குறளின் குரல் - 11

14^th April, 2012

Tamil culture is so rooted in honor and would strive to keep that intact both in personal, familial, and societal life. Losing honor is equivalent to losing life. This aspect of “manam” has been so ingrained in various walks of Tamil culture.

There are plenty of opportunities and situations where one could be dishonored or disgraced during his life time. People of no self worth or self respect would still go behind the very same that disgraced. Valluvar says, “Instead of running behind that people that have disgraced, it is better to face death and die in honor”.

A cursory study indicates that this is applicable in general context. In the same chapter in a different couplet, vaLLuvar also says that, people that cherish honor are like “kavari maan” (கவரிமான் a type of deer), which will die even if it loses the hair in its body.  (May be hair was some kind of protection from external radiation, which would cause the death!).

I think both are said in the context of people that go to War with enemy states. When somebody is caught in the battle field or if the enemy king captures your kingdom, instead of being subservient for personal survival, it is better to face the death and die gracefully honorably.

On the other hand Kautilya advocates, the concept of “uRavAdi pagai kedu” (உறவாடி பகை கெடு). Life is for living and even in the worst conditions of hostility, one has to put up a brave front and if it is needed, should go even closer to the enemies to serve his/her needs. May be this is advocated in the otRRAdal chapter!  The story of shakuni (ஷகுனி) is one of revenge for the humiliation he and brother faced in the hands of dhuryOdhanA. To completely destroy the clan, he took a vow and survived to skillfully misguide them and get the entire kauravA clan vanquished.  Todays verse is from porutpAl/kudiyiyal/mAnam (பொருட்பால்/குடியியல்/மானம்).  

ஒட்டார்பின் சென்றொருவன் வாழ்தலின் அந்நிலையே

கெட்டான் எனப்படுதல் நன்று.

                                                 kuraL:967 (மானம் அதிகாரம்)

ottArpin – people that disgrace you or don’t consider you as a person with dignity.

sendRouvan – if one goes after (the people that disgrace)

vAzhdhalin -  to live such a life of disgrace

annilaiyE keTTAn – he even chose the extreme to die (in honor)

enappaDudhal – If people come to say (that somebody died saving honor)

nanDru – It is better.

Live not the life, running behind those who disgraced

Better would be to die in honor, and be highly placed.

Of course, in today’s world, is this, a practical solution?  It may be so for the people of politics to instigate the poor and misguided followers to follow them blindly for their personal gains. If people were to die for honor, most of the world parliaments would be empty! Also, in personal lives, death is not the solution for anything. I think auvvayyAr (ஔவையார்) is more practical in saying “kittAdhAyin veTTana marA” ( கிட்டாதாயின் வெட்டென மற)  “vanjanaigaL seivArOdu iNanga vEndAm” (வஞ்சனைகள் செய்வாரோடு இணங்கவேண்டாம்).  

As a last note, this is true for people that love deeply and if there is a rift due to some misunderstanding for valid or invalid reasons. It is better to move on than to seek extreme course.!

இன்றெனது குறள்:

மதியார் உறவாடி மாணிழந்து வாழா

மடிந்தாலும் மானமே நன்று