குறளின் குரல் - 9

April 12, 2012

The four pillars of human life are defined to be dharmA, arthaA, kAmA and mOksha.  The first three are what we learn, see, have and do on this very earth during our life time.  mOksha is something that you attain after life has passed, if your life has traveled the path of the prior three in right proportion, leading a meaningful, purposeful, good life for the self as well as the society. vaLLuvar talks only about the first three as his concern is mainly about earthlings; and thus has penned his observations and assertions in couplets under the first three headings only

We have always have heard the four equivalent words in Tamil as “ aram (அறம்), poruL (பொருள்), inbam (இன்பம்), vIdu (வீடு)”. The word “kAmA’ translates into “desire” not  “pleasure”. The exact translation should be “avA”, vizhaivu, viruppam (அவா, விழைவு, விருப்பம்). The word kAma could be of tamizh origin as we see the usage in a sangam poem - (kAmam cheppAdhu kandadhu mozhimO - காமம் செப்பாது கண்டது மொழிமோ) 

Today, I will be taking a kuraL from kAmaththup pAL. kAmA as defined in Sanskrit tradition is desire and there are proper things to desire. But vaLLuvar talks in this main section only the relationship between a man and woman. I think the name “kAmAththup pAl” (காமத்துப்பால்)  was a later coinage based on people that translate “malayALam movie titles” for Tami audience (that was a bad joke!). He has probably used the right term “inbaththup pAl” (இன்பத்துப்பால்).

This major section contains two subsections ‘kaLaviyal” (களவியல்) and “karppiyal” (கற்பியல்). An interesting observation is that the entire kaLaviyal is written from the perspective of a male and karpiyal is written putting the female as the central figure. Seems to be also linked to courtship days of falling in love and missing each other and having physical relationship etc,.  karppiyal is full of a female missing her love, how she becomes lean, loses sleep, becomes pale, crying alone thinking of her love, craving for union etc. The verse goes thus:

அறிதோறும் அறியாமை கண்டற்றால் காமம்

செறிதோறும் சேயிழை மாட்டு.

                                        kuraL: 1110 (புணர்ச்சிமகிழ்தல்)

Most of the kuraL’s in "inbaththuppAl" have no contextual value in today’s society and for the women folk of today with equality mindset as they will not relish the these kuraL’s in their written spirit.  Coming to the actual verse, here he talks about the nature of intimate relationship and how it is viewed by the man in love.

“The male thinks, the more he is intimate with his love, there is actually more to explore and there seems to be no end to know this knowledge of intimacy; similar to any other knowledge we seek to get - as we learn more, we understand there is much that we don’t know and there is more to learn”

aRithOrum – the more we learn to gain knowledge

aRiyAmai -  our ignorance – not knowing much

kanDatRAl –like learning about the extent of ignorance

kAmam – the art of intimacy between a man and a woman

seRithORum – whenever there is physical union (with my love)

sEyizhai – the beautiful woman – ( obviously well dressed with jewels etc.)

mAttu – with (her)  (should be read before sEyizhai)

The real beauty of this verse is that a subtle concept that “kalvi karaiyila – karppavar nAL sila” (கல்விக் கரையில – கற்பவர் நாள் சில) or “katRadhu kaimmaN aLavu – kallAdhadhu ulagaLavu” (கற்றது கைம்மண அளவு – கல்லாதது உலகளவு) have been reemphasized even while talking about the amorous subject.

“Much to explore with my beautiful lady is what I find as

  We gain knowledge, discover how much ignorance there is”

இன்றெனது குறள்:

கற்றதெந்தன் கல்லாமை தன்னளவே போல்காமம்

பற்றிடுநல் பைந்தொடியாள்  மேல்

(Continued)