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TIRUKKURAL
An Abridgement of Śāstras
R. Nagaswamy
VOLUME - II
Poruṭpāl
5.1. Introduction
While the volume Aṟatuppāl is mainly concerned with the personal life of man, the Poruṭppāl shows him the society. He aspires to secure a stable life for himself, his family, and others. To achieve this, he is willing to accumulate wealth and contribute a portion of his income to the state as a tax known as iṟai. In return, he anticipates that the state will provide him with protection. He is obligated to earn wealth through lawful means to sustain his family, and he has the liberty to utilize it as he sees fit. He requires assurance for the security of his wealth. Simultaneously, he must ensure that his wealth is not acquired through illegal means. He also desires to coexist harmoniously with his relatives and friends. The power to ensure an individual's safety is vested in the king. Thus, this chapter necessitates a Kingship, endowed with the requisite authority to govern the lives of the people.
Hence, this volume addresses topics such as wealth, the protective power embodied in kingship, the civil administration of territory and state, the necessary force to deter external invasions and maintain internal security, the judiciary system for determining crime and punishment, and the personal oversight of security by the king.
This second volume, being the largest in the collection, primarily focuses on wealth and ease of living. It explores the concept of kingship, known as araciyal, along with its various components such as the army, police force, councilors, ambassadors, and so on. Additionally, it addresses other miscellaneous necessities. This volume is divided into three parts: 1. Kingship (aracu-iyal), 2. Laws of Administration (aṅka-iyal) and 3. Miscellaneous (oḻibu-iyal) in a total of seventy chapters.
A study of the chapter reveals headings and their sequence have been well thought out.
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The educational qualifications of the king, his disregard for study, his pursuit of knowledge, and his own intelligence are sequentially detailed.
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This chapter also addresses several key qualities necessary for a king. These include the king’s willingness to seek counsel from great individuals, his capacity to value and make judicious decisions, and his ability to recognize his own strengths. The king also exhibits the discernment to select the appropriate time, place, and actions, and to determine the most suitable course of action.
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A king must possess the ability to nurture his servants, maintain impartiality and integrity at all times, and abstain from severe injustice. He should treat his people with compassion and grace, sustain enthusiasm, manage a multitude of servants, and face adversities with bravery. These qualities are known as the three great powers of a king.
These are prabhu śakti, mantra śakti, utsāha śakti in ancient Indian text.
The second section of the volume, known as aṅka-iyal, or the limbs of administration, discusses the role of ministers. It outlines their qualifications, their integrity, and their capacity to advise the king. The section also delves into the army, examining its strength and strategic considerations. It further explores concepts of friendship and enmity, freedom and meanness, absolution, and understanding both internal and external threats.
The third section primarily focuses on abstract concepts such as citizenship, pride, honor, magnanimity, adherence to civilized behavior, gratitude, and the understanding of poverty. The text also includes a chapter dedicated to the practice of agricultural cultivation. It is to be noted that the volume is treated after the Dharma — Aṟattupāl and evidently in the same order as treated in Manu, Yājñavalkya and other Dharma Śāstras. The sequence of layout is exactly the same. The content essentially corresponds to the topics explored in Kauṭilya’s “Artha Śāstra” (an ancient Indian treatise that covers a wide range of topics including economics, politics, and social structures). Both Manu and Yājñavalkya approach the subject of “rājanīti” and kingship in a similar fashion. There are numerous parallels observed between the Tirukkuṟaḷ and the codes of Manu and Yājñavalkya. These similarities highlight the shared perspectives and principles across these ancient texts. V.R.R. Diskhitar is the most celebrated scholar who has dealt with this subject. I am citing his analysis in this chapter.
Thus far, we saw that Tiruvaḷḷuvar extensively incorporated concepts from the Dharma Śāstra in the “Aṟattuppāl” section of his work. In the Poruṭppāl volume, he not only draws from the Dharma Śāstra but also integrates principles from Kauṭilya’s Artha Śāstra.
We will now explore how Tiruvaḷḷuvar has also incorporated principles from the Naṭya Śāstra and Kāma Śāstra in composing his third volume, Kāmattuppāl. It is only natural that Tiruvaḷḷuvar, like early writers, would utilize these concepts that cover the three major aspects of human life in his work. He did not hesitate to draw from these established texts.
Tiruvaḷḷuvar has two chapters on Kingship especially on upright rule, which are titled Upright justice (செங்கோண்மை) and Crooked justice (கொடுங்கோண்மை). These two elements highlight the Tamil ideals of rulership and justice. Each chapter, composed of ten verses, emphasizes the ideology of state governance. We will focus on a select few verses, even though both aspects are crucial in revolving around a single ideal, both emphasizing the role of the Vedas and Dharma Śāstras in state governance.
The third verse in the chapter on ceṅkōl (upright rule), is as follows
அந்தணர் நூற்கும் அறத்திற்கும் ஆதியாய்
நின்றது மன்னவன் கோல். — 55.3
antaṇarnūl stands for the Vedas and aṟaṉ for Dharma Śāstras. This is specifically mentioned by Manu as Śruti (the Vedas) and Smṛti (the Dharma Śāstras). The Dharma which stands for righteous rule is rooted in Śruti and Smṛti. (The Dharma Śāstra was created primarily for the use of Brāhamaṇa Dharma, serving as a comprehensive source of moral and ethical principles).
आचारो परमो धर्मः श्रुत्युक्तः स्मार्त एव च ।
तस्माद् आचारेण सदा युक्तः नित्यं स्यात् आत्मवान् जनः ॥
According to Manu, the Vedas are the root of Dharma and Smṛti.
वेदोखिल धर्ममूलं स्मृतिशीले च तद्विदाम् ।
आचारः चैव साधूनां आत्मनः तुष्टिरेव च ।
यः कस्यचित् धर्मः मनुना धर्म कीर्तितः ।
सः सर्वो अभिहितो वेदे सर्वज्ञानमयो हि सः ॥
Thus, when Vaḷḷuvar says the King's scepter is the root of the Vedas of Brāhmaṇas and Dharma Śāstra. It is shown clearly that the Tamiḻ’s ideology was to uphold the path of the Vedas and Dharma which is unmistakably the Vaidika Dharma Mārga. The teachings of Vaḷḷuvar and the path followed by the ancient Tamils converge on a principle known as cenkoṇmai. So, the scepter of (Tamiḻ) king's was the symbol proclaiming the root of the Veda (antaṇarnūl) and Dharma (aṟan).
All the commentators including Rev. Lazarus, interpreted antaṇanūl as the Vedas of the Brāhmaṇas. Pope, however, does not indicate anything. Parimēlaḻakar says the King’s scepter stands as the protective symbol of the Vedas, the texts of the Brāhmaṇas and the Dharma. Continuing his commentary, Parimēlaḻakar says that though the Vedas are common to Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and others. As Brāhmaṇas heads the list, the Vedas are mentioned as the texts of the Brāhmaṇas. In this context, Aṟam refers to “Dharma” which represents customs that extend beyond the judicial system. Though Śruti, the Vedas and the Smṛti Dharmās are considered immortal (anāti-அனாதி), the scepter symbolizes the backing of rulership and so it is said to remain foremost (āti - ஆதி) in rulership. The word niṉṟatu stands for “firmly stands” behind the Vedas and the Smṛti (Parimēlaḻakar).
Pari Perumāḷ, another commentator holds that in the country, there are (Vedic) reciters (ஓதுவார்) and executors of Dharmas (அரம் செய்வாரும்) are under the protection of the king’s scepter and hence are considered foremost in the country. It means in such a country, education and a righteous life will prosper (Pari Perumāḷ).
Parithiyār, another commentator says, that under the King's ceṅkōl, the Vedic and Dharmic paths are given first protection in the state.
Kālingar, another commentator says, it is the Vedas that preach all the righteous conduct of the world. Following the sacred paths of the Vedas and the Dharma Sūtra path, they are mainly under the King's justice, symbolizing the upright scepter.
Evidently, all the ancient commentators held that the ruling King should protect the Vedic and Dharmic path.
There is a verse in the chapter (ch.56. ver. 10), which says that if the King does not rule righteously, then the cows will lose their usefulness and the Brāhmaṇas will forget their profession of justice.
ஆபயன் குன்றும் அறுதொழிலோர் நூன்மறப்பர்
காவலன் காவான் எனின். — 56.10
In the verse, the word aṟutoḻilor, “those with sixfold profession” stands for Brāhmaṇas — This is also mentioned in Tolkāppiam, the ancient text on Tamiḻ grammar. Evidently, Vaḷḷuvar links Brāhmaṇas with the righteous ruler as this is a chapter on injustice. All the commentators, up to the 20th century, have taken the word aṟutoḻilor as Brāhmaṇas. Even Pope has taken the word to Brāhmaṇas. But M. Balasubrahmaniam, who wrote his commentary in 1965, when the Dravidian movement was at its height (they captured power in 1967 — two years later after M. Balasubramanyam's work), invoked the anti-Brahmins ideology and secularism thread takes this word to mean six-fold workers. VRR Dikshitar, who wrote his book in 1949, however, takes the antaṇarnūl as the books of the Brāhamaṇas and the other word aṟutoḻilor as Brāhamaṇas. Thus, for 2000 years up to the middle of the 20th century, all learned men took these references to mean Brāhmaṇas and their books as the Vedas. Balasubrahmanaiam’s newfound ideology has made him change Vaḷḷuvar's intention. We may leave the new ideologies to themselves, saying they had no relevance to Tiruvaḷḷuvar's writing 2000 years earlier. Even Balasubramanaiam has not ruled out the possibility that Vaḷḷuvar might have represented Brāhmaṇas, their text, and their culture.
We are convinced that Vaḷḷuvar was clear in his mind that his text reflected the Vedic and Dharma Śāstra Mārga as the firm ideology of the ancient Tamiḻs and their Kingship. Thus, Vaḷḷuvar emphasized the aspects of Vedic life and conduct and translated these principles into the “Dharma Śāstra” in Tamil and made these teachings accessible and understandable to Tamiḻ speakers. Vaḷḷuvar's system was the Vedic system.
Indeed, Vaḷḷuvar incorporated Vedic thoughts as the guiding principles for the Tamils. His path aligns with the Vedic Mārga, as established in the Aṟattuppāl. Furthermore, in the Poruṭpāl, he demonstrated that this ideology was integral to the Tamil state.