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அறத்துப்பால்- இல்லறவியல்- வாழ்க்கைத் துணைநலம்
தெய்வம் தொழாஅள் கொழுநன் தொழுதெழுவாள்
பெய்யெனப் பெய்யும் மழை.
Deivam thozhA all kozhunan thozhuthezhuvAl
peiyena peiyrm mazhai
வேறு தெய்வங்களை வேண்டதவள் தன் கணவனை தினம் தொழுதால் பஞ்ச பூதங்களும் அவளுக்கு அடங்கும். அவள் பெய்ய சொன்னால் மழையும் உடனே பெய்யும்.
This set, Well being of the spouse (வாழ்க்கைத் துணைநலம), talks about, well, the well being of a co-farer in life. Literally, it means that even if woman does not pray to other Gods, as long as she respects and venerates her husband as a god all good will accrue to her; to the extent that even the elements obey what she says. If she commands, even the elusive rain will comply with it, and promptly too.
While the concept of the couplet is out-of-time currently, I love the metaphor (?) used. The promptness and inevitability of the rain brings out the importance of venerating your husband very graphically. Brevity indeed, with no loss of import! Indeed the concept is enhanced by the brevity.
A couple of observations:
- There is no doubt that Valluvar prescribed the submission of the woman to the man in this couplet. This has to represent the extant mores at that time.
- The chapter is entitled Well Being of a Life Partner. To my knowledge, he focuses exclusively on what the woman should be doing in this.
As we shall see in other couplets, Valluvars’ thinking is very sophisticated and astonishing considering his time was about 1500-2000 years ago. He widely believed to be a Jain. Hence he was not bound by the Manu smriti. A man like that advocating the subservience of woman to the Man of the house means that subjugation of women is no European intrusion in the great Indian tradition of valuing women and treating them as equal.
4/1330
About Valluvar being a Jain, I am unable to find any concrete evidence cited anywhere about the validity of this claim. Have you spotted any? As far as I know, this is just speculation, since his writing style is so unlike the typical, over the top, Hindu Brahminic writing style.
ReplyDeleteDear Kishore
DeleteThank you for the question.
Considering that even the period he is believed to have existed in is spread over 300 years, it would be very surprising if we had concrete evidence.
On balance, considering the conspicuous absence of any specific deity in the kadavul vazhthu & the other evidence presented in various tomes (eg: http://controversialhistory.blogspot.in/2008/10/controversies-of-kural-by-valluvar.html#.T88Dcpj4Jhx) I tend to believe he is certainly not Hindu. Jain seems to be the best bet.
Other than that, I have no evidence. Frankly, it does not bother me what his religious leanings were.
BTW, I had a look at your blog on Management lessons from the kural. Very nicely done. Both subjects are close to my hear & I was hoping to do something like your blog next. Now, the standards have gotten higher!