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TIRUKKURAL
An Abridgement of Śāstras
R. Nagaswamy
16. CONCLUSION
- Tirukkuṟaḷ of Tiruvaḷḷuvar can be fully understood only with the knowledge of Sanskrit, as it draws heavily from Dharma Śāstras, Artha Śāstras, Kāma Śāstra, Nāṭya Śāstra and also their commentaries.
- The detailed study reveals it is virtually a Tamiḻ rendering of the Dharma Śāstras and should be termed Dharma Śāstras in Tamiḻ.
- As Dharma Śāstras are derivative texts of the Vedas, their ultimate sources are the Vedas and so is Tirukkuṟaḷ a derivative text from Sanskrit sources.
- Even the ancient Tamiḻ texts declare Aṟam Kaṟai Nāviṉ Nāṉmaṟai.
- The most ancient Tamiḻ grammar, Tolkāppiyam says in its Pāyiram that it was approved by Ācan of Adankodu who was a great scholar and an expert in Aṟam Kaṟai Nāviṉ Nāṉmaṟai Muṟṟiya (அறம் கறை நாவின் நான்மறை முற்றிய) an expert in the four Vedas and the Dharma Śāstras.
- The early Saṅgam poems declare that the Tamiḻ faculty followed the Vedic system of life called Śrauta Smārata system also called Vaidika Dharma Mārga; which believed in the Varṇāśrama system, the four Puruṣārthas and their daily routines, the worship of devas, ṛṣis, pitṛs (tenpulatār), guests (viruntu/athiti) and other living beings (bhuta animals, birds and reptiles) called pañca-mahā-yajñas.
Beginning from teaching Akṣaras to the children till the end of man’s life, they followed the Dharma Śāstras which had an obligatory force.
Like the Dharma Śāstras, the ilvāḻvān (gṛhasta) was considered the sheet anchor of the society of all other men.
The state kingship, civil administration, judicial administration, the importance of cultivators, and developing economy through the production of food and wealth conform to the Vedic tradition. It witnessed an orthodox emphasis on orderly society and at the same time liberal in social life maintaining a balance of human emotions and family life.
It is seen that the society as evidenced by Tirukkuṟaḷ, was common with all other parts of India as gleaned from literature, inscriptions, archaeology, and acts like music, dance, and monumental architecture.
All these were possible by the magic band of Vaḷḷuvar’s expositions, through powerful expressions, which can be extracted from a few verses from different sections of Kuṟaḷ. The Tirukkuṟaḷ can be comprehended only in its context and deep learning and we do need masters to explain the full details like Parimēlaḻakar.
The subjective interpretations, dating, and distortions may continue, but for those who have a realistic understanding of the people of India, through the centuries the meanings are self-evident. Hatred for anything has no place in Vaḷḷuvar’s way of life. Nearly 80% of the real imports of Tirukkuṟaḷ are lost to those who oppose Sanskrit learning which t is a pity. Once the full import of their meaning is understood, then one can realize the greatest contribution of Tirukkuṟaḷ to universal understanding and be comprehended.
Tiruvaḷḷuvar says that the state symbolized by the righteous scepter (ceṅkōl) was rooted in the Brāhmanical texts of the Vedas and the Dharmas and if the rulers fail to enforce that power, the civilization will collapse.
அந்தணர் நூற்கும் அறத்திற்கும் ஆதியாய்
நின்றது மன்னவன் கோல். — 55.3
ஆபயன் குன்றும் அறுதொழிலோர் நூன்மறப்பர்
காவலன் காவான் எனின். — 56.10
It is the duty of the rulers to protect the Vedic systems and the Dharmic law for an orderly progressive society. So, Vaḷḷuvar holds antaṇarṉūl is the Dharma Śāstras of Brāhmins.
The caste system was not created by the Brāhmins, but they themselves were one among the created, which resulted from natural evolution from different professions in the Vedic period.
The Brāhmins were allotted the profession of maintenance of law, especially at the rural level.
Brāhmins were expected to keep absolute impartiality, and integrity and treat all sections with affection and grace. Their main way of life was to study the Vedas and the law books and also simplicity and magnanimity in dealing with men and matters. They were not considered Brāhmaṇas if they did not conform to the above obligatory codes. Aṟam was their profession.
அந்தணர் என்போர் அறவோர்மற் றெவ்வுயிர்க்குஞ்
செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுக லான். — 3.10
This is mentioned by Manu in his Dharma Śāstra.
विद्वद्भिः सेवितः सद्भिः नित्यमद्वेषरागिभिः ।
हृदयेनभ्यनुज्ञातो यो धर्मः तन् निबोधत ॥ (II. 1)
Such men are called Śiṣṭas or Śuddha Śila Sadācāras. Only men of such conduct will be allowed in the village assembly. Manu says that even one such man will do; even if there are one thousand Brāhmins, they will not be allowed if they lack such qualifications. Clearly, birth alone did not give any status in society. It is in time with what is said by Kṛṣṇa in Gīta, cātur varṇyam mayā sṛṣṭam guṇa karma vibhāgataḥ.
It is evident that Vaḷḷuvar had the greatest respect toward such Brāhmaṇas, just as Manu, Buddha, and others did.
The second part of the Aṟattuppāl which deals with married life, is the most important in the society. There were some Dharma Śāstra authors who held, this as the only stage in life (gṛhasta āśrama) and rejected the other three stages of the studentship (brahmacharya), penance (tapas) and ascetics (sanyāsi) as irrelevant. But, Manu, Vaḷḷuvar, and the majority of the Dharma Śāstra writers hold on to the fourfold stages of āśrama. However, they agree that the householder’s life is the most important since he is the supporter of the other three āśramas.
The householder performs the ritual - tarpaṇa with water to devas, ṛṣis and pitṛs (dead ancestors). The householder is obliged to offer feeding (yajñas) to five classes of beings - devas, ṛṣis, pitṛs, athiti (guests) and all other living beings (bhūta yajñas). This is called the five great sacrifices (pañca-mahā-yajña - aimpulatār ōmpal) which is to be performed daily.
Different kinds of marriages are mentioned in the Dharma Śāstras. The man legally marries a woman mainly for two reasons.
- Enjoy the pleasures of conjugal union.
- Beget children for the continuity of lineage.
The third part of the Aṟattuppāl deals with penance and tapas. In this chapter, the two aspects of the tapas and turavu (ascetics) are clubbed together under one heading. However, the Dharma Śāstras deal with them under separate headings. The sequence of brahmacarya, gṛhasta, tapsya, and sanyāsa is the same in all the Dharma Śāstras showing the unmistakable unity of Sanskrit and Tamiḻ traditions. This is followed by Rājanīti in both Manu and Kuṟaḷ. However, Kuṟaḷ treats the Rājanīti under a separate volume called Poruṭppāl, while Manu includes Rājanīti in the same grouping as studentship and married life.
Kuṟaḷ treats State, Kingship, Civic administration, Judicial administration so on. In the Dharma Śāstras, the treatment of subjects is the same as the state’s ideology, symbolized by the ruler’s scepter Ceṅkol, which was primarily used to enforce the Dharma Śāstras.
அந்தணர் என்போர் அறவோர்மற் றெவ்வுயிர்க்குஞ்
செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுக லான். — 3.10
The third volume of the Kuṟaḷ on Kāmattuppāl has a slightly different import unlike the Dharma and Artha volumes. This chapter does not attempt to give obligatory rites but appears as dialogues on a dramatic stage by the hero, heroine, and her playmates. This being a volume on Śṛṅgāra is also called Aham tradition. This change in the mode of expression suits better. Secondly, as the conjugal pleasures of the married man and women have already been dealt with Aṟattuppāl — under gṛhasta vrata this chapter seems to deal with extramarital pleasures, especially in two forms. 1. A man going after another man’s wife. 2. Going after public calls.
Though the former is condemned as a crime, the latter is not prohibited but leads to a lowering of the social status on moral, and ethical status.
The treatment of Aham theme in Tamiḻ tradition is brought under nāṭaka vaḻakku — dramatic style, which is not real but imaginative. The classic feeling is categorized as nāṭaka vaḻakku and ulakiyal vaḻakku (dramatic style and real lifestyle) in the Tamiḻ grammar, Tolkāppiyam. The majority of the ancient Saṅgam poems are in Aham style as it is called nāṭaka vaḻakku, it is clear that it is derived from the Nāṭya Śāstra which calls it Nāṭya Dharmi. It goes without saying the Kāmattuppāl of the Tirukkuṟaḷ is based on Nāṭya Śāstra tradition.
Dr.U.Ve.Swaminatha Aiyar has written elaborately about the nāṭaka vaḻakku in his work on Kuruṅtokai and shows that Aham themes depend on Nāṭya tradition.
Thus, it is clear all three volumes of Kuṟaḷ Aṟam, Poruḷ, and Kāmam is rooted in Sanskrit tradition.
We may now conclude that Kuṟaḷ is a lakṣaṇa grantha — lifestyle of people and Saṅgam poems reveal the actual life as lived by the Tamiḻ people. For a student of ancient Tamiḻ society, Tirukkuṟaḷ furnishes the grammar of lifestyle and the Saṅgam Poems furnish the real life of the people.
There is one point that needs to be understood. The language of the different regions may be different, but the culture will remain the same. For example, Tamiḻnaṭu had two different languages Centamiḻ and Koṭuṅtamiḻ. One cannot argue for two different cultures in these places. The Tamiḻ grammar speaks of four kinds of words that were used in Tamiḻnāṭu which could be used in poetry they are called iyalcol, tiricol and ticaicol and vaṭacol. One cannot postulate four different cultures within Tamiḻnaṭu. Similarly, Dravidam is a word used to denote Tamiḻ, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. However, the core values of culture in all these regions are the same. Peripheral differences will also be there in each linguistic zone but their culture remains the same. Such peripheral differences are seen in five different regions (tiṇai), into which Tamiḻnaṭu was divided with these core cultures being one and the same. It becomes therefore evident, that the languages of the Northern and Tamiḻ regions are different but the core lifestyle remains the same. This Vaḷḷuvar’s work Tirukkuṟaḷ, illustrates clearly the lifestyle of the Tamiḻs and the Northern India are the same. This is what Subramanya Bharathi meant when he sang, “No doubt Mother India speaks 18 different languages, but her thought remains one.”
செப்பும் மொழி பதினெட்டு உடையாள்
எனில் சிந்தனை ஒன்று உடையாள். — பாரதியார்