AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE STUDY OF TIRUVALLUVAR
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A Lecture by Prof.Avvai Duraisami Pillai
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Part-5
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The existence of worldly life is dependent upon the rain; it is the only thing responsible to ensure living for all beings. Thiruvalluvar has thought very minutely of the importance of the rain and declares that even though the earth is surrounded by expansive seas and oceans, it will be as useless as the poet says, ” water water everywhere, not a drop to drink.” Modern science can provide us with distilled water when our water cans go dry in the midst of the sea, but this artificial distilled water is tasteless and hence incapable of quenching our thirst; that is why Thiruvalluvar says that even the watery oceans will shrink in their importance, if there is no rain at all.
நெடுங்கடலும் தன்னீர்மை குன்றும் தடிந்து எழிலி
தான்நல்கா தாகிவிடின் (3)
Man maintains his power of elevating his human spirit to super human and divine level simply because his physical activities are crowned with pleasure and plenty on account of the rain. Consequently, penance and patience help him to raise his spiritual existence up and above ordinary human level.
தானம் தவம் இரண்டும் தங்கா வியனுலகம்
வானம் வழங்கா தெனின். (4)
Even when the human society, by the grace of Lord God and the heavenly rain, is provided with peace and plenty, its worldly social life has to be governed by the most experienced and wise men of keen intellect and broad spiritual outlook. They are gifted with keen insight so that with the philosophic process of analysis and synthesis they are able to analyse the universe into live and more elements mentally and apperceive psychologically the inner working of each element. This is put in a nutshell as
சுவை யொனி ஊறுஓசை நாற்றம் என்றைந்தின்
வனைதெரிவான் கண்ண்தே உலகு. (5)
Having lived their life most profitably both for others and for themselves, they take to asectic life and devote their time to give pieces of advice to the experienced and to guide the inexperienced.
The ascetic life they had adopted gives ample opportunities for introspection and self negation and ripens their mind to render all possible help to their fellow beings. That is why their actions are considered to be the greatest which no other human being can do. This our Valluvar says :
செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் சிறியர்
செயற்கரிய செய்க லாதார். (6)
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