Thirukkural
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Solace
P Ram Mohan, Timely Solace That Thirukkural Offers, Feb 6, 2017: The Times of India
Until recently , any contemplation on life and existence may have been hemmed in with a touch of complacency . The sudden spasm of demonetisation was an overwhelming philosophical lesson on transience of life and wealth. It reinforced the belief that nothing will last forever. Even with a surfeit of wealth and power adding to the hubris of our ego, life as an overarching phenomenon could include rise and fall, as nothing remains constant. An apocryphal saying that, “whatever has a beginning also has an end“, may guide us towards enlightened living in the present.
Viewed from a moral compass, the Bhagwad Gita, in summarising the essence of transience, speaks of change as the quintessential law of the universe.Assimilating the teachings of the Gita, we dissolve our ego in the ethereal knowledge that possessions are bound by the Law of Change; these possessions, the Gita says, include the human body also, which does not belong to us. In any spiritual discourse on transience, sage-poet Thiruvalluvar's treatise, the Thirukkural, is illustrious company to the Gita. An omnibus treatise on human virtues, ethics, values, morals and ideals, the Kural, with its austere approach and sincere outlook, is a spiritual beacon to mankind.
Thiruvalluvar treats both life and property as being equally transient (verses 341-350, Chapter 34). With the skilful use of metaphors, Thiruvalluvar drives home the t surreal message of instability with abject ease, through an authentic approach to life. In Kural 332 he states that wealth is like the people assembled in a concert hall, and will melt away like the hall becoming empty after the show. In verse 334 Tiruvalluvar praises those who never exult over a day in life as being enlight ened, as they understand that every passing day is like a sword that cuts life down by a day . By raising the bar of awareness that nothing endures time, this chapter acts as a primer for freeing ourselves of bondages in life.
In Kural 337, Thiruvalluvar points out that someone who was existing yesterday is not here today . He now begins to dovetail the transitory aspect with an exemplary couplet in Kural 338, a verbatim reproduction of which is from he the translation by G U Pope: “ Birds fly away , and leave the nest deserted bare; Such is the short-lived friendship soul and body share.“
Apparently , no bird hatched from its shell desires to remain attached to it.
Though Pope used the word “nest“, the word shell is interchangeably used for the Tamil word used by Thiruvalluvar in the original, which is “Kudambai“, when transliterated. The bird comes into existence on freeing itself from the shell; if it remains attached to the shell, it would frustrate the very act of coming into existence. Thiruvalluvar implies that coming into life, the soul displays eagerness to leave the body and search for a new dwelling. He points out that just as this friendship is short lived, the body and soul share a frosty relationship, ever ready to part with each other.
Thirukkural is an insightful narrative on impermanence of money and life, conveyed in a simple yet forceful manner, so that in case there is another demonetisation-type event, we remain contended with whatever we have. The Thirukkural continues to be a reassuring presence for those who seek solace in the everembracing wisdom of Thiruvalluvar.
