BY
K. ANANTHANATHAN, MA, MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker with OCSWSSW
In this small article, I intend to briefly explain the meaning of the notion of Aram (virtue) and love in Thiruvalluvar’s Thirukkural. Within the Thamil culture of offering Aram and Love to the whole humanity. Every Thamil must have heard of the name of Thiruvalluvar and of his masterpiece Thirukkural, which is today known all over the world of culture as “one of the highest and purest expressions of human thought”.
Brief Introduction of Thiruvalluvar and his work Thirukkural:
Thiruvalluvar is a celebrated Thamil poet and philosopher whose contribution to Thamil literature is the Thirukkural a work on ethics. He was born in Mylapore Chennai in Thamil Nadu. Thiruvalluar is thought to have lived sometime between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century BC. His ethical works Thirukkural is a collection of 1330 Thamil Couplets organized into 133 Chapters. Each Chapter has a specific subject ranging from “Ploughing a piece of land” to “Ruling a country”.
Thamil word kural means Venpa verse with two lines. Thirukkural comes under one of the four categories of Venpas (Thamil Verse). The 1330 Couplets are arranged into three main sections and 133 Chapters. Each Chapter contains ten Couplets. A Couplet consists four words on the first line and three words on the second line. A word is a single or combination of more than one Thamil word. For Example, Thirukkural is a word formed by combining the two words Thirukkural , i.e. Thirukkural Thiru + Kural = Thirukkural. The Thirukkural is divided into three sections. They are (in a following order):
- Arathuppaal: On ethical law/virtue (see also Dhama)
- Porutppaal: On wealth/politics (see also Artha)
- Kamathuppaal: On Desire/Love (see also Kama)
Thiruvalluvar seems to belong to the small band of the great teachers of the world like Lord Buddha, Great Philosopher like Socrates, Juses Christ. His work, which the Thamils love to call the Thamil Veda (Pothu Marai), has the universal appeal of a gospel of humanity. The legacy of Thiruvalluvar, comprising as it does, a world of thought within a small compass, holds indeed a unique position in Thamil literature and reveals the vigour and resourcefulness of the early Thamil tongue. First, I will explain some of his views on concepts of love and virtue through his favorite Thirukkural following couplets:
“Those who are destitute of love destitute of love appropriate all they have to themselves; but those who possess love consider even their bone to belong to others” (Thirukkural – 72). “They say that the union of soul and body in man is the fruit of the union of love and virtue” (Thirukkural – 72). “Love begets desire; and that (desire) begets the immeasurable excellence of friendship” (Thirukkural – 74). “The ignorant say that love is an ally to virtue only, but it is also a help to get out of vice” (Thirukkural – 76).
“Virtue will burn up the soul which is without love, even as the sun burns up the creature which is without bone, i.e. worms” (Thirukkural – 78). “The body alone which is inspired with love contains a living soul; if void of it, (the body) is bone overlaid with skin” (Thirukkural – 80). “Is there any fastening that can shut in love? Tears of the affectionate will publish the love that is within” (Thirukkural – 71).
Thirukkural has already attracted many a foreign scholars and philosophers by Aram (virtue) and deep love of its high humanitarian ideals and moral teachings based upon self – purification and universal brotherhood. It has been translated into more than 80 languages both western and oriental.
John Murdoch in his “Catalogue of Thamil books” observes, Thiruvalluvar the author of the Thirukkural occupies the foremost place as a moralist among the Thamils. Indeed, it is generally acknowledged that there is no treatise equal to the Thirukkural in any Indian language”. It was mainly through the influence of Buddhism through Sri Lanka and Jainism from North India that the Thamil poets after the Sangam Age occupied themselves with ethical questions. They produced a number of ethical works, the greatest of them being Thirukkural. These works show an increasing inflow of Sanskrit influence, notably owing to the profound Sanskrit scholarship of the Janina authors. The ancient Thamils who were a progressive people could not but absorb and assimilate new thoughts and ideas, and thus their literature had energy and vigour, richness, and depth added to it by the infusion of fresh blood.
Some scholars argue that Thiruvalluvar was himself a Jain and that there is internal evidence to show the domination of the Jaina concept of Pharma in his maxims. Besides, he was well – versed in the works of Manu, Kautilya, Vatsayana, and others and his thought must have been influenced and enriched by his extensive and intensive studies and contacts. Yet, his way of life, which we find recorded in 1330 Thirukkural – couplets must be considered his original view of life Love and Aram (virtue).
This view and this way, reminding us here of a Gandhi and there of a Socrates, here of a Buddha and there of a Confucius or a Marcus-Aurelius, have been emphatically presented for men of all ages, by this Thamil apostle of Truth and Compassion. Thiruvalluvar’s role in the ethical evolution – or shall we say revolution? Of the Thamil people is unmistakable; and indeed, he is responsible for the reawakening of the Thamil genius and conscience, after the Sangam period. Also, Thirukkula reflected Sangam period universal appeal or attitude of Thamils, “Yaduhum Oorey Yavarum Kelir”.
Thiruvalluvar cannot really be the name of the poet; it is title borne by the religious teachers of a class of low caste in later times in Thamil Nadu. Originally this title was applied to those servants of the State who proclaimed the royal commands by beats of drums from the back of elephants. We have to confess that we know nothing certain even about the real name of the poet, nor we do know anything certain about the time or the true life of the poet.
The bard was apparently a man of no worldly importance and yet a king in his own right, a king of Aram (virtue) swaying the minds of men and eventually founding an empire of Aram (virtue). He was not a moralizer but a moralist whose law of Aram (virtue) was fulfilled by a dedicated life of love in its pure, serene and exalted form.
In tune with nature and with the spirit of man Tiruvalluvar strove to realize the oneness of life. Enduring all things, he seems to have lived a long life of hard work, all his activities being directed to the pursuit of truth and Aram (virtue). We can imagine him and only in waist-cloth and sandars, walking like a Gandhi or a Vinoba like a Socrates against ignorance and vice, by his simple appeals to the goodness in human nature. Aram (virtue) is his one medicine to the ills of life, to the maladies of all ages.
In Thirukkural we see the extraordinary personality and art of the master who dreams of a kingdom of Aram (virtue). This work deals with three objects of human life: (1) righteous living, (2) political life and (3) love. Thiruvalluvar has made each couplet a gem by itself conveying lofty thought in terse language, every gem finding its appropriate place in the grand jewel that is his work.
The work of the Thiruvalluvar, besides giving glimpses of his personality and art, reveals the way of life followed and reached by him. The First Book under the title of Righteousness shows us the ideal householder whose domestic virtue is rooted in true love. He comes before us as a good husband and as a good father and as a good friend to his neighbor and to the society. Above all, he is a good man and every inch a gentlemen in the truest sense of the term. He is tolerant of ideas, even those which he condemns; such is the hospitality of his heart. He abides by his word even to his own hurt. Thiruvalluvar’s ascetic makes the world his family and is in rhythm with the universe. He with a radiant face breaches out his blessings even upon those who wrong him.
In the Second Book of Thirukkural devoted to politics, we meet the ideal sovereign, the ideal statesman, and the ideal citizen and find the ideal state described. The moral teacher in the First Book becomes here a consummate statesman proportion. Thiruvalluvar presents a government by wisdom, an monarchy and not an ideal republic though outdoing the “Republic” of Plato in some of its aspects. I t is a new look at politics within ethical, and at the same time practical limits.
The Third Book speaks of love and of the ideal lovers. This part of the Thirukkural is commented on generally as romance of a single couple. To my mind, Thiruvalluvar finds inspiration for the whole art of living in the inexorable force of Love, for the ideal State as well as for the ideal family.
So, Thiruvalluvar love is more a fact of life than a concept, and his law of Aram(virtue) is ultimately based on the law of love. There is no bolt to shut up love’ (Thirukkural. 71) says the master in the First Book. This love reveals itself as positive or wedded love as friendship or philanthropy. In the philanthropist love makes the heart tender towards all. Little wonder then that love becomes, in the view of Thiruvalluvar, both the shield and the sword to virtue, yes, love at times becomes even the aggressive weapon against vice or evil.
A lovely outside, according to Thiruvalluvar, is of no avail, if there be no love within. So, in the ways and view of Thiruvalluvar we find Truth, God and Beauty becoming correlates and not contradictories. To Thiruvalluvar, attachment to a single form is passion, while attachment to all forms is compassion.
In conclusion, we can say, to be born a human being is no mean privilege, and in the manner of living one’s life and in the pursuit of happiness, one should always remember,
“Pleasure emanates from Aram virtue alone all else is stale and weary.” (Thirukkural. 39). This didn’t apply only to the Thamils of two millennia ago; it is pertinent to all Indians, all Asians, and global humanity; and as much to the Nomads and the people of long past ages as to those of our own age. No wonder Thiruvalluvar was hailed by Re. Dr. G.U. Pope as “The Bard of universal Man”. And his work as a Treasure House of knowledge and wisdom.