Today is Thiruvalluvar's Day, a celebration of the man who left a lasting impact on humanity. He dedicated his life not to personal gain or the benefit of a select group, but to the advancement of wisdom for the entire human race. On this day, let us honor his contributions and reflect on the enduring relevance of his teachings. Walk with me for a few paragraphs.
In the realm of art, science, and philosophy, it is not uncommon for creators to take credit for their work, whether it be through referencing their name, family, ethnicity, or nationality. However, the saint and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, in his seminal work, the Thirukkural, a collection of 1330 couplets of distilled wisdom, made no such reference to himself, his culture, or the people and land of Tamil in any capacity. This is a testament to the universality of his teachings and his focus on the greater human experience rather than personal or cultural gain.
Undoubtedly, Tamils have contributed to the world's collective wisdom with continuously evolving yet deeply centered philosophical works, but if there's just one work that shall be positioned as
the cornerstone for all philosophical works that came after it,
and the super-compressed extract of all philosophical work that came before it,
it will be none other than Thirukkural.
It is truly remarkable that the Thirukkural, a book of such profound wisdom, is not only translated into 41 languages and adopted by educational institutions around the world, but also extensively researched and discussed by scholars globally. However, it is a great shame that this treasure, is so often overlooked and neglected by Tamils on a large scale. It is a reminder that true understanding and appreciation of something often comes from those who are not too close to it.
Thirukkural, for those who live under the rocks, is a work of Tamil Saint & Philosopher Thiruvalluvar, comprising 1330 couplets, grouped into 3 fundamental phases/elements of life namely "virtue, wealth & joy".
Think of Thirukkural, as a kind of a user manual for leading a good life as a human being without getting clutched into religious, traditional or any other man made dogmas, as a free and responsible citizen of earth.
The Thirukkural can be considered as a guidebook for leading a meaningful and fulfilling life as a human being, free from the constraints of religious, traditional, or national ideologies. It serves as a manual for becoming a responsible and enlightened citizen of the earth, unshackled from the dogma and dogma's that so often dictate the actions of humanity. It is a work of profound wisdom, providing a path towards true understanding and enlightenment for those who seek it.
To avoid life's responsibilities, one may choose to lead a deceitful life filled with temporary pleasure, fame, and popularity by only pretending to be religious. Alternatively, to overcome the difficulties of life, the endless suffering of births and deaths, one should accept and learn from experiences while fulfilling one's responsibilities and duties in an authentic and truthful manner, but can still adhere to religious principles. Religious practices are merely for external acceptance of the society, which is also very vulnerable for manipulation and exploitation and is not required for those who seek true freedom from the inside; This is the essence of Thirukkural's message to the world.
Yet, Thirukkural has been controversially claimed to be a work of several religions by their leaders, including Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism etc. at various points in the past, which is an ironic shame to the vision of Thiruvalluvar, to free human souls from the very religious clutches that make him a demon.
This is not only a disservice to the visionary intent of Thiruvalluvar, but it also undermines the universal and secular nature of the teachings in the Thirukkural. Such actions reveal a lack of understanding of the true purpose of the work and a failure to recognize its message of spiritual freedom and human enlightenment.
All these claims center around one strong reason, Thirukkural aligns with certain positive philosophical principles promoted each of these religions. This only demonstrates that Thirukkural has effectively distilled valuable teachings from any religious tradition and not the other way around.
Thiruvalluvar deliberately avoided using any words or names in the Thirukkural that would connect it to any specific religion, belief, or political system of his time. He even refrained from using the word "Tamil" despite the fact that the book is written in Tamil. This is a testament to his rationality and impartiality.
Thiruvalluvar was a truly revolutionary philosopher, who understood the power and potential of religion and culture, but also recognized the dangers of how they can be used to exploit the human spirit. He understood how religious and cultural dogmas can drive individuals to adopt superficial and blind beliefs that serve the interests of a select few, at the expense of the many. He saw how these ideologies can be used to justify the oppression and exploitation of one class by another. His teachings, as reflected in the Thirukkural, sought to liberate individuals from these harmful ideologies and to empower them to reach their full potential.
He was not against religions or culture, but rather against the manipulation and misuse of them for unfair benefit.
On this Thiruvalluvar Day,
I solemnly swear to abide by the principles of Thirukkural in my daily life to the best of my abilities.
I fervently desire for the realization of a compassionate and just society, where humanity is both free and responsible, through the widespread understanding and application of the untapped wisdom of Thirukkural.
And as Thiruvalluvar strongly says in one of his Kural verse(619):
Dheivathal Agadhu(What God shall never do) Eninum (yet) Muyarchi (Effort)
Tan Meivarutha (of one's mind and body) Cooli tharum (can make happen) Coming days, weeks and months, I will be sharing more valuable and "rarely interpreted right" lessons from Thiruvalluvar's Thirukkural on my blog. I am dedicating all of my free time to this project. Please stay tuned and feel free to leave your thoughts and comments on Thirukkural, whether you have read it or not, below.
Visit thirukkural.com to learn more about Thirukkural generally.
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