Eloquence

In my earlier post, when I wrote that Thiruvalluvar lived 2100 years ago, a few of you corrected me about the period, I was off by a few centuries - he lived even earlier - probably 2500 years ago. Whilst I leave it to the good scholars to research and debate about his age - I accept whatever the results will be, as this will not change my bewilderment on the applicability of the penned thoughts to this age.

It appears even in the days of Thiruvalluvar (which is now agreed with my blogmates to be between  2100 years and 2500 years), meetings and conferences of learned people were held. Thiruvalluvar has written 3 chapters (30 couplets), giving guidelines for speakers who address meetings, which holds good even today in our corporate lives.

Solvanmai (Eloquence), Avai Aridhal (To know the audience) and Avai Anjaamai (How not to fear the assembly) are the 3 chapters.

Kural 643
Kaetar Pinikum Thagayevaai Kelaarum
Vet  Mozhivathaam Sol

It is eloquence that attracts and binds the minds of the listeners and holds them in rapt attention, in such a way that even the people who are antagonistic will show desire to listen to the speech.

Kural 649 is about being relevant, short and sweet.
PalaSol Kamuruvar Manra Masatra
SilaSollal Thetratha Avar

Those who are not deft in their thoughts, will use instead of few crisp words in a clear manner, verbose and bombastic words in their speech.

Further in the next kural, Thiruvallur says the speech of the people who are not to the point in delivering what they have learned is "like a bunch of blossoms without any fragrance".
Enairuzhunthu Naara Malaranaiyar Katrathu
Unara Virithuuraiyatha  Aar.

How relevant, my meeting in the coming week will be based on these learnings !

Speaking Sweet Words

"Theeyinal Sutrapun Ullarrum Aaradhae
Navenaal Sutta Vadu"  -  Kural 129

Thiruvalluvar gives much importace to the words spoken by human beings. He says that a wound caused by burning fire will heal in course of time, but a wound caused by caustic words uttered by the tongue will  never heal.

Moreover words once uttered cannot be repealed or annuled in true sense.
Just like how once the tooth paste is out of the tube, there is no way to push it  back into the tube, so are words. So think before you speak and exercise self control on what you speak....

Let's see Kural number 127

Yagava rayenum nakaaka kaavaakaal
Sogappar sollizukhu pattu.

Let men govern their tongue - Thiruvalluvar says. If they fail to control it, their words will lose their weight, and beware - grief will overwhelm them.

Let's see Kural 100

Eniya Ulavaaka Ennatha Kooral
KaniErukka Kaaikavarntha Tatru

When the choice of words is entirely under one's control, and when sweet words are readily available, using bitter and harsh words is like eating unripe tasteless fruits when sweet ripe fruits are available.

Thirukual on VIRTUE

The first 38 chapters of Thirukural deals with Aram (Virtue).

The first Kural (Kural is a couplet) is probably one of the most popular kurals - " Agara Mudal Ezuthelam Adi Bhagvan Mudatrai Ulagu"

Just like the first letter in any language is pronounced "Aa" and different shapes are given in various languages to otherwise what can be realised only in mental imagination, similarly the creator of the universe is given different shapes and names only to make us realise the "oneness theology", the shapes and names stay only a medium of expression of the universal truth.
This Kural promotes the unity of Mankind.


So what is VIRTUE?
"Azukkaru AvaVeguli  EnnaSol Nangum Ezuka Eyandrathu Aram"

Virtue is AVOINDANCE of ENVY, GREED, ANGER & UTTERING HARSH WORDS" - these four.

It is interesting to note the importance Thiruvallur attributes to "Speaking". By placing "uttering harsh words" as one of the four pillars of vices, he has emphasised the power of speech. How timeless is this wisdom and how relevant is it to all times and to all cultures, recently Susan Cain had written about how the world cannot stop talking - Talking has indeed taken over "Sensible Talking" in our lives today.

Thiruvalluvar has dedicated several chapters to this subject. Just to name a few:

Speaking sweet words (Eniyave kooral),
Idle talk (Payanila Solmai),
Non aspersion, back biting (Purankooramai),
Truth/true words (Vaaymai),
To know the audience (Avai Arithal),
Not Fearing the assembly (Avai Anjamai)
many more....

Let us dwell and explore more on this subject in the coming days

THIRUKURAL

Thirukural (SolOviam)  - A Tamil Epic 2100 years old
Tamil is a very ancient language which is widely spoken and written as it was done centuries ago by people of southern India, parts of Srilanka, Malaysia and few other countries. Several poets and saints have enriched the language with literary contributions in the form of poems.

It is estimated that Saint Thiruvallur lived in Tamil Nadu more than 2100 years ago. His unique contribution to Tamil and to mankind in general is a great masterpiece of literary brevity consisting of 1330 couplets. Each couplet is only 7 words long.  These couplets give an insight into the realms of human sentiments, knowledge and wisdom. You will find hardly any adult in TamilNadu (whatever be his literacy level) who does not know Thiruvallur or exemplary piece of work created by Thiruvalluvar  "the Thirukural". Thirukural represents a beautiful garland woven with pearls of wisdom.

With seven words used in each of the 1330 couplets,  4 words in the first line and 3 in the second, the rhyming makes it easy for reading,  Thirukural has hidden indepth meaning which is indeed very difficult to comprehend. Example:

Karka Kasadara Katravai Katrapin
Nirka Adharku Thagai

7 words, easy to read, easy to memorise, having a wealth of wisdon. Literally it means "Learn whatever you learn thoroughly, without doubts or defects and then apply the learning and act in consonance with it"

Thirukural is free of sectarinism and religious beliefs.
It spreads universal benevolence, purity of thought and action. It promotes ways and means of developing a rationalistic, broad minded, kind hearted mental thinking in mankind.

It will be my endeavour to select and explain a few couplets of this great masterpiece in poetry in the days to come,

The Land of the Salt Tea

“Would you like to have some salt tea? Very delicious”  asked  Lakpah, our  Sherpah  offering a cup of tea containing rock salt and yak butter. This was the first day of our parikrama at Mt Kailash and we had camped in a place called Diraphuk Gompa at 4900 mts. It was minus17 degree C and we were in a cold tent with icy wind sneaking in from all edges. The tent swayed madly in response to the wind, and with every bone aching and the mind wondering what was in store for the next day – it wasn’t easy to fall asleep.

We had trekked around 28 kms for 10 hours at an altitude of 4900mts. The journey was extended unexpectedly due to a hailstorm. We probably would have sustained serious injuries if we had not heeded to the advice of our Pittu (Pittus are local tibeten tribesman/woman who carry luggage of trekkers). Hailstorms in the Tibetan Himalayan ranges are common, what was novel to our experience was that the hails were about the size of cricket balls or bigger. Do not open your eyes – warned the pittu in the local dialect which we understood from her gestures, as she herself curled into a ball and gestured us under a rock. We followed her and stayed under the shelter of a rock for more than an hour to let the storm pass.

“Why did we come here” – my son asked?,  We pondered too, why? We were trekking at 5600m at Dolma La Pass, breathing very heavily and walking on a frozen glacier. The Kailash- Manas Sarovar pilgrimage is the most arduous and enchanting pilgrimage in the world – and for a Hindu, the ultimate one. Our destination, Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas, is the abode of Lord Shiva. The 6740 mts tall mountain is also holy for Buddhists, who identify it with Mount Meru, the cosmic centre of the universe. The Manas Sarovar lake is the highest fresh water lake in the world. A dip in the icy waters is revered to provide consciousness and enlightenment to the soul according to the Hindu mythology, and to look at life beyond the physical body-mind complex. Geographically, this region is the source of four great rivers, the Brahmaputra, Indus, Karnali and Sutlej. After the Chinese invaded Tibet, and after the Indo Chinese War of 1962, the route was closed for 23 years. More recently, the route from Katmandu through Nayalam, Saga, Prayang and Darchen is being used.  

Reaching Nayalam by road is a adventurous journey. According to Lakpah, we were lucky to have encountered only 3 landslides. “Sometimes, people have to wait for days for the mounds to be cleared” , “Cross quickly, more rocks can fall” – he said. We trampled tree roots and walked on riverluts and knee deep slushes.  Before this enviable encounter with nature, our belief was that mountains are an epitome of strength, massiveness  and immovable creations of Nature. We realized that this was not absolutely true; mountains move, give birth to new mountains and have a mind of their own. “This place, took 4 lives last week” Lakpah said. It was now another small mountain right in the middle of what was a footpath. There are no earth movers here, so it may not be possible, to recover the lost.

Tibet is called the roof of the world for the right reason. Some of the regions we covered are parts of the world’s longest and highest plateau. These areas are very sparsely populated.  Sometimes we travelled hundreds of kilometers without sighting a single sign of human life.  We get glimpses of the Chinese military might occasionally on the rugged roads – heavy military vehicles with neatly dressed military personnel, donning artillery. We encounter military posts and small hamlets along the way. These hamlets have on an average 10 to 12 mud huts, and a group of people who herd sheep and collect herbs for a living. Whenever a vehicle stops by the road, people from these huts quickly gather around the vehicles, readily accepting money and food that the visitors offer. These people look ill nourished. The children tag alongside elders, with a shy smile breaking through the heavily frost bitten cheeks and lips. The children look endearing, but it appears that they have never had a bath and never changed clothes. These people have never seen or heard of schools or toilets. One need not be a sensitive journalist to draw the contrast between the well uniformed military personnel and these poor people who were lacking bare necessities! It is a testament once again to the elite discussion on primary health, sanitation and education versus military valour.

Humbled and awestruck by the magnanimity of Mt Kailash, I reminiscenced my mother’s voice, “Lord Shiva lives as a saint at Kailash”. As a kid, I was never tired of hearing these bed time stories, that transcended the mind into world of beauty and fantasy. My mother told “There are beautiful shrubs, creepers, flowering and fruit bearing trees, rivers, birds and butterflies. Raaj Hamsas that can separate milk from water and feed on pearls live at Manas Sarovar,”. Now, after more than three decades, while taking a icy dip in the pristine turquoise waters of Manas Sarovar, I search for the Hamsa, the flowers and the trees, that did not exist. I realize that the dip and the parikrama can well cleanse the mind and soul, the arduous journey through the nature in its rawest form and the exposure to extreme paucity to reach there, in fact brings out the life altering change to appreciate even the smallest joys in life.