Namaste
by Rajesh Krishnan
| 013 : அறத்துப்பால் இல்லறவியல் அடக்கமுடைமை | ||
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| 1 | அடக்கம் அமரருள் உய்க்கும் அடங்காமை ஆரிருள் உய்த்து விடும் |
अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवा | कीर्तिः पृष्ठं गिरेरिव | ऊर्ध्वपवित्रो वाजिनीव स्वमृतमस्मि | द्रविणं सवर्चसम् | सुमेधा अमृतोक्षितः || इति त्रिशङ्कोर्वेदानुवचनम् || Taittiriya Upanishad 1.10.1 |
| 2 | காக்க பொருளா அடக்கத்தை ஆக்கம் அதனினூஉங் கில்லை உயிர்க்கு |
अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवा | कीर्तिः पृष्ठं गिरेरिव | ऊर्ध्वपवित्रो वाजिनीव स्वमृतमस्मि | द्रविणं सवर्चसम् | सुमेधा अमृतोक्षितः || इति त्रिशङ्कोर्वेदानुवचनम् || Taittiriya Upanishad 1.10.1 |
| 3 | செறிவறிந்து சீர்மை பயக்கும் அறிவறிந்து ஆற்றின் அடங்கப் பெறின் |
अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवा | कीर्तिः पृष्ठं गिरेरिव | ऊर्ध्वपवित्रो वाजिनीव स्वमृतमस्मि | द्रविणं सवर्चसम् | सुमेधा अमृतोक्षितः || इति त्रिशङ्कोर्वेदानुवचनम् || Taittiriya Upanishad 1.10.1 |
| 4 | நிலையின் திரியாது அடங்கியான் தோற்றம் மலையினும் மாணப் பெரிது |
अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवा | कीर्तिः पृष्ठं गिरेरिव | ऊर्ध्वपवित्रो वाजिनीव स्वमृतमस्मि | द्रविणं सवर्चसम् | सुमेधा अमृतोक्षितः || इति त्रिशङ्कोर्वेदानुवचनम् || Taittiriya Upanishad 1.10.1 |
| 5 | எல்லார்க்கும் நன்றாம் பணிதல் அவருள்ளும் செல்வர்க்கே செல்வம் தகைத்து |
ऐश्वर्यस्य विभूषणं सुजनता शौर्यस्य वाक्संयमो ज्ञानस्योपशमः श्रुतस्य विनयो वित्तस्य पात्रे व्ययः | अक्रोधस्तपसः क्षमा प्रभवितुर्धर्मस्य निर्व्याजता सर्वेषामपि सर्वकारणमिदं शीलं परं भूषणम् || Bhartrihari Nitishataka 1.83 |
| 6 | ஒருமையுள் ஆமை போல் ஐந்து அடக்கல் ஆற்றின் எழுமையும் ஏமாப்பு உடைத்து |
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || Bhagavad Gita 2.58 तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज् | Patanjali Yogasutra 2.27 |
| 7 | யாகாவா ராயினும் நாகாக்க காவாக்கால் சோகாப்பர் சொல்லிழுக்குப் பட்டு |
परीवादाज् जगन्नाथ वाचं रक्ष दुरुद्वहाम् | परद्रव्यान् मनो रक्ष परदाराज् जनार्दन | सर्वत्र मे दया भूयात् प्रसादात् तव केशव || Harivamsha 3.80.79 |
| 8 | ஒன்றானுந் தீச்சொல் பொருட்பயன் உண்டாயின் நன்றாகா தாகி விடும் |
अभ्यावहति कल्याणं विविधा वाक्सुभाषिता | सैव दुर्भाषिता राजन्ननर्थायोपपद्यते || Mahabharata 5.34.74 (BORI) |
| 9 | தீயினாற் சுட்டபுண் உள்ளாறும் ஆறாதே நாவினாற் சுட்ட வடு |
रोहते सायकैर्विद्धं वनं परशुना हतम् | वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम् || Mahabharata 5.34.75 (BORI) |
| 10 | கதங்காத்துக் கற்றடங்கல் ஆற்றுவான் செவ்வி அறம்பார்க்கும் ஆற்றின் நுழைந்து |
क्रोधो हर्षश्च दर्पश्च ह्रीस्तम्भो मान्यमानिता | यमर्थान्नापकर्षन्ति स वै पण्डित उच्यते || यस्य संसारिणी प्रज्ञा धर्मार्थावनुवर्तते | कामादर्थं वृणीते यः स वै पण्डित उच्यते || Mahabharata 5.33.17,20 (BORI) |
I interpret அடக்கம் in the spiritual sense of stillness; this can be seen as the quieting from kaivalya jnanam from a Vedantic perspective, or kaivalya when all the vrittis of the citta have subsided in the yogic perspective, or as the peace that passeth understanding that comes from following the Be Still injunction in the Christian Bible. In other words, அடக்கம் connotes enlightenment or self-realization. My deeper read is appropriate within the overall context of this chapter. Later verses align well with yoga and vedanta, with self-purification practices such as humility, sense-restraint for stilling the mind (the tortoise metaphor), and control of speech, specifically, avoiding violence in speech. In my read, Valluvar’s use of the words ஒருமையுள் அடக்கல் aligns with stillness leading to kaivalyam; similarly, நிலையின் திரியாது அடங்கியான் aligns with Patanjali’s योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः.
I provide an interpretive match for the first four kurals of this chapter with the Trishanku mantra in the Taittiriya Upanishad’ Shikshavalli. The movement from kaivalyam / brahmavidya leading to amritatvam, through the ultimate object (dravinam) to be treasured, the divine knowledge (sumedha) to be acquired, to elevation in renown compared to a mountain (gireriva) closely mirrors the semantic movement in the first four kurals.
Before establishing the correspondence in detail, it is useful to read the shloka with the context provided by Adi Shankaracharya in his Bhsahyam of the Taittiriya Upanishad, which I provide below for reference. The key point to note is that this mantra is due to Sage Trishanku who is the knower of Brahman (इति एवं त्रिशङ्कोः ऋषेः ब्रह्मभूतस्य ब्रह्मविदः वेदानुवचनम् for the purpose of enlightenment or self-realization (आत्मविद्याप्रकाशक).
अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवेति स्वाध्यायार्थो मन्त्राम्नायः ।
स्वाध्यायश्च विद्योत्पत्तये, प्रकरणात् । विद्यार्थं हीदं प्रकरणम्, न च अन्यार्थत्वमवगम्यते ।
स्वाध्यायेन च विशुद्धसत्त्वस्य विद्योत्पत्तिरवकल्पते ।
अहं वृक्षस्य उच्छेद्यात्मकस्य संसारवृक्षस्य रेरिवा प्रेरयिता अन्तर्याम्यात्मना ।
कीर्तिः ख्यातिः गिरेः पृष्ठमिव उच्छ्रिता मम ।
ऊर्ध्वपवित्रः ऊर्ध्वं कारणं पवित्रं पावनं ज्ञानप्रकाश्यं परं ब्रह्म यस्य सर्वात्मनो मम, सोऽहमूर्ध्वपवित्रः ;
वाजिनि इव वाजवतीव, वाजमन्नम्, तद्वति सवितरीवेत्यर्थः ;
यथा सवितरि अमृतमात्मतत्त्वं विशुद्धं प्रसिद्धं श्रुतिस्मृतिशतेभ्यः, एवं सु अमृतं शोभनं विशुद्धमात्मतत्त्वम् अस्मि भवामि ।
द्रविणं धनं सवर्चसं दीप्तिमत् तदेव आत्मतत्त्वम्, अस्मीत्यनुवर्तते ।
ब्रह्मज्ञानं वा आत्मतत्त्वप्रकाशकत्वात्सवर्चसम्, द्रविणमिव द्रविणम्, मोक्षसुखहेतुत्वात् ।
अस्मिन्पक्षे प्राप्तं मयेत्यध्याहारः कर्तव्यः ।
सुमेधाः शोभना मेधा सर्वज्ञत्वलक्षणा यस्य मम, सोऽहं सुमेधाः, संसारस्थित्युत्पत्तिसंहारकौशलयोगात्सुमेधस्त्वम् ;
अत एव अमृतः अमरणधर्मा, अक्षितः अक्षीणः अव्ययः अक्षतो वा, अमृतेन वा उक्षितः सिक्तः 'अमृतोक्षितोऽहम्' इत्यादि ब्राह्मणम् ।
इति एवं त्रिशङ्कोः ऋषेः ब्रह्मभूतस्य ब्रह्मविदः वेदानुवचनम्, वेदः वेदनम् आत्मैकत्वविज्ञानम्, तस्य प्राप्तिमनु वचनं वेदानुवचनम् ;
आत्मनः कृतकृत्यताप्रख्यापनार्थं वामदेववत्त्रिशङ्कुना आर्षेण दर्शनेन दृष्टो मन्त्राम्नाय आत्मविद्याप्रकाशक इत्यर्थः ।
अस्य च जपो विद्योत्पत्त्यर्थोऽधिगम्यते । 'ऋतं च' इति धर्मोपन्यासादनन्तरं च वेदानुवचनपाठादेतदवगम्यते ।
एवं श्रौतस्मार्तेषु नित्येषु कर्मसु युक्तस्य निष्कामस्य परं ब्रह्म विविदिषोरार्षाणि दर्शनानि प्रादुर्भवन्त्यात्मादिविषयाणीति ॥
The interpretive correspondence is as follows. As noted before, அடக்கம் may be understood at the highest level as kaivalya resulting from Brahmavidya. Shankara connects अहम् (aham) with ऊर्ध्वपवित्रः (ūrdhva-pavitraḥ), the Self whose higher purifier/illuminating principle is Brahman, culminating in स्वमृतमस्मि, that is I am my own immortality. This corresponds to அடக்கம் அமரருள் உய்க்கும்.
Valluvar then supplies the converse, அடங்காமை ஆரிருள் உய்த்து விடும், corresponding to the persistence of avidya and samsara. There are several other instances where Valluvar explicitly states the converse, while the Sanskrit parallels encode the converse implicitly.
Manakkudavar’s commentary is that the restraint of mind, speech, and body leads to the devas, while non-restraint leads to hell; in contrast, my read is that this kural refers to the realization of the immortal Self.
The Trishanku mantra of the Taittiriya Upanishad under the commentary of Adi Shankaracharya provides a parallel again. பொருள் corresponds directly to द्रविणम्, and Shankara explicitly identifies सवर्चसम् with Brahmajnana because it illumines the आत्मतत्त्व, and द्रविणम् with that knowledge because it is the cause of मोक्षसुख. The ஆக்கம் அதனினூஉங் கில்லை உயிர்க்கு is the मोक्षसुखहेतु. Thus the movement அடக்கம் → பொருள் → ஆக்கம் can be matched to ब्रह्मज्ञानं → द्रविणम् → मोक्षसुखहेतु. Manakkudavar likewise makes அடக்கம் one’s பொருள் and says nothing is greater as ஆக்கம் for the soul.
The Atharvaveda verse 11.5.10 अर्वागन्यः परोऽन्यो दिवस्पृष्ठाद् गुहा निधी निहितौ ब्राह्मणस्य | तौ रक्षति तपसा ब्रह्मचारी तत्केवलं कृणुते ब्रह्म विद्वान् || further corroborates the idea with निधी ब्राह्मणस्य corresponding to பொருளா அடக்கத்தை and रक्षति तपसा to காக்க.
Continuing the Trishanku mantra parallel to the kural, under the commentary of Adi Shankaracharya, அறிவறிந்துஆற்றின் அடங்கப் பெறின் corresponds to सुमेधा. Shankara explains this as excellent medha, associated with the knowledge and realization that culminate in Brahmavidya and kaivalya. The next movement, செறிவறிந்து சீர்மை பயக்கும், is conceptually reflected in अमृतोक्षितः as Shankara explains अमृत as the pure, imperishable Atma-tattva. Thus the sequence அறிவு → அடக்கம் → செறிவு/நிறைவு → சீர்மை, parallels सुमेधा → ब्रह्मविद्या → अमृतोक्षितः → अमृतत्व. The சீர்மை is the culmination to the Self’s immortal, perfected state.
The connection from विज्ञानम् through इन्द्रिय वश्यम् and मनः प्रग्रहवान् to परमं पदम् in the Kathopanishad verses 1.3.6-9 corroborates the crux of the kural that also goes from knowledge through restraint of the senses and mind to self-realization, ultimately leading to salvation:
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा ।
तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ६॥
यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः ।
न स तत्पदमाप्नोति संसारं चाधिगच्छति ॥ ७॥
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः ।
स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते ॥ ८॥
विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रहवान्नरः ।
सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ९॥
This is the kural that completes the correspondence with the Trishanku mantra. நிலையின்திரியாது அடங்கியான் can be connected to अहम् through Shankara’s identification of Trishanku as ब्रह्मभूतस्य ब्रह्मविदः, and more specifically through सुमेधा: संसारस्थित्युत्पत्तिसंहारकौशलयोगात्सुमेधस्त्वम्, which supplies the missing sense of remaining established without being displaced by the movements of samsara. The culmination is self-realization. தோற்றம் மலையினும் மாணப் பெரிது then has an unusually close image-parallel in कीर्तिः पृष्ठं गिरेरिव उच्छ्रिता मम, where Shankara explains kirti as exalted/rising like the back or crest of a mountain.
From the following derivation, the crux of the kural falls out directly. The क्षेमस्थितिमान् in the derivation is my own derivational bridge-word from the √क्षि field (क्षय / क्षेम split)’ Shankara’s gloss only includes अक्षितः, अक्षीणः, and अव्ययः. The semantic backbone holds, and the residual gap is just poetic amplitude. The kural’s appearance greater than the mountain and the Upanishad’s renown as high as the mountain peak differ in degree, not in kind.
कीर्तिः गिरेः पृष्ठमिव उच्छ्रिता मम।
सोऽहम् अक्षितः।
अक्षितः, अक्षयत्वात् एव क्षेमस्थितिमानित्यर्थः।
यः क्षेमस्थितिमान् अक्षितः, तस्य कीर्तिः गिरेः पृष्ठमिवोच्छ्रिता।
The Yoga Vasishtha verse 7.45.44 offers an additional parallel for அடங்கி நிலை நிலையின்திரியாது: once craving has fallen away, meditation on the infinite proceeds spontaneously, expressed as अनन्तमपतृष्णस्य स्वयमेव प्रवर्तते | ध्यानं गलितपक्षस्य संस्थानमिव भूभृतः ||. The mountain metaphor भूभृत् is related to अनन्तध्यानम्. (The Anandabodhendra Tika understands this as तदनुभवलक्षणम् अनन्तध्यानम् स्वयमेव प्रवर्तते न यत्नम् अपेक्षते.)
Another Yoga Vasishtha verse 3.89.49 connects the mountain metaphor to the immovability of the realized mind: न चाल्यते मेरुरिव वरशापबलैरपि देहो हि वरशापाभ्यामन्यत्वमिव गच्छति ननु धीरं मनो राजन्विजिगीषुतया स्थितम् ||
I diverge from Manakkudavar’s interpretation of நிலை: he explicitly glosses it as வர்ணாசிரம தன்மை (Varnashrama Dharma). The Valmiki Ramayana 2.112.30 provides a parallel to நிலையின் திரியாது அடங்கியான் through the conjunction of steadfastness in one’s own dharma and mountain immovability: व्यसर्जयद्राघववंशवर्धनः | स्थिरः स्वधर्मे हिमवानिवाचलः ||. By describing Rama as the increaser of the Raghava lineage, steadfast in his own dharma, like the immovable Himavat. The phrase स्थिरः स्वधर्मे closely corresponds to Manakkudavar’s interpretation of நிலை as வர்ணாசிரம தன்மை, while हिमवानिवाचलः supplies the mountain image.
Another divergent parallel can be seen in the Jain literarure, where the mountain metaphor is connected instead to the Mahima siddhi (the power of becoming large). The Tattvarthadhigama-sutra provides a close literal parallel to மலையினும் மாணப் பெரிது, while its characterization of the advanced practitioner as विरक्तोऽनिस्तृष्णः (“detached, free from thirst/desire”) also resonates with the Kural’s அடங்கியான். In its definition of the mahima siddhi, the text states महत्त्वं महिमा मेरोरपि महत्तरं शरीरं विकुर्वीत, or the body is transformed so as to become greater even than Meru. At the same time, the other siddhis are not discussed in the surrounding context of the kural. From the yogic perspective, detachment from these siddhis and destruction of the seeds is kaivalyam, as per Patanjali’s Yogasutra 3.51 तद्वैराग्यादपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम्, which among other things references the eight siddhis (including Mahima) in 3.46: ततोऽणिमादिप्रादुर्भावः. In other words, the siddis are seen as a distraction ultimately.
My read of this chapter through the Yoga Vedanta lens, however, favors intrepretation as stabilization of the Self, culminating in exceptional elevation, expressed by the shared mountain metaphor.
Bhartrihari’s Nitishatakam verse 1.83 provides a close semantic parallel to the kural. It prescribes character/culture as the greatest ornament to all सर्वेषामपि शीलं परं भूषणम्, while declaring शीलम् as सर्वकारणमिदम्,the causal ground of several virtues listed in the shloka including humility (विनयम्) and good-person-ness (सुजनता). This corresponds well with எல்லார்க்கும் நன்றாம் பணிதல். The shloka also specifies ऐश्वर्यस्य विभूषणं सुजनता, or good naturedness (which subsumes humility) being the wealth/ornament of the wealthy. This corresponds to ெல்வர்க்கே செல்வம் தகைத்து. The सर्वेषामपि and அவருள்ளும் both indicate inclusion of the wealthy among all, with additional qualifications of the general proposition for the wealthy.
Note that Valluvar uses the word பணிதல் to denote humility; here, he does not use அடக்கம், which connotes a deeper spiritual sense of stillness. Vaullavar makes a broad prescription of humility (பணிதல்) for all, with special emphasis of the same for the wealthy. The shloka is more fine-grained, prescribing character/culture, which is the cause of several virtues including humility, for all. It reserves the word विनयम् for the particular kind of deep humility that comes from scriptural study, and prescribes good-naturedness (सुजनता), which includes virtues such as humility and generosity for the wealthy. Despite this minor difference, the shloka is an excellent semantic match for the kural.
The Hitopadesha verse 0.6 establishes the causal relationship from humility (resulting from education) to wealth and beyond: विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद् याति पात्रताम् | पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति धनाद् धर्मं ततः सुखम् ||. The Kamandakiya Nitisara verse 1.26 supplies the complementary royal formulation of wealth of a king resulting from humility: सदानुरक्तप्रकृतिः प्रजापालनतत्परः | विनीतात्मा हि नृपतिर्भूयसीं श्रियमश्नुते ||
Vidura lists seven virtues that bring wealth in Mahabharata Udyoga Parva verse 5.38.35 (BORI Cirtical Edition): धृतिः शमो दमः शौचं कारुण्यं वागनिष्ठुरा | मित्राणां चानभिद्रोहः सप्तैताः समिधः श्रियः ||. Humility, though not explicitly listed is entailed by शमोदमः and वागनिष्ठुरा.
The correspondence of the Bhagavad Gita 2.58 is quite close to the kural. ஆமை போல் corresponds to कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव indicating similarity to a tortoise withdrawing its limbs; ஐந்து அடக்கல் corresponds to इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः … संहरते indicating withdrawing the senses from their objects; and ஒருமையுள் corresponds to तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता. Vidura develops the complementary imagery of the five senses as potential breaches through which one’s prajna leaks away in Mahabharata Udyoga Parva verse 5.33.65 (BORI Criticla Edition): पञ्चेन्द्रियस्य मर्त्यस्य छिद्रं चेदेकमिन्द्रियम् | ततोऽस्य स्रवति प्रज्ञा दृतेः पादादिवोदकम् ||.
The Gita does connect प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता especially to seven-ness or seven-births. Here we depart from the traditional commentarial interpretation of எழுமையும் as referring to sven births. Instead, எழுமை may be understood as an abstract “sevenfoldness,” with a conceptual parallel in the Yoga Sutra 2.25-2.27:
तदभावात्संयोगाभावो हानं तद्दृशेः कैवल्यम् ॥ २.२५ ॥
विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः ॥ २.२६ ॥
तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा ॥ २.२७ ॥
Here the progression is from कैवल्यम् (அடக்கல் ) , through uninterrupted विवेकख्यातिः, to सप्तधा प्रज्ञा (எழுமையும் ஏமாப்பு), a sevenfold prajna at the culminating stage.
A further coupling of the seven bhumikas with the tortoise metaphor is seen In the Yoga Vasishtha, Nirvana-prakarana 1 and 2 (Chapter 6-7). In 6.56.7, we encounter the tortoise metaphor: स्थिरां संस्थितिमायान्ति कूर्माङ्गानीव सर्वशः | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यो हृदि यस्य स्वभावतः || A detailed discussion of the seven bhumikas is discussed in the verses following 6.126.1: श्रीराम उवाच | सप्तानां योगभूमीनामभ्यासः क्रियते कथम् | कीदृशानि च चिह्नानि भूमिकां प्रति योगिनः || And the tortoise metaphor is repeated in 7.138.16: सह चित्तेन तास्तस्य समस्तेन्द्रियवृत्तयः हृत्कोशमविशञ्छन्नाः कूर्मस्येवाङ्गसंधयः ||
While both the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Vasishtha both attest that the benefits of yoga are carried across births. Yoga Vāsishṭha 5.42.9 — Upasama-prakarana discusses the sins of seven births: इमां प्रह्रादसंसिद्धिं प्रविचारयता नृणाम् | सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं क्षयमायात्यसंशयम् ||
Overall, in the context of this kural, I consider the seven bhumikas of yoga are a better fit for the concept of seven-foldness than the commentarial tradition of interpreting it as seven births.
The kural’s நாகாக்க has a strikingly close counterpart in the Harivamsha: परीवादाज्जगन्नाथ वाचं रक्ष दुरुद्वहाम्. The important correspondence is the imperative वाचं रक्ष: as Valluvar commands that the tongue be guarded, the Harivamsha expressly commands the guarding of speech so that it does not become परिवाद, harmful or reproachful speech. The kural’s நாகாக்க is the guarding of speech against the verbal fault that the Kural calls சொல்லிழுக்கு.
The surrounding context of Harivamsa 3.80.71-81 is Ghantakarana’s prayer, concerned with the restraint and protection of several faculties and objects. He asks Krishna first to protect the mind (तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन चित्तं रक्ष) and to restrain the powerful senses; immediately thereafter he asks, वाचं रक्ष. The passage also asks for protection of the mind from another’s property and from another’s wife. This provides a natural contextual analogue to Valluvar’s யாகாவா ராயினும் நாகாக்க: the injunction to guard speech even if other forms of guarding are left aside, which can be understood as poetic intensification of the ethical priority.
जलं मां रक्षतां नित्यं पृथिवी रक्षतां हरे । सूर्यो मां रक्षतां विष्णो नमस्ते सूर्यतेजसे ॥३-८०-७१
वायुर् मां रक्षतां दुःखादाकाशं च जनार्दन। न मनः सर्वगं देव रक्षतां विषयान् अन्तरे ॥३-८०-७२
मनो विपर्यये घोरे पुरुषान् हन्ति नित्यशः । पापेषु योजयेत्पुंसः परपीडात्मकेषु च ॥३-८०-७३
मनस्तद् रक्षतां देव भूयो भूयो जनार्दन । मा भून् मनसि कालुष्यं मनो मे निर्मलं भवेत् ॥३-८०-७४
कलुषं तस्य यच्चित्तं नरके पातयत्यमुम् । बाह्यानि निर्मलान्येवमिन्द्रियाणि भवन्त्युता ॥३-८०-७५
न तानि कार्यवन्तीह मनश्चेत् कलुषं भवेत् । नाङ्गानि मुष्टिनामेध्यं गृहीत्वा यो व्यवस्थितः ॥३-८-७६
बहिः प्रक्षालनं कुर्वन् किं भवेत् तस्य केशव । व्यर्थो हि केवलं तस्य प्रग्रहः बाह्यगोचरः ॥३-८०-७७
तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन चित्तं रक्ष जनार्दन । बलवान् इन्द्रियग्रामो वारयैनं जनार्दन ॥३-८०-७८
परीवादाज् जगन्नाथ वाचं रक्ष दुरुद्वहाम् ।
परद्रव्यान् मनो रक्ष परदाराज् जनार्दन । सर्वत्र मे दया भूयात् प्रसादात् तव केशव ॥३-८०-७९
त्वय्येव भक्तिरचला भूयाद् भूतेषु मे दया । बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन शृणुष्वेदं वचो मम ॥३-८०-८०
सुखे दुःखे च रागे च भोजने गमने तथा । जाग्रत्स्वप्नेषु सर्वत्र त्वय्येव रमतां मनः ॥३-८०-८१
A thematic correspondence can be seen for the last four kurals in this chapter can be seen in a sequence in the Vidura Niti from the Mahabharata Udyoga Parva verses 5.34.71-77:
आक्रोशपरिवादाभ्यां विहिंसन्त्यबुधा बुधान् । वक्ता पापमुपादत्ते क्षममाणो विमुच्यते ॥ 71
हिंसा बलमसाधूनां राज्ञां दण्डविधिर्बलम् । शुश्रूषा तु बलं स्त्रीणां क्षमा गुणवतां बलम् ॥ 72
वाक्संयमो हि नृपते सुदुष्करतमो मतः । अर्थवच्च विचित्रं च न शक्यं बहु भाषितुम् ॥ 73
अभ्यावहति कल्याणं विविधा वाक्सुभाषिता । सैव दुर्भाषिता राजन्ननर्थायोपपद्यते ॥ 74
रोहते सायकैर्विद्धं वनं परशुना हतम् । वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम् ॥ 75
कर्णिनालीकनाराचान्निर्हरन्ति शरीरतः । वाक्शल्यस्तु न निर्हर्तुं शक्यो हृदि शयो हि सः ॥ 76
वाक्सायका वदनान्निष्पतन्ति यैराहतः शोचति रात्र्यहानि । परस्य नामर्मसु ते पतन्ति तान्पण्डितो नावसृजेत्परेषु ॥ 77
The consequence expressed in the latter half of the Kural is not present in the Harivamsha parallel, however, it is corroborated by Vidura Niti in 5.34.71 above: आक्रोशपरिवादाभ्यां … वक्ता पापमुपादत्ते. Those who revile and slander cause harm, and the speaker incurs sin: वक्ता पापमुपादत्ते. This gives a close counterpart to சோகாப்பர் சொல்லிழுக்குப் பட்டு: verbal misconduct brings a consequence upon the speaker. Vidura Niti also expresses that restraint of speech is the hardest in 5.34.73 above: वाक्संयमो हि … सुदुष्करतमो. Under this perspective, Valluvar’s யாகாவா ராயினும் நாகாக்க can be seen as if one has restraint over speech, the hardest to govern, one could easily govern the rest that need governing.
The correspondence between the kural and the Vidura niti shloka is particularly close in its treatment of speech according to its consequence: the Tamil kural observes that even a single தீச்சொல், when it produces பொருட்பயன், causes what would otherwise be நன்று to become நன்றாகாது; likewise, the Sanskrit verse contrasts वाक्सुभाषिता, which अभ्यावहति कल्याणम्, with that very same speech when दुर्भाषिता, which has the opposeite consequence (अनर्थायोपपद्यते). In both, therefore, the moral quality of speech is expressed through its resulting effect. There is a structural resemblance in பொருட்பயன் and अर्थ and ஒன்றானுந் and सैव worth noting. This correspondence, however, diverges somewhat from Manakkudavar’s commentary, which places greater emphasis on the harmful consequence resulting from even a single ill-spoken word.
The Vidura niti shloka shows a remarkably close correspondence with the Kural, especially in its treatment of verbal injury; ஆறாதே நாவினாற் சுட்ட வடு corresponds closely to वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम्. Conversely, தீயினாற் சுட்டபுண் is paralleled by the physical injuries described through सायकैर्विद्धं and परशुना हतम्, with உள்ளாறும் corresponding to रोहते, the wound healing or closing. The fundamental contrast is therefore the same: a physical wound may heal, whereas a wound caused by வாக்கு remains. The minor difference lies in the poetic metaphors: the Kural uses injury by fire, whereas the Vidiura niti uses injruy by axe and arrows. The following verse reinforces the same message even more explicitly through bodily injury: कर्णिनालीकनाराचान्निर्हरन्ति शरीरतः observes that arrows and other weapons can be removed from the शरीर, whereas वाक्शल्यस्तु न निर्हर्तुं शक्यो हृदि शयो हि सः declares that the verbal शल्य cannot be extracted because it remains lodged in the हृदय. Valluvar is more economical in his poetic flourish, reducing the entire contrast to the vivid images of being singed by தீ and wounded by the நாவு.
A particularly close parallel to the Kural is found in the Vidura Niti in the Mahabharata in its characterization of the learned. The verse “क्रोधो हर्षश्च दर्पश्च ह्रीस्तम्भो मान्यमानिता । यमर्थान्नापकर्षन्ति स वै पण्डित उच्यते ॥” defines the wise person as one whom anger, elation, pride, moral reserve, obstinacy, and the desire for honor do not carry away from his proper purpose. This closely corresponds to கதம் காத்துக் கற்றடங்கல்: the learned person is distinguished not merely by knowledge, but by mastery over anger and the passions that might otherwise divert him from his proper course.
Furthermore, the pandita is one whose practical intelligence, while engaged in saṃsāra, follows dharma-artha and chooses this proper artha rather than kama: यस्य संसारिणी प्रज्ञा धर्मार्थावनुवर्तते । कामादर्थं वृणीते यः स वै पण्डित उच्यते ॥. Read in the framework of the purusharthas, this supplies a conceptual parallel to அறம் பார்க்கும் ஆற்றின் நுழைந்து: the entering can be understood as encoding entry into the path of aram (dharma), which is given precedence over the worldly pursuits of porul and kama by the learned.
The Bhartrihari Nitishataka 1.83 dicussed earlier provides a secondary corroboration: ज्ञानस्योपशमः श्रुतस्य विनयो … अक्रोधस्तपसः … धर्मस्य निर्व्याजत. Although its structure is a catalogue of the distinctive virtues or “ornaments” of different qualities rather than a direct semantic parallel to the Kural, it independently brings together the same conceptual field of learning, self-restraint, freedom from anger, and dharma. The Hitopadesha verse 0.6 also discussed earlier establishes the causal relationship from humility resulting from education to dharma: विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद् याति पात्रताम् | पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति धनाद् धर्मं ततः सुखम् || The intervening पात्रता subsunes freedom from anger implicitly.
A parsimonious coverage of the teachings of this entire chapter can be done with the Trishanku mantra in the Taittiriya Upanishad of the Krishna Yajurveda covering the first four kurals and selected verses from the Vidura Niti in the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata. This uses the mainstream ordering of verses; the Manakkudavar ordering of the verses is less helpful here. Particular metaphors that the kurals use are corroborated elsewhere, but the more important point is that the teachings of this kural chapter are recurrent themes in Vedanta and Niti Shastra literature.
Correspondences with Jain literature, Yoga, and Christian Bible are not surprising given the universality of the moral teachings contained here. The economy of the Trishanku mantra and Vidura niti in supplying the thematic correspondence is evident from the tables below.
| No. | Kural fragemnt | Trishanku mantra fragment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | அடக்கம் அமரருள் உய்க்கும் | अहं … ऊर्ध्वपवित्रो … स्वमृतमस्मि |
| 2 | காக்க பொருளா அடக்கத்தை ஆக்கம் | द्रविणं सवर्चसम् |
| 3 | சீர்மை பயக்கும் அறிவறிந்து அடங்கப் பெறின் | सुमेधा अमृतोक्षितः |
| 4 | அடங்கியான் தோற்றம் மலையினும் மாணப் பெரிது | कीर्तिः पृष्ठं गिरेरिव |
| No. | Kural fragment | Vidura niti fragment |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | பணிதல் செல்வர்க்கே செல்வம் தகைத்து | शमो दमः … समिधः श्रियः |
| 6 | ஒருமையுள் ஐந்து அடக்கல் | पञ्चेन्द्रियस्य … छिद्रं चेदेकमिन्द्रियम् … स्रवति प्रज्ञा |
| 7 | யாகாவாராயினும் நாகாக்க … சொல்லிழுக்கு | वाक्संयमो हि … सुदुष्करतमो; आक्रोशपरिवादाभ्यां … वक्ता पापमुपादत्ते |
| 8 | ஒன்றானுந் தீச்சொல் பொருட்பயன் … நன்றாகா தாகி விடும் | सैव दुर्भाषिता … अनर्थायोपपद्यते |
| 9 | ஆறாதே நாவினாற் சுட்ட வடு | न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम् |
| 10 | கதங்காத்துக் கற்றடங்கல் ஆற்றுவான் | क्रोधो … नापकर्षन्ति … स वै पण्डितः |
My choice of primary and secondary parallels from other sources capture the broader implications of each kural, including in some cases matching metaphors.
Manakkudavar’s ordering of the verses is 2, 3, 6, 4, 7, 9, 8, 5, 10, 1; this places verses 6 and 1 in the opposite clusters. While the Trishanku mantra is an elegant conceptual parallel, alternative single verse parallels, may allow a parsimonious chapter summary using Manakkudavar’s order.
tags: kuralmatch