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TIRUKKURAL
An Abridgement of Śāstras
R. Nagaswamy
VOLUME - I
AṞATUPPĀL
4.1. BRAHMACHĀRI VRATAM
4.1.3.OḺUKAM
NĪTTĀR PERUMAI
The third chapter bears the title nīttār perumai, the greatness of Ascetics. To me, it seems that oḻukkam which means disciplined observance of prescribed conduct, i.e., ācāra (those who follow disciplined observances) could be a better title for this chapter. While dealing with Dharma, the Dharma Śāstra's deal with ācāra. Śrī Viṣṇu Sahasranāmam says ācāra — disciplined observance is the base of Dharma and the Lord of Dharma is Viṣṇu. The chapter ought to have been oḻukkattu nīttār — with the emphasis on oḻukkam (ācāra). The term nīttār does refer to asceticism but denotes one who practices discipline.
The context, as it is presented, should be applicable to the teacher, referred to as an ‘ācārayaṉ’, during the process of teaching students, to whom the students are attentively listening. Parimēlaḻakar commenting on this Kuṟaḷ, has given an important elucidation. It is generally translated as nīttār perumai i.e., the greatness of those who have renounced the world. But the emphasis is not on renunciation but oḻukkatu nīttār who strictly follow discipline. Conforming to discipline requires relinquishment of pleasures at places. It would amount to those who conform scrupulously to prescribed conduct, relinquishing any other attraction.
This chapter beging with the Kuṟaḷ:
ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார் பெருமை விழுப்பத்து
வேண்டும் பனுவல் துணிவு - 3.1.
Parimēlaḻakar comments on this as:
தமக்கு உரிய ஒழுக்கத்தின்கண்ணே நின்று
துறந்தாரவது பெருமை விழுமிய பெருமைகள்
பலவற்றுள்ளும் இதுவே விழுமியது என்று நூல்களது
துணிவு என்று உரைத்தார்.
Standing by his own code of conduct
Glory is the highest honor for one who renounces
The scriptures say that this is the best among many
One who declares this bravely
The treatises approve the conduct of one who follows the code of conduct as prescribed for each Varṇa and at each stage of life, as the desired one, by controlling oneself from other pleasures and declaring it as the best; It means sticking to one’s own code as the most desirable according to Śāstras.
Parimēlaḻakar has given a clear commentary. The Dharma will grow by following their own prescribed conduct, suited to their caste and own stage in life (āśrama, brahmacarya, etc.,). When Dharma grows, the sins will disappear and ignorance will be removed. Removal of ignorance will result in nitya-anitya-viveka — This means ailing faculty will disappear and an aversion towards the enjoyment of fruits of birth and suffering will appear. This will stimulate aspiration for liberation (mokṣa). This will eliminate worthless acts that cause the suffering of birth and action towards the achievement of yoga, which will lead to liberation. This will lead to true knowledge that will eliminate such external attachments like this is mine and internal attachments, I am this, and so on, will be relinquished. This is what is called oḻukkattu nīttār says Parimēlaḻakar. This is counsel for both the teacher and the student.
The highest state is considered to be when a teacher imparts the best knowledge and a student aspires to learn, for which ‘oḻukkam’ (discipline) is crucial. The Dharma Śāstras call this oḻukkam as ācāra. Both Manu and Yājñavalkya mention ācāra in the process of teaching brahmacāri-vrata — Manu says.
वेदः स्मृतिः सदाचारः स्वस्य च प्रियमात्मनः ।
एतच् चातुर्विधं प्राहुः साक्षाद् धर्मस्य लक्षणम् ॥ — (Manu.II.12)
Commentary of Kullūka Bhaṭṭa —
वेदो धर्मप्रमाणं स क्वचित् प्रत्यक्षः क्वचित् स्मृत्याऽनुमित इत्येवं तात्पर्यं न तु प्रमाणपरिगणने । अत एव श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितं धर्मं इत्यत्र द्वयमेवाऽभिहितवान् । सदाचारः शिष्टाचारः । स्वस्य चात्मनः प्रियमात्मतुष्टिः ।
श्रुतिः स्मृतिः सदाचारः स्वस्य च प्रियमात्मनः ।
संयक्सङ्कल्पजः कामो धर्ममूलमिदं स्मृतं ॥ — (yājñavalkya.7 )
Commentary of Mitakṣara —
श्रुति: वेदः स्मृति धर्मशास्त्रं तथा च मनुः श्रुतिस्तु वेदो विज्ञेयो धर्मशास्त्रं तु वै स्मृतिः इति । सदाचारः सतां शिष्टानामाचारोऽनुष्ठानम् स्वस्य चात्मनः प्रियं वैकल्पिके विषये यथा - गर्भाष्टमेऽष्टमे वाब्दे | इत्यादावात्मेच्छैव नियात्मिका । संयक्सङ्कल्पाज्जातः कामः शास्त्रविरुद्धो यथा मयाभोजनव्यतिरेकेणोदकं न पातव्यम् इति । एते धर्मस्य मूलं प्रमाणं । एतेषां विरोधे पूर्वपूर्वस्य बलीयकं ॥
Yājñavalkya, repeats the same words in the same context. We have seen that the first chapter Aṟattuppāl of Kuṟaḷ deals with teaching phonetics — śikṣa and the adoration of the feet of the teacher. The second chapter deals with food and the greatness of rains in producing food, a chapter emphasized then in sequence. Similarly, the decorum is also treated in Dharma Śāstras and the Kuṟaḷ also deals with the oḻukkam/ācāra, in the same sequence and stage.
The translator of this Kuṟaḷ adhikāram has taken it to refer to renunciation and greatness of sanyāsis/tuṟavaṟam pūṇṭār. The sanyasis or tuṟavaṟam is a separate stage (āśrama), which is dealt with in Kuṟaḷ separately, after gṛhasta, (illaṟam), vānaprasta called tavam and tuṟavu/sanyāsa. Vaḷḷuvar has clearly distinguished between nīttār and tuṟavu. The title of the third chapter should be oḻukkattu nīttār perumai instead of nīttār perumai.
Further, one must adhere to specific conduct (nīttār) in the state of tuṟavu (sanyāsa), during which even the practices of oḻukkam are to be relinquished. Thus, the two are different. Hence, this chapter deals with oḻukkam of students as well as the teacher. All the translations by scholars dealing with the Kuṟaḷs in this chapter titled sanyāsa need correction.
When Vaḷḷuvar writes in the first verse of this nīttār perumai, that stands for the ultimate conclusion of the Śāstras.
Maṇakkuṭavar, another commentator of this Kuṟaḷ renders the meaning of this Kuṟaḷ appropriately —
1. ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார் பெருமை விழுப்பத்து
வேண்டும் பனுவல் துணிவு. — 3.1
3.1. ஒழுக்கத்தின் பொருட்டு மற்ற எல்லாவற்றையும் துறத்தல்
This means relinquishing all other things for the sake of prescribed discipline.
துறந்தார் பெருமை துணைக்கூறின், வையத்
திறந்தாரை எண்ணிக்கொண் டற்று. — 3.2
In this context, the commentator Parithiyar says, the greatness of those who cast away kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, mātsarya are so great that it is impossible to measure their greatness. Any attempt to do so would be like counting the number of dead in this world.
இருமை வகைதெரிந் தீண்டறம் பூண்டார்
பெருமை பிறங்கிற் றுலகு. — 3.3
Those who embrace the principles of Dharma understand the implications of both (இருமை), life (பிறப்பு) and death (வீடு) and abandon the pursuit of worldly desire, as a result, attain a great (பிறங்கு -shine with greatness) stature in this world. Parimēlaḻakar says these three Kuṟaḷs of this chapter speak about the greatness of Sanyāsins (துறவரம் பூண்டார்). However, this requires change. The commentator Parithiyar’s alternative interpretation seems to be closer to the actual meaning. He takes இருமை — the two attributes as Merit (puṇya) and Sin (pāpa). He translates this verse as “one who takes to the path of Dharma abandoning the path of merit and sin; shine with greatness in the world which will flourish”.
உரனென்னுந் தோட்டியான் ஓரைந்துங் காப்பான்
வரனென்னும் வைப்பிற்கோர் வித்து. — 3.4
The elephant rider protects five villages with his firm look that provides the seed (வித்து) cause for greatness. In this Kuṟaḷ the human is likened to an elephant rider with a hook, the five senses are likened to privileges. If the rider controls his senses when riding his elephant, it is like protecting five villages. He controls the elephant from foraging the fields and by doing so, he protects the villages aiding them to grow in their fields. It means by controlling his senses (the elephant), he facilitates the accumulation of wealth.
ஐந்தவித்தா னாற்றல் அகல்விசும்பு ளார்கோமான்
இந்திரனே சாலுங் கரி. — 3.5
The one who controls his five senses is like Indra, who rules the expansive heaven: In this verse, it may be noted that Vaḷḷuvar mentions Indra — the Lord of heaven who resembles one who has controlled the senses.
செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் சிறியர்
செயற்கரிய செய்கலா தார். — 3.6
The English version of “Vānmikinathan” in the Thiruppanandal edition, is quite close to the actual meaning — as he translates it as “the great are those who achieve the impossible, the petty are those who cannot”. This Kuṟaḷ has been composed to certainly inspire young students to achieve greatness.
Maṇakkuṭavar comments on this Kuṟaḷ and says, that only those who do the impossible are great and not others.
I have dealt with the next Kuṟaḷ of this chapter in the introduction itself.
சுவைஒளி யூறோசை நாற்றமென் றைந்தின்
வகைதெரிவான் கட்டே யுலகு. — 3.7
I have shown earlier that this is an exact translation of a verse in Manu's Dharma Śāstra.
श्रुत्वा स्पृष्ट्वा च दृष्ट्वा च भुक्त्वा घ्रात्वा च यो नरः ।
न हृष्यति म्लायति स विज्ञेयः जितेन्द्रियः ॥
This Kuṟaḷ points out that if one hears, touches, eats, listens, and smells (the actions of five senses), the world is his. Incidentally, Manu’s verse gives the clue for a better translation of the Kuṟaḷ. The phrase “வகை தெளிவான் கட்டே உலகு” would stand for स विज्ञेयः जितेन्द्रियः.
He is known as one who has conquered his senses. Parimēlaḻakar gives an elaborate note on this Kuṟaḷ, saying this refers to the 25 tattvas, (puruṣa, mān, ahaṅkāra, manam, and mūla prakṛti, making the five tanmātras, five bhūtās, five jñānendriyās, five karmendriyās) which are defined in the Sāṅkhya school. Thus, this Kuṟaḷ relates to the realization of the constituents of the world.
It is interesting to see Parimēlaḻakar referring to the Sāṅkhya school of philosophy when commenting on this Kuṟaḷ.
The next two Kuṟaḷs — (niṟai moḻimāntar and guṇam ennum kuṉṟeṟi ) are clubbed together as reflecting one concept. The first one states that the words of highly learned men will come as an eternal statement revealed through their effect on the world, while the second one, states that if men of virtue are provoked to anger, the same cannot be borne even for a second.
நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் பெருமை நிலத்து
மறைமொழி காட்டி விடும். — 3.8
The greatness of highly learned men will be seen from the effect of their words, like the Upaniṣadic teachings. The uttering of learned men will be evident from their eternal value.
Parimēlaḻakar states that the sayings of fully (நிறை) learned men will appear as mantra (ādeśa) and upadeśa (அவரிட்ட ஆணையாக மந்திரமாக உலகு காட்டும்). Here, Parimēlaḻakar recalls, the first teaching Śikṣāvalli of Tattiriya Upanaiṣad which says this is the ādeśa and this is upadeśa.
அவர் ஆணையாக சொன்ன மந்திரங்களே கண்கூடாக காட்டும்.
This suggestion of Parimēlaḻakar shows this chapter deals with Ācārya’s teachings to the student (ācārya antevasinam, anuśāsti)
Similarly, if men who are the embodiment of virtue — in other words, if those who are at the peak of good qualities, get angry, their wrath be unbearable even for a second.
குணமென்னுங் குன்றேறி நின்றார் வெகுளி
கணமேயுங் காத்தல் அரிது. — 3.9
The next Kuṟaḷ likens the virtuous quality and one who possesses all these good qualities is like a person on the top of the hill. It is impossible to ward off the anger of such virtuous men even if it is a momentary one. (Because they will not get angry.)
Antaṇar
Let us see the verse on Antaṇar.
அந்தணர் என்போர் அறவோர்மற் றெவ்வுயிர்க்குஞ்
செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுக லான். — 3.10
1. Lazarus: They are truly called “Antaṇar” because, in their conduct towards all creatures, they are clothed in kindness.
2. G.U. Pope: Towards all that breathe, with seemly consciousness adorned they live, and this to virtue's sons, the name of “Anthaṇar” or men give.
3. VRR: They are the “Brhāmaṇas” who are righteous and love all creatures.
4. SRK: தன்னலம் கருதாது ஏனைய உயிர்கள் அனைத்திற்கும், நல்லருளோடு நலம் செய்வதால், அந்தணராக திகழும் நீத்தாரை அறச்செல்வர் என்போம்.
5. Bala: The “Antaṇar” are men of virtue and of the righteous way they do always move with every life-loving grace.
6. Vāṉmika: The compassionate are the ascetics since they alone behave with compassion to each and every creature. (He avoids the word “Antaṇar”, which is not warranted)
Manu:
Brahma created professions of Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and Śūdras.
अध्यापनं अध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा ।
दानं प्रतिग्रहं चैव ब्राह्मणानां अकल्पयत् ॥ — (1.88)
प्रजानां रक्षणम् चैव दानं इज्य अध्ययनं एव च ।
वणिक पथं कुसीद वैश्यस्य कृषिमेव च ॥ — (1.89)
एकं एव तु शूद्रस्य पशुः कर्म समादिशत् ।
एषां एव वर्णानां शुश्रूषां अननुरूपया ॥ — (91)
Everything above should be pure for Brāhmaṇas. So, all Dharmas were entrusted with Brāhmaṇa as he was created first. He should protect all people with Dharma.
“Antaṇar” is translated as “virtuous” (Lazarus), son's (Pope), nīttār (SRK), and Brāhmaṇas (VRR). Parimēlaḻagar says ascetics (துறவறத்தில் நின்றார்) other commentators follow him, the simple meaning would be aṟavōr (those who uphold Dharma) as mentioned in all the Saṅgam literature. An early inscription from the 8th century says that Brāhmins should study at least one Dharma Śāstra and to be appointed as Judges and should have passed an examination in Dharma Śāstras. The Cilappatikāram calls them “aṟakaḷattu antaṇar” — that is the judicious officers. Naccinārkiniyar, the commentator on Cilappatikāram calls them “antaṇar enpōraṟavor” i.e., antaṇar as those who enquire into “the end of knowledge.” As this is the class that treats all lives as equals and grace, a requirement for enquiry (செந்தன்மை பூண்டு ஒழுகலால்) obviously refers to Brāhmins which VRR has been correctly mentioned.
This makes the whole aspect of why Brāhmins were held in high esteem in society not by their birth, but by their righteousness. So, Krishna says, I created the four Varṇās, based on their qualities and profession (and not by birth). This esteem for Brāhmaṇās was severely attacked by Christian missionaries, who wanted to wean away the population for their sectarian religious conversions in the last 300 years.
But, Vaḷḷuvar held Brāhmins with the highest respect as revealed by this Kuṟaḷ.
Please see the Lord Buddha's teachings in the work Dhammapada in which Buddha's concept of Brāhmins and reverence, which is reproduced in succeeding pages. It should be remembered that Buddhism was based on three fundamental principles:
According to Buddha, veneration of Brahmins is a part of Dhammapada.