whomsoever.” Questioning
and verifying the statements made by others is a mark of critical thinking, and
critical thinking leads to increased knowledge. For example, if Charles Darwin
had not thought critically and simply accepted religious teachings on
creationism, he would not have developed his theory of evolution. If Nicholas
Copernicus had not doubted Ptolemy’s theory of egocentricity, he would not have
come up with his theory of heliocentricity which is regarded as the launching
point of modern astronomy and the scientific revolution. A typical religious person would not be open to questioning
his own religious dogmas. The Buddha, the original rationalist, is supposed to
have said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it,
no matter if I have said it unless it agrees with your own reason and your own
common sense.” Valluvar does not endorse any religion as the ultimate truth
and is open to the inquiry of all statements made by anyone. He echoes the
Buddha when he says that individuals should investigate and believe whatever
they feel comfortable with and should not blindly follow anyone. The Couplets
355 and 423 are proof of Valluvar’s support for rationalism.
The Tamil society to which Valluvar belonged
considered chastity as highly desirable and a mandatory virtue for all women
and, at the same time, condoned the promiscuous behavior of men instead of
condemning it. There is ample evidence in the Tamil literature belonging to the
Sangam period (300 BC – 300 AD) to indicate that men having relationships with
prostitutes was not unusual. But Valluvar condemns the promiscuous behavior of
men in no uncertain terms by expressing his strong disapproval of their relationships
with prostitutes and involvement in adultery. In fact, he says, “A man’s
greatness will be intact only if he guards himself like a chaste woman (Couplet
974).” In Valluvar’s code of conduct,
there is no tolerance for promiscuity. This is another example of Valluvar’s
revolutionary thinking.
Also, the fact that consumption of
indigenously brewed and imported alcoholic beverages was widely prevalent in
Tamil society is well documented in the Tamil literature. Valluvar was the
first poet and philosopher to disapprove of the use of inebriating intoxicants.
This is yet another example of his revolutionary thinking.
Valluvar does not succumb to the fatalistic
tendencies prevalent with the religious zealots of his time. Some religions
have a tendency to overemphasize the role of God in the affairs of men and
underestimate the role of hard work and effort. Valluvar says, “Even if God
cannot help you to attain your goal, you will be rewarded in proportion to your
efforts and hard work (Couplet 619).”
There are always unpredictable random events that happen in life and
interfere with the planned activities of people. While recognizing the
possibility of unpredictable random events, Valluvar says, “People who work
hard with ceaseless industry will overcome the obstacles created by the
unpredictable random events (Couplet 620).” Valluvar’s emphasis on effort
instead of fate bears testimony to his revolutionary thinking.
Immortality
of the Kural: In addition to being unique and revolutionary in
many aspects, the Kural is also an immortal masterpiece created by Valluvar. The best-known
and most visited portrait of Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci (1452 AD – 1519
AD), the impressive sculpture of David by Michelangelo (1475 AD – 1564 AD), the
enchanting compositions of the musical virtuosos Bach and Beethoven, the famous
religious books like the Bible, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and other
outstanding literature in major languages are examples of masterpieces which
have stood the test of time. The reason for their apparent immortality is that
they have an intrinsic value or beauty that appeals to their viewers,
listeners, readers, and followers. The Kural belongs to the same category of
immortal masterpieces. The two factors that contribute to the Kural’s immortality
are its subject matter and the generality with which Valluvar has presented the
subject matter.
In his book, Valluvar deals with
subjects that are associated with wisdom instead of knowledge. Knowledge and
wisdom are two different things. Knowledge is the result of learning
information which is based on data and the relationships among them. Whereas
wisdom is the ability to think
and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense,
and insight. Today’s knowledge may become obsolete
tomorrow. For example, scientific knowledge often becomes obsolete due to new
information based on advances in research. But the wisdom which is based on the
collective experience of a community or the human race, in general, will remain
valid forever. In the Kural, Valluvar deals with subjects like right conduct,
education, morality, generosity, hospitality, thankfulness, truthfulness,
persistence, friendship, efficiency in management, effective leadership,
familial and conjugal love, etc., which have always been considered desirable
qualities having permanent appeal to humanity. If Valluvar had attempted to
discuss scientific topics in his book, it is quite likely that his conclusions
would have been proved wrong due to advances in science over the past two
millennia.
Another factor that has contributed to the
immortality of his book is the generality with which he has approached the
subject matter of his book. For example, when he talks about education, in
Couplet 391, he says, “Learn flawlessly whatever should be learnt. After having
learnt, live accordingly.“ If Valluvar had listed the subjects to be learnt or
the books to be read, such a list would be outdated and may not have any
relevance at the present time. Since he did not specifically say what has to be
learnt, his statement is still valid and will be valid at all times. Similarly,
when he discusses the appropriate time for action, he asks, “Is there any task
that is impossible to accomplish for the one who chooses the right moment and
the right tool (Couplet 483)?“ Here again, it would have been fallacious on his
part if he had mentioned the details regarding the right time and the right
tool. But he has made his point about the need for choosing the right moment
and right tool to be successful in any chosen task without being specific. This
type of generalization in Valluvar’s approach contributes to the eternal
validity of his book.
Universal
applicability of the Kural: In addition to immortality, the wisdom-based
subject matter and the generality with which Valluvar has treated them also
contribute to the universal applicability of his book. There is no mention of
anything about his mother tongue (Tamil) or his native land (Tamil Nadu) in his
book. Except for a few Couplets where he mentions the names of certain gods of
Hindu mythology, there is no mention of his religion. When he discusses good
conduct, he realizes that it has to depend upon society and the time period in
which one lives. Therefore, in Couplet 140, he says, “Those who fail to conduct
themselves in harmony with the world are ignorant despite their vast
knowledge.”
In Tamil
literary tradition, the term “world“ denotes “the wise of the time.” Therefore,
in the above Couplet, Valluvar has made a very general statement that is
applicable in any part of the world at any given time. There is no worldwide
standard for good conduct. For example, divorce and remarriage are perfectly
valid and considered acceptable conduct for women in the western world. Whereas
divorce and remarriage may not be considered good conduct for women in some
Asian countries. By stating that one should “live in harmony with the
world," Valluvar maintains his generality, and that contributes to the
universal applicability of his statements.
Current
Status of the Kural
Until the
20th century, the Kural was studied and discussed only by Tamil scholars, and
the awareness of the Kural among the general public was very limited. The
credit goes to Dravidar Kazhagam, the Dravida Munnetra Kazagam, and their
leaders like Thanthai Periyar, Arignar Anna, and Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi for
bringing the Kural from the pundits’ parlor to the public arena. Today, every
educated person in Tamil Nadu is aware of the Kural and at least some of its
contents. At least part of the Kural is included in the Tamil Nadu school
curricula. Tamil Nadu government and many private organizations encourage
school children to memorize all the 1,330 Couplets, and many children do so and
win prizes for their accomplishments. Due to the initiatives of the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Kalaignar Karunanithi, a beautiful chariotlike
structure known as Valluvar Kottam in Chennai and a colossal statue of
Thiruvalluvar at the tip of the Indian peninsula have been erected. Tamil Nadu
Universities and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil hold literary
conferences to encourage research on the Kural. To further increase the
awareness and knowledge of the Kural, the Hon’ble Justice of the Madras High
Court, Mr. R. Mahadevan, has issued an order through his landmark judgment in
2015 to the Tamil Nadu Government to include the first 1080 couplets of the
Kural in the curricula of students in the 6th through 12th
grades. Recently,
in 2022, he reissued a similar judgment reminding the government to comply with
the court order. All these public and private sources' efforts to promote the
Kural are indeed commendable.
The
Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi of India and some of the ministers in
his cabinet often quote from the Kural.
Thiruvalluvar’s statues have been installed in a few cities in India.
But the Kural is not included in the curricula of students in any state of
India other than Tamil Nadu. Even educated people in India outside of Tamil
Nadu are ignorant of the Kural. Statues of Thiruvalluvar have been installed in
many countries, and several conferences on the Kural have been held in the USA,
the UK, and many other countries. Yet, most of the world is still unaware of
the Kural. The famous Tamil poet, Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar of the
twentieth century, says, “The land of the Tamil-speaking people has attained
great glory by giving Valluvar to the whole world.” It is true that the
Tamil-speaking people have indeed made a unique and remarkable gift to the
world, but unfortunately, the world has not yet recognized this gift.
Dr. Armoogum Parsuramen, former Minister of
Education and Science of Mauritius and former Director of the United Nations
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is working with several Tamil
organizations in the world to get Thirukkural recognized by UNESCO as a “Book
of Universal Literature.” If his attempts are successful, Kural’s recognition
in the world will exponentially increase. In addition to these efforts, we, in
the Tamil diaspora, have the responsibility to promote Thirukkural in all
possible ways so that people all over the world will be benefitted from the
immortal and universal wisdom of Thiruvalluvar.
There is no clear evidence
to indicate that Thiruvalluvar was his real name. The term Valluvan refers to
one whose job it was to announce the royal proclamations to the public by
beating a drum. It might also mean one who served as a minister to a king.
Valluvar is a respectful version of the word Valluvan. The term “Thiru” is an
honorific prefix to anything that is considered sacred or divine. So, it is
quite possible that Thiruvalluvar might not have been his real name, but that
is how he has been referred to by others.
In Tamil, the word “kural”
means a twoline verse (couplet). Valluvar’s book consists of 1330 kurals. As in
the case of his name, the term “Thiru” is an honorific prefix to the book of
kurals and hence his book is called Thirukkural.
. The fourfold
caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna
and Karma; though I am the author thereof, know Me as a nondoer and
immutable. (Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4, Stanza 13)
.
“Children whose quest for knowledge is unlimited should be drawn into
principles at an early age so that they do not deviate. The future of every
country lies at the hands of the younger generation. It is the duty of the
state to show them the rightful path, and there is no better philosophy than
what is preached in Thirukkural.” (W.P (MD) No.11999 of 2015) Hon Justice R.
Mahadevan, Madras High Court.
