Of all things in nature, Why Rain? – Keep this
question at the back of the mind.
Recap: Thirukkural is a book that shows the way to
live a happy life. Our goal in creation is to reach Veedu (a state of
endless and indestructible happiness) and our purpose in this life is to go towards
that goal.
Kurals don’t have to be memorized. The idea conveyed
by Thirukkural has to ONLY enter the mental framework and stay there. That is
the primary goal. When that happens, those who have wealth and are not able
to find peace and happiness, will find it. Those who are seeking truth and happiness in
life, will find it. The memorization aspect is only secondary.
Three gunas are identified in creation – Sattvik,
Rajas, and Tamas & they correspond to Brahma, Visnu, and Shiva respectively. The relationship between the three gunas and Thirukkural was explained. (Refer
to post on 3.1.1. Introduction to Praise of God (Part 1) – Order in Chaos).
In Kural 1, Thiruvalluvar first showed that God is the
fundamental source of creation, just as how “ah” is the fundamental sound for
all language. The goal of any education
is to show us the proper way of life to reach our destination or Veedu (Kural 2). Then Valluvar explained that there are three kinds of actions
that humans are capable of doing : (1) by way of mind (2) by way of words (3)
by way of body. The way to use these three modes, in order to live harmoniously
with nature, was explained (Kural 3, 4
for mind, Kural 5 for words and Kural 6 for way to use the body). The
consequences of not using these modes correctly was also explained in the same
chapter (Kural 7 & 8 for improper use of mind, Kural 9 for improper use of
words and body). Kural 10 was a conclusion of the chapter.
In the next chapter, Chapter 2 – Vaan Sirappu
or Significance of Rain, Valluvar writes
about Rain. Aram is nothing but the order or rules of harmonious living
that is embedded in nature. Qualities
such as forgiveness, kindness etc fall under Aram. God is understood as
possessing all of these qualities. Rain is a perfect display of the qualities
of aram. If we want to understand how nature works or how God works or
how aram works then we need only to understand the qualities of Rain. Rain
is a non living thing and does not have any intelligence but it is an
expression of the qualities of aram/God. Rain comes from sky (just as His blessings) and is
kind, impartial, and critical for life. Without rain, life will be stalled. When humans have crossed the limit in
destroying nature, Rain will take corrective action against human
destruction in the form of Drought or Tsunami or Cyclone. These and other
important qualities will be explored in the chapter on Vaan Sirappu.
The idea of our ancestors should be appreciated. They identified
nature as an expression of God and worshipped it. Everything in nature was
worshipped. Those whose actions resulted in decrease of rain were considered as
going against nature and hence against God. It is better we follow their tradition
and continue the practice of worshiping Rain.
One could say that many poets have written about Rain
and so has Valluvar, what is the big deal. The big deal is that Valluvar points
to us that of all the things in nature, Rain is the highest form of expression
of God’s grace. That is why Valluvar places this chapter next to Praise of God.
For humans to understand what He is.
(Vaan
means sky, and Sirappu means Significance. Rain resides in the clouds, which resides in the sky. So Vaan
Sirappu should be understood as significance of rain and not significance of sky. A grammatical concept
called aagupeyar allows for such a reference). Some scholars also say
that the significance of rain is as tall as the sky, hence Valluvar used the word
“vaan” to explain the importance of rain.
Parimelazhagar’s introduction:
By the order of God two things happen 1) World
functions 2) Aram, Wealth and Pleasure exist to support the functioning of the world.
Rain is fundamental for these two functions. Hence this Chapter is placed next
to Praise of God.
Kural 11
வான்நின்று
உலகம் வழங்கி வருதலால்
தானமிழ்தம்
என்றுணரற் பாற்று
Transliteration(Tamil to
English):
Vaan-nindru ulagam vazhangi varudhalaal
thaanamizhdham endrunnarar paatru
Simple Meaning
Because it rains continuously, life sustains on earth.
Hence rain is the amrita for earth.
Explanation
The Kural compares Rain to Amrita.
What is amrita?
It is the nectar of immortality. We refer back to the
story of Samudra Mandan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samudra_manthan).
Amrita will give immortality to anyone who drinks it. The earth drinks the
Rain. As long as it rains, the life on earth will not be destroyed. Hence rain
is as good as Amrita for the earth.
Rain is continuous in the sense that at any given
time, some portion of the earth is always receiving rain.
So in the first Kural Valluvar explains the importance
of Rain. Without rain, life cannot continue. Rain is fundamental to keep life
going on earth. Hence, it is the Amrita for earth.
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