Namaste
by Rajesh Krishnan
| 3 : அறத்துப்பால் : பாயிரம் : நீத்தார்பெருமை | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார் பெருமை விழுப்பத்து வேண்டும் பனுவற் றுணிவு |
वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद् यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः | ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे || Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.6 |
| 2 | துறந்தார் பெருமை துணைக்கூறின் வையத் திறந்தாரை யெண்ணிக்கொண் டற்று |
नित्यं द्रष्टैव चाद्रष्टा जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः | व्यवहर्तैव शैलाभः स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते || Mokshopaya 3.9.12 (Harrassowitz 2011 Crit.) येन धर्ममधर्मं च मनोमननमीहितम् | सर्वमन्तः परित्यक्तं स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते || Mahopanishad 1.52 |
| 3 | இருமை வகைதெரிந் தீண்டறம் பூண்டார் பெருமை பிறங்கிற் றுலகு |
श्रेयोश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः | श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते || कामस्याप्तिं जगतः प्रतिष्ठां क्रतोरानन्त्यमभयस्य पारम् | स्तोममहदुरुगायं प्रतिष्ठां दृष्ट्वा धृत्या धीरो नचिकेतः अत्यस्राक्षीः || Kathopanishad 1.2.2,1.2.11 |
| 4 | உரனென்னுந் தோட்டியா னோரைந்துங் காப்பான் வரனென்னும் வைப்பிற்கோர் வித்து |
प्रकीर्णे विषयारण्ये धावन्तं विप्रमाथिनम् | ज्ञानाङ्कुशेन कुर्वीत वश्यम् इन्द्रियदन्तिनम् || Kamandakiya Nitisara 1.27 तद्वैराग्यादपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम् | Patanjala Yogasutra 3.51 |
| 5 | ஐந்தவித்தா னாற்ற லகல்விசும்பு ளார்கோமா னிந்திரனே சாலுங் கரி |
वैशंपायन उवाच | आसीत्पूर्वं महाराज मुनिर्धीमान्महातपाः | दधीच इति विख्यातो ब्रह्मचारी जितेन्द्रियः || तस्यातितपसः शक्रो बिभेति सततं विभो | न स लोभयितुं शक्यः फलैर्बहुविधैरपि || Mahabharata Shalya Parya 9.50.5-6 (BORI) |
| 6 | செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் சிறியர் செயற்கரிய செய்கலா தார் |
श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः | श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते || Kathopanishad 1.2.2 |
| 7 | சுவையொளி யூறோசை நாற்றமென் றைந்தின் வகைதெரிவான் கட்டே யுலகு |
शब्दः स्पर्शस्तथा रूपं रसो गन्धश्च पञ्चमः | एते पञ्चगुणा भूमेर्विज्ञेया द्विजसत्तमाः || Mahabharata, Ashvamedhika Parva 14.49.40 (BORI) |
| 8 | நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் பெருமை நிலத்து மறைமொழி காட்டி விடும் |
यच्च त्वं वक्ष्यसे भीष्म पाण्डवायानुपृच्छते | वेदप्रवादा इव ते स्थास्यन्ति वसुधातले || Mahabharata Shanti Parva 12.54.29 (BORI) |
| 9 | குணமென்னுங் குன்றேறி நின்றார் வெகுளி கணமேயுங் காத்த லரிது |
आमरणान्ताः प्रणयाः कोपास्तत्क्षणभङ्गुराः | परित्यागाश्च निःसङ्गा भवन्ति हि महात्मनाम् || Hitopadesha 1.198 |
| 10 | அந்தண ரென்போ ரறவோர்மற் றெவ்வுயிர்க்குஞ் செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுக லான் |
मित्रता सर्वभूतेषु दानमध्ययनं तपः | ब्राह्मणस्यैष धर्मः स्यान्न राज्ञो राजसत्तम || Mahabharata Shanti Parva 12.14.15 (BORI) |
The correspondence of this kural with Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.6 is strikingly close: ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார் finds its counterpart in संन्यासयोगाद् यतयः; விழுப்பத்து வேண்டும் is reflected in शुद्धसत्त्वाः … अर्थाः, the desirable ends of the yatis, whose sattva is purified; and பனுவற் றுணிவு closely matches वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चिताः, the firmly ascertained meanings/purports of Vedantic knowledge. The concluding ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे further suggests the பெருமை of these renouncers through their attainment of Brahmaloka and supreme immortality, while Valluvar deliberately frames that exalted status within the chapter நீத்தார் பெருமை.
Some further lexical and etymological observations suggest deeper connections. The பெருமை of the நீத்தார் is not merely reputation in this context. Its underlying Tamil semantic field is largeness → greatness → eminence, while the Upanishadic teaching culminates in knowledge of Brahman, whose very name is associated etymologically with growth, expansion, greatness. This is a semantic convergence, not a claim of linguistic relationship between the two roots. The correspondence of பனுவல் with वेदान्तविज्ञान is especially well corroborated by the Tamil lexical tradition with attestations extending into the Sangam era: பனுவல் means discourse, சொல் as in மெய்யறி பனுவலின் (தொல். சொல். 96); stanza, பாட்டு as in வரிநவில் பனுவல் (புறநா. 135); a treatise, நூல்; learning through oral instruction, கேள்வி as in செவிமுதல் வித்திய பனுவல் (புறநா. 237); research, ஆராய்ச்சி as in பனுவ னுண்ணூ னடையுளார் (சீவக.464); learning, கல்வி (பிங்.). This word captures precisely the semantic field of authoritative knowledge, teaching, inquiry, and learning conveyed by वेदान्तविज्ञान.
Kathopanishad 1.2.2: श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते resonates with the kural’s நீத்தார் … விழுப்பத்து வேண்டும். Here धीरः, denotes the discerning/spiritually resolute seeker (repeatedly associated with the renunciatory ideal in the wider Upanishadic context), resoantes with நீத்தார்; श्रेयः, the higher good that ought to be chosen, corresponds to விழுப்பத்து; and वृणीते, chooses, reinforces the desiderative/choice dimension of வேண்டும். While this shloka is certainly not a parallel to this kural, it is worth a mention due to a number of thematic connections between the chapter நீத்தார் பெருமை and the Kathopanishad.
While the Kural’s ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார் பெருமை is implicit throughout the Yogasutra, Patanjali explicitly mentions आगमप्रमाण in Sutra 1.7: प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि, as an epistemic basis of valid knowledge, resonating with the kural’s பனுவற்றுணிவு, the knowledge conveyed through authoritative texts.
The text of the kural, துறந்தார் பெருமை துணைக்கூறின் வையத்து இறந்தாரை எண்ணிக்கொண் டற்று, may be read as follows: If the greatness of those who have renounced is expressed by comparison, it is as though those who have died in this world are to be thought of / counted as the comparison. I take எண்ணி in its attested sense of thinking of, considering, or counting (as in Valluvar’s own use in kural 467: எண்ணித் துணிக கருமம்), rather than being restricted to the traditional commentarial gloss of this term as numerical counting. The comparison is between one who has renounced the world while living and one who has departed the world through death.
Mokshopaya 3.9.12 provides a close parallel: नित्यं द्रष्टैव चाद्रष्टा जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः | व्यवहर्तैव शैलाभः स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते ||, while still living, he is comparable to the dead … he is called a jīvanmukta. The verse itself supplies the crucial jivanmukta formulation: the living person himself (जीवन् एव) is comparable to the dead (मृतोपमः). This maps remarkably closely onto வையத்து இறந்தாரை … அற்று: the मृत supplies the dead/departed referent, उपमः supplies the comparative relation expressed by அற்று, and the verse’s उच्यते (is called) supplies the verbal component corresponding to துணைக்கூறின். The जीवन्मुक्त provides the conceptual referent to துறந்தார், and the Mahopanishad verse 1.52 makes the connection between inward renunciation with the jīvanmukta explicit: सर्वमन्तः परित्यक्तं स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते. The conceptual unification of the two statements through the common referent of jīvanmukta, जीवन्मुक्तः सर्वमन्तः परित्यक्तं <=> जीवन्मुक्तः <=> जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः, gets compressed into सर्वमन्तः परित्यक्तं <=> जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः in our reading of the kural.
While the kural makes that greatness (பெருமை) of the renunciants explicit in keeping with the நீத்தார் பெருமை theme of the chapter, the greatness of these jīvanmuktas who have renounced everything is implicit in the Sanskrit tradition. The Mokshopaya and the Mahopanishad treat the jīvanmukta at considerable length, employing numerous epithets and descriptions of his realized state.
This concept is corroborated further in several texts. The Jivanmukta Gita verse 1 distinguishes liberation while living from liberation at the fall of the body: जीवन्मुक्तिश्च या मुक्तिः सा मुक्तिः पिण्डपातने. Yoga Vasishtha 3.9.2 connects the path of discriminative knowledge to both jivanmukti and videhamukti: तेषां ज्ञानैकनिष्ठानामात्मज्ञानविचारिणाम् | सा जीवन्मुक्ततोदेति विदेहान्मुक्ततैव या ||. Jabala Upanishad verse 5 connects the knowledge of Brahman directly with sannyasa: एष पन्था ब्रह्मणा हानुवित्तस्तेनैति संन्यासी ब्रह्मविद्. Its subsequent Paramahamsa description in verse 6 adds complete non-possession, establishment in the Self, and bodily abandonment through sannyasa: निष्परिग्रहो … अध्यात्मनिष्ठः … संन्यासेन देहत्यागं करोति स परमहंसो नाम. Together with the Mahopanishad’s repeated स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते formulations, these passages connect renunciation (tyaga, parityaga, sannyasa), discriminative knowledge (jnana, vichara, brahmavid), bodily abandonment (dehatayaga), and liberation (moksha, videhamukti, and jivanmukti). These connections strongly resonate with our read of the kural’s equation of the renunciant with those who have departed through death, interpreted through the lens of the jivanmukta concept.
The Kathopanishad verse 2.2.1 supplies the Shruti Pramana for the conception of liberation while still embodied in the eleven-gated city: पुरमेकादशद्वारमजस्यावक्रचेतसः | अनुष्ठाय न शोचति विमुक्तश्च विमुच्यते ||. Again, verse 2.3.14 strongly attests the greatness of renunciation as it leads to immortality here in this mortal world: यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः | अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ||. The next verse assertsd that the only instruction is that when the knots of the heart are destroyed, then मर्त्योऽमृतो भवति, re-emphasizing the formulation that resonates with the Mokshopaya 3.9.12: जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः, that we used as the primary parallel.
My reading of the kural’s துறந்தார் as a jivanmukta finds a resonance in Patanjala Yogasutra 4.30: ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः, which Vyasa explains in his commentary by saying that the knower becomes liberated while still alive: जीवन्नेव हि विद्वान् विमुक्तो भवति. Earlier Patanjali specificially identifies अभिनिवेशः, the clinging to continued existence, as a क्लेशः in Sutra 2.3: अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः.
Textual note: The Mokshopaya verse cited above is from the critical edition: Jürgen Hanneder, Peter Stephan, and Stanislav Jager (eds.), Mokṣopāya. Das Dritte Buch: Utpattiprakaraṇa, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2011, in the series Anonymus Casmiriensis: Mokṣopāya. Historisch-kritische Gesamtausgabe, vol. 2. ISBN 978-3-447-06467-5. The Yoga-Vasishtha, which derives from the Mokshopaya tradition, likewise preserves the striking phrase जीवन्नेव मृतोपमः in 7.102.6: जाग्रदेव सुषुप्तस्थो जीवन्नेव मृतोपमः …, but without the explicit स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते formulation.
A close parallel to the kural is found in Kathopanishad verses 1.2.2 and 1.2.11, which yield three statements, all conceptually unified by धीरः:
The kural fragments correspond accordingly: இருமை வகைதெரிந்து → तौ … विविनक्ति, அறம் பூண்டார் → श्रेयो … वृणीते, and பெருமை பிறங்கிற்றுலகு → जगतः प्रतिष्ठाम् … स्तोममहदुरुगायम् … प्रतिष्ठाम्. The final अत्यस्राक्षीः completes the picture: having witnessed these attainments and glories, the dhira casts them aside, making his choice of shreyas a genuinely renunciatory one. The connection of shreyas with dharma (usually translated as அறம்) is corroborated explicitly by Bhagavad Gita 3.35: श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||, which asserts that one’s own dharma is the shreyas, the superior course. Thus the Katha’s श्रेयः … वृणीते provides a natural Sanskrit correlate for அறம் பூண்டார், with the Gita independently confirming the identification of the chosen shreyas with the following of dharma.
The commentators diverge considerably on the referent of இருமை: Manakkudavar takes it as பிறப்பு–வீடு, Pariti as புண்ணியம்–பாவம், Parimelazhakar as பிறப்பு–வீடு understood through their respective suffering and bliss, and Kalingar as இம்மை–மறுமை. This diversity makes it preferable not to force இருமை into any single one of these pairs. Yet the proposed Katha parallel has a particularly strong internal basis: the only duality explicitly stated in the chapter is the distinction between the difficult and the easy: செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர்; சிறியர் செயற்கரிய செய்கலாதார். This is precisely the conceptual distinction that the Katha develops as the choice between shreyas and preyas, the higher good and the merely desirable. The chapter’s broader movement toward discrimination, restraint, renunciation, and the higher state reinforces this correspondence. Within the Katha, shreyas is ultimately connected with विद्या and नित्यानित्यवास्तु विवेकः; consequently, the various dualities proposed by the commentators can be understood as particular manifestations of the विद्या vs अविद्या, without requiring இருமை in this kural to be restricted explicitly to any one of them.
Patanjali offers a modest but suggestive parallel in Yogasutra 2.28: योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः. Through the practice of the limbs of yoga and the destruction of impurity, the illumination of knowledge arises, culminating in discriminative knowledge. Thus योगाङ्गानुष्ठानम् resonates with அறம் பூண்டார், विवेकख्यातिः with இருமை வகைதெரிந்து, and ज्ञानदीप्तिः suggestively with பெருமை. Patanjali later mentions the destruction of dualities in the specific context of asanas in Sutra 2.47: ततो द्वन्द्वानभिघातः.
The first half of the kural, உரனென்னும் தோட்டியான் ஓரைந்தும் காப்பான், can be read in close conjunction with Parithiyar’s gloss, அறிவென்னுந் தோட்டியான் ஐம்புலன் என்னும் யானையைக் காப்பான்: knowledge is the goad by which the five senses are controlled. A close Sanskrit parallel occurs in Kamandakiya Nitisara 1.27: ज्ञानाङ्कुशेन कुर्वीत वश्यम् इन्द्रियदन्तिनम्. Here உரன்/அறிவு corresponds with ज्ञान, தோட்டி with अङ्कुश, and ஓரைந்தும் with इन्द्रियदन्तिन्. In the proposed reading, உரன்/அறிவு supplies the discriminative knowledge that functions as the goad, while ஓரைந்தும் is understood as bringing the five under one-pointed control.
For the second half, வரனென்னும் வைப்பிற்கோர் வித்து, I depart from the traditional interpretation of all three terms:
The resulting reading of the kural is: By controlling the five as one, through the goad called discriminative knowledge, (there results siddhi, which is (still) a seed that keeps one bound here (in saṃsara).
The principal doctrinal parallel is Patanjali’s Yogasutra 3.51, तद्वैराग्यादपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम्: through dispassion even toward that, upon the destruction of the seed of the defects, there is kaivalya. The referent of तत् is supplied by the immediately preceding discussion of the yogic attainments, which is a long list of powers (siddhis) attained. Then, in Vyasa’s gloss on 3.49, एताः सिद्धयो जितेन्द्रियस्य प्रादुर्भवन्ति (these siddhis arise for one who has conquered the senses), supplies the missing connection between control of the senses and the siddhis that तत् refers to. This gloss references Patanjali’s previous verse 3.48: ग्रहणस्वरूपास्मितान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमादिन्द्रियजयः ||, which describes how victory over the senses, इन्द्रियजयः, is achieved. In verse 3.37 he states: ततः प्रातिभश्रावणवेदनादर्शास्वादवार्ता जायन्ते ||, from that (samyama on the Purusha discussed in preceding verse) arise a kind of intuitive knowledge called pratibha, supernatural power in all five senses: hearing, touch, seeing, tasting, and smelling. In verse 3.38: ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः ||, Patanjali clearly states that these siddhis are obstacles to Samadhi; but they are powers in the worldly state. Understanding the structure of Patanjala Yoga darshana helps understand my interpretation of this kural. Patanjali ends Chapter 2 with Pratyahara, sense restraint, which is the fifth of eight steps. Pratyahara is esssentially what the kural calls ஓரைந்தும் காப்பான், which is understood as the control of the senses, leading to one-pointedness of mind. Pratyahara is followed in Chapter 3 by dharana, dhyana, and samadhi (together called samyama) that are applied to various objects, which leads to the attainment of various siddhis. Dispassion to these siddhis (வரன்) destroys the seed of defects (வைப்பிற்கோர் வித்து), and leads to kaivalya – which is my reading of the second half of the kural. The kural is cryptic and just mentions the seed.
A second, complementary correspondence may be seen in Kathopanishad 2.3.10: यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह | बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टति तामाहुः परमां गतिम् || — When the five cognitions, together with the mind, come to rest, and the intellect no longer moves, that they call the supreme attainment. The correspondence with the kural is suggestive at the level of both structure and doctrine: ஓரைந்தும் காப்பான் finds a close conceptual counterpart in पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह, while வரனென்னும் வைப்பு may be read against परमां गतिम्, the supreme attainment resulting from such restraint. The Katha passage does not, however, supply an equivalent for தோட்டி; that more specific image is supplied by Kamandakiya Nitisara 1.27, where discriminative knowledge is explicitly the ज्ञानाङ्कुश, the goad by which the sense-elephant is brought under control. Katha instead uses the charioteer and steeds metaphor in verse 1.3.6: तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः. Nor does Katha resolve வித்து, which therefore remains the distinctive element of the proposed reading and finds its doctrinal counterpart more naturally in Patanjali’s discussion of the destruction of the residual seed of the defects. The three passages thus illuminate different components of the kural: Kamandakiya supplies the knowledge–goad–sense-elephant imagery, Katha supplies the restraint of the five senses–supreme attainment sequence, and Patanjala Yogasutra supplies the crucial distinction between attainment and the destruction of the residual seed (leading to kaivalya).
The goad metaphor in the context of sense-control and the seed metaphor are recurrent themes in Sanskrit literature; the latter is treated extensively in the Yoga Vasiahtha. The attainment of siddhis through control of the senses is separately attested in the Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Goraksha’s Yoga-Bija, and several other texts. Further, Yoga-Bija 179, यथा काशीं समुद्दिश्य गच्छद्भिः पथिकैः पथि | नानातीर्थानि दृश्यन्ते तथा मोक्षे तु सिद्धयः ||, offers the analogy that just as travelers going toward Kashi encounter many tirthas on the road, so siddhis are encountered on the way to moksha. Siddhis are thus distinguished from the final destination.
The Shrirangamahatmya of the Garuda Purana chapter 106, verses 103-104 explicitly place indriya-nigraha, bija, and jitendriya close together, although its bija has a different stated referent and therefore these verses do not constitute a parallel to the kural:
तपसा च नियच्छन्ति करणानि च सर्वशः ।
बीजं हि पुरुषार्थानामिन्द्रियाणां हि निग्रहः ॥ १०६.१०३ ॥
जितेन्द्रियस्य सकलं जितं भवति वै जगत् ।
अतस्तन्निग्रहः कार्यः शाश्वतीं भूतिमिच्छता ॥ १०६.१०४ ॥
The Mahabharata, Ashvamedhika Parva 14.93.69–70, provides another suggestive juxtaposition of bija, jitendriya, and svarga. While svarga is suggestive of the traditional interpretation of வரனென்னும் வைப்பு, the semantics of these verses do not support the proposed reading of the kural. Here lobha-bija is the obstruction to the gate of heaven, while the jitendriya are those who perceive that gate. These verses therefore do not constitute a parallel to the kural:
स्वर्गद्वारं सुसूक्ष्मं हि नरैर्मोहान्न दृश्यते ।
स्वर्गार्गलं लोभबीजं रागगुप्तं दुरासदम् ॥ १४.९३.६९ ॥
तत्तु पश्यन्ति पुरुषा जितक्रोधा जितेन्द्रियाः ।
ब्राह्मणास्तपसा युक्ता यथाशक्तिप्रदायिनः ॥ १४.९३.७० ॥
A close semantic parallel to the kural is found in Mahabharata Shalya Parva verses, 9.50.5-7. Dadhica is explicitly described as one who has conquered the senses, जितेन्द्रियः, which corresponds directly to ஐந்தவித்தான். The powers of Dadhica’s great austerities, अतितपसः, corresponds to ஆற்றல். शक्रः, a synonym of Indra, corresponds directly to இந்திரன். Indra, in the context of the shloka implicitly refers to the king of the devas, the dwellers of the vast sky; Valluvar makes the connection explicit with the epithet அகல்விசும்புளார் கோமான். That Indra himself is the evidence, இந்திரனே சாலும் கரி, follows implicitly from the fact that Indra fears Dadicha’s power of great austerities, तस्यातितपसः शक्रो बिभेति, and subsequently acts on that fear and dispatches the apsaras to tempt him, as described in the next verse, Mahabharata, Shalya Parva 9.50.7 (BORI Critical edition) : प्रलोभनार्थं तस्याथ प्राहिणोत्पाकशासनः | दिव्यामप्सरसं पुण्यां दर्शनीयामलम्बुसाम् ||.
The proposed parallel therefore matches the most widely attested interpretation of இந்திரனே சாலும் கரி: the spiritual power that a renunciant accrues from mastery of the senses becomes a threat to Indra’s position, prompting him to intervene. In his commentary of this kural, Manakkudavar says, இந்திரன் சான்றென்றது இவ்வுலகின்கண் மிகத் தவஞ் செய்வாருளரானால் அவன் தன்பதம் இழக்கின்றானாக நடுங்குமாதலான். இது தேவரினும் வலியனென்றது. That is, when there are persons in this world who undertake great austerities, Indra trembles because he may lose his position; hence the ascetic is more powerful even than the gods. In his commentary, Kalingar makes the correspondence even more explicit by supplying the very next step in the narrative: “ஈண்டுத் தன்பதங் கருதித் தவஞ்செய்யும் நீத்தார்மாட்டுத் திலோத்தமை முதலிய தெய்வமகளிரை விடுத்து, மற்று அத்தவமழித்துத் தவம் அழியாமைநிலைநிற்கையாலும், தனது பதம் விரும்பாமையாலும் தானே சான்றாய் அமையும் என்றவாறு.” Indra, concerned for his position (தன் பதம்), sends Tilottama and other divine women to the ascetics in order to destroy their austerities; yet when their austerity remains unbroken and they themselves do not desire Indra’s position. Indra thereby becomes the evidence of their power. Note that both commentators use of the word தவம், which is the direct Tamil equivalent of the Sanskrit word तपस् in the shloka. Kalingar further makes explicit that அகல்விசும்புளார் indeed refers to the devas: பரந்த வானில் வாழும் தேவர்கட்கெல்லாம் அரசனாகிய இந்திரனே அமையுஞ் சான்று என்றவாறு. A further point to note is that Dadicha is a great renunciant, who does not fall for any of Indra’s temptations, and is disapassionate to Indra’s position, which matches Kalingar’s characterization: தவம் அழியாமைநிலைநிற்கையாலும், தனது பதம் விரும்பாமையாலும் தானே சான்றாய்.
The motif itself is widespread in Sanskrit literature: an ascetic acquires extraordinary power, Indra perceives a threat to his position, and he attempts to interrupt or redirect the ascetic’s progress.
This reading also accords with a Patanjala-Yoga reading of the couplet. After इन्द्रियजयः (mastery over the senses), Yogasutra 3.48 describes extraordinary attainments, and 3.51 advises detachment even from these attainments. Yogasutra 3.52 then states: स्थान्युपनिमन्त्रणे सङ्गस्मयाकरणं पुनरनिष्टप्रसङ्गात् ||. The Vyasa tradition explains sthanin here as the gods who occupy their respective exalted positions: when such beings invite the yogin, he should neither become attached nor proud, since this can lead again to undesirable consequences. This creates an especially suggestive continuity with the preceding Kural, “உரனென்னும் தோட்டியான் ஓரைந்தும் காப்பான் / வரனென்னும் வைப்பிற்கோர் வித்து”: its வித்து (“seed”) has a striking conceptual resonance with Patanjali’s दोषबीज in 3.51, where even the residual seed of defect must be destroyed through detachment. The parallel is conceptual rather than a claim of direct textual borrowing.
A further, closely related narrative that corrooborates the kural read together with the Manakkudavar and Kalingar commentaries, as well as Patanjala Yogasutra 3.52 above, occurs in the Skanda Purana, Nagara-khanda, Tirtha Mahatmiya, 6.1.168.5–12. Seeing Vishvamitra’s extraordinary power, in verse 5, Indra thinks that surely this excellent king will cast me down from my position, पातायिष्यति मां नूनमेष स्थानान्नृपोत्तमः. In verse 6, Indra then approaches Vishvamitra with great fear, भयेन महता; in verse 7, Indra offers him a boon of whatever his heart desires, वरं वरय … यदभीष्टं हृदिस्थितम्. In verse 9, Vishvamitra asks for the realization of Brahman, ब्राह्मण्यं देहि मे शक्र, and in verse 11, refuses even the dominion over the three worlds in preference for realization of Brahman, and tells Indra to go and take care of his own kingdom: अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यं ते वस्तुष्वन्येषु का कथा | तस्माद्गच्छ सुरश्रेष्ठ स्वराज्यं परिपालय ||. In verse 12, Indra returns to his abode: देवराजो दिवं गतः. The resonance of these Skanda Purana passages with the kural read with Kalingar’s commentary of this kural is remarkable. Note also the epithet देवराज:, which matches Kalingar’s commentary, தேவர்கட்கெல்லாம் அரசன். The vocabulary in the Skanda Purana passages is particularly suggestive in relation to Patanjali’s invitation by the occupants of exalted positions, स्थानि-उपनिमन्त्रण, resonates with Indra’s concern over losing his स्थान, followed by his वरं वरय invitation.
The Katha offers a suggestive parallel in verse 2.3.10: पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टते तामाहुः परमां गतिम्, that is, when the five senses, together with the mind, become still, this is called the supreme state. पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि resonates well with ஐந்தவித்தான் ஆற்றல்; परमां गतिम् is loosely suggestive of a destination beyond even the ordinary sphere of the gods, but without the speicfic metaphorical and anecdotal reference made by the kural’s இந்திரனே சாலுங் கரி.
Several Sanskrit passages produce striking lexical resonances or partial semantic correspondences, without constituting full semantic parallels to the kural when read in connection with its traditional commentaries:
Kathopanishad 1.2.2 is a close parallel to this kural: செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் (the great are those who do what is hard) corresponds to धीरः … श्रेयः … वृणीते (the learned, intelligent, and/or courageous person chooses the higher good), while சிறியர் செயற்கரிய செய்கலாதார் (the lesser are those who do not do what is hard) corresponds to मन्दः … प्रेयः … वृणीते (the lesser, slower, or less intelligent person chooses the pleasant). அரிய connotes what is rare, precious, excellent, and difficult to accomplish, and this has a particulalry close semantic affinity with श्रेयः, the higher or more worthy good. Likewise, धीरः can denote a person distinguished by learning, intelligence, or courage. मन्दः can connote slow, less intelligent, or simply a lesser category. The kural leaves implicit why undertaking the difficult distinguishes the பெரியர் from the சிறியர்; the Shloka supplies this context by explaining that the difficult choice is श्रेयो (the higher good) over प्रेयो (the pleasant), whereas the मन्दः chooses प्रेयस् in pursuit of योगक्षेम, acquisition and preservation of worldly well-being.
The Yogasutra lacks the distinctive பெரியர்/சிறியர் formulation of the kural, paralleled in the katha’s धीर/मन्द. Patanjali does, however, identify those of तीव्रसंवेग as reaching realization sooner in Sutra 1.21: तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः. Interpretively, the one possessed of तीव्रसंवेग may be likened to the பெரியர்/धीर, while the attainment of nirbija samadhi may be read as the செயற்கரிய செயல்/श्रेयस्.
The correspondence of the Mahabharata Ashvamedhika Parva verse 14.49.40 (BORI Critical Edition) with the kural is remarkably close: ஓசை, ஊறு, ஒளி, சுவை, நாற்றம் with शब्द, स्पर्श, रूप, रस, and गन्ध; ஐந்தின் வகைதெரிவான் with पञ्च गुणा … विज्ञेया; and ஐந்தின் கட்டே யுலகு with the conception of भूमेः पञ्चगुणाः. ஐந்தின் கட்டே can be understood ஐந்திலிருந்து கட்டப்பட்டதே by reading -இன் as the ancient Tamil ablative case ending, and கட்டே as கட்டப்பட்டதே (built/constituted from), which provides a natural reading of the phrase aligned with the Sanskrit formulation. This diverges from the alternative commentarial tradition of reading of கட்டே as கட்டுப்பட்டதே (under the control of).
Kathopanishad verse 2.1.3 provides corroboration of the crux of the kural: येन रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान् स्पर्शांश्च मैथुनान् | एतेनैव विजानाति किमत्र परिशिष्यते | एतद् वै तत् ||. Here रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान् स्पर्शान् explicitly enumerates the five senses, and विजानाति supplies the act of knowing. Particularly suggestive for உலகு is किमत्र परिशिष्यते (what remains here?) with अत्र pointing to the experienced world.
Patanjali offers a striking, if suggestive, parallel in Yogasutra 3.21, कायरूपसंयमात्तद्ग्राह्यशक्तिस्तम्भे चक्षुःप्रकाशासम्प्रयोगेऽन्तर्धानम्, extended by Sutra 3.22, एतेन शब्दाद्यन्तर्धानमुक्तम् (sometimes treated as Vyāsa’s commentary), and culminating in Sutra 3.26, प्रवृत्त्यालोकन्यासात् सूक्ष्मव्यवहितविप्रकृष्टज्ञानम्. Here संयम resonates with வகை தெரிவான், while प्रकाश and शब्दादि give a deeper resonance to சுவையொளி யூறோசை நாற்றமென்றைந்தின். सूक्ष्मव्यवहितविप्रकृष्टज्ञानम् then offers an intriguing epistemic dimension to கட்டே உலகு, with the world becoming accessible to the knowledge of the one who has discerned its sensory distinctions.
A natural reading of the kural is as follows: The greatness of men of perfect or authoritative speech is revealed on earth when their utterances become, as it were, the sacred words of the land. Here நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் need not mean simply the speech of learned men; the phrase can denote those whose speech possesses an authority approaching that of revealed utterance. In this interpretation, the kural’s பெருமை is not merely asserted of such men: it is demonstrated in the world by the enduring authority of their words.
A remarkably close formulation occurs in the Mahabharata, Shanti Parva 12.54.29 (BORI), where Krishna tells Bhishma that whatever he declares to Yudhishthira will endure upon the earth like the pronouncements of the Veda: यच्च त्वं वक्ष्यसे भीष्म पाण्डवायानुपृच्छते | वदप्रवादा इव ते स्थास्यन्ति वसुधातले ||. Here மறைமொழி finds an especially striking counterpart in वेदप्रवादाः, while நிலத்து corresponds directly to वसुधातले and காட்டி விடும் to स्थास्यन्ति, the words standing or enduring upon the earth. The preceding verse (12.54.28) establishes Bhishma’s enduring renown and greatness upon this earth: यावद्धि पृथिवीपाल पृथिवी स्थास्यते ध्रुवा | तावत्तवाक्षया कीर्तिर्लोकाननुचरिष्यति ||, making the connection to பெருமை explicit. The correspondence to the kural therefore unfolds in nearly the same order: மறைமொழி ↔ वेदप्रवादाः, நிலத்து ↔ वसुधातले, காட்டி விடும் ↔ स्थास्यन्ति, with பெருமை reflected in अक्षया कीर्तिः. The Mahabharata likens, without equating, Bhishma’s words to Vedic pronouncements; this illuminates the Kural’s formulation, in which the greatness of நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் is manifested when their மறைமொழி attains enduring authority upon the earth. Bhishma as an exemplar of நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் is further supported in the same episode, Shanti Parva 12.52.14, where Krishna describes him as महावीर्य, महासत्त्व, and सर्वार्थदर्शिन्. The rhythmic turn of phrase Valluvar employs is at once exquisite and cryptic.
This reading also gives மறைமொழி its natural Sangam-era sense of a concealed or sacred utterance, precisely the semantic field that the Tolkappiyam (பொருளதிகாரம், செய்யுளியல்) verse 3.8.171 connects with மந்திரம்: நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் ஆணையிற் கிளந்த மறைமொழி தானே மந்திரம் என்ப. Yaska provides a striking Sanskrit parallel to this conceptual structure. In Nirukta 1.20, he described the Rishis as those who had directly apprehenced dharma and who transmitted the mantras of the Vedic texts by instruction: साक्षात्कृतधर्माण ऋषयो बभूवुः | तेऽवरेभ्योऽसाक्षात्कृतधर्मभ्य उपदेशेन मन्त्रान् संप्रादुः | उपदेशाय ग्लायन्तोऽवरे बिल्मग्रहणायेमं ग्रन्थं समाम्नासिषुः | वेदं च वेदाङ्गानि च ||. The passage thus brings together the exceptional Rishi, authoritative instruction, mantra, and Veda; in the context of the kural, ऋषयः and उपदेशः resonate with நிறைமொழி மாந்தர், while मन्त्राः and वेदः illuminate the semantic field of மறைமொழி.
The deeper reason this reading belongs naturally within the chapter’s Kaṭha Upaniṣadic skeleton appears in Kaṭha 1.3.12: एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढोऽऽत्मा न प्रकाशते | दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया सूक्ष्मदर्शिभिः ||. The Self is गूढ, hidden in all beings, and yet is seen, दृश्यते, by those possessing the sharp and subtle vision of the सूक्ष्मदर्शिन्. This is not the primary lexical parallel to the kural: भूतेषु is not நிலத்து, गूढ supplies only the hidden aspect of மறை, and सूक्ष्मदर्शिभिः does not literally reproduce நிறைமொழி மாந்தர். But it gives a deeper Upanishadic interpretation of மறைமொழி காட்டி விடும்: what is hidden within the manifest world becomes दृश्यते, visible to the accomplished seer. The immediately following verse, यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञः, also brings vāk into the discipline of the realized person. When read in the context of surrounding Katha verses, this also resonates with Kalingar’s understanding of நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் as those who have mastered the senses and realized the highest truth: ஐம்புலன்களையும் அடக்கி, இனியொரு கல்வி கேள்வியும் விரும்புதலின்றி, முத்தியின்பத்தை முழுதுணர்ந்து அமைந்த நீத்தோரது பெருமையை. The traditional identification ऋषयो मन्त्रद्रष्टारः resonated with the Katha’s गूढ → दृश्यते, supplying the metaphysical depth behind the more concrete kural image of மறைமொழி → காட்டி விடும்.
Patanjala Yogasutra 2.36, सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम्, offers a striking parallel: when truth is firmly established, action and its fruit become dependent upon the yogin. Vyasa’s commentary makes this more explicit: धार्मिको भूया इति भवति धार्मिकः | स्वर्गं प्राप्नुहीति स्वर्गं प्राप्नोति। अमोघास्य वाग्भवति, that is, his word becomes unfailing. This gives a particularly close resonance to நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் and மறைமொழி காட்டி விடும்: the greatness of the truth-established person is revealed through the efficacy of his word.
A similar theme is found in Bhavabhuti’s Uttararamacarita verse 1.10: लौकिकानां हि साधूनामर्थं वागनुवर्तते | ऋषीणां पुनराद्यानां वाचमर्थोऽनुधावति ||, that is, for ordinary good men, speech follows the meaning; but for the primordial Rishis, the meaning follows their speech. This is not the primary parallel, but it carries the same reversal implicit in the kural: the greatness of the extraordinary speaker is manifested when what is said is followed by what becomes true in the world. It also resonates with the Kaṭha’s distinction between the धीर, who chooses shreyas, and the मन्द, who follows preyas: the speech of the truly discerning person proceeds from a different order of understanding than ordinary worldly speech.
It is useful to first look at Kalingar’s commentary for this kural provided below. He explains குணமென்னும் குன்று as the totality of the guṇas and their modifications and identifies the நீத்தார் as those who have gone beyond that mountain, and stand established in the bliss of liberation. More importantly, he glosses வெகுளி கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது as meaning that anger does not remain with them even for a short while. I interpret this further as கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது = அக்கணமே நொறுங்கிவிடும்.
குணமென்னும் குன்றேறி நின்றார்: ராசத தாமத சாத்துவிதம் என்கின்ற குணங்களும்,
காம வெகுளி மயக்கம் என்கின்ற குணவிகாரங்களும், அழல்சீதம் இடர் இன்பம் மானம்
அவமானம் என்று எண்ணப்படுகின்ற குணம் அனைத்தின் தொகையுமாகிய குன்றைக்
கடந்து வீட்டின்பத்து நிலைநின்றோராகிய நீத்தோரை
வெகுளி கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது: மற்று அவ்வெகுளியானது தன்மாட்டுச் சிறுதுபொழுது
நிறுத்திக்கொண்டு நிற்கமாட்டாது என்றவாறு.
The kural has a striking parallel in the Hitopadesha verse 1.198, which states that the anger of great souls breaks apart at that very moment: कोपास्तत्क्षणभङ्गुराः … महात्मनाम्. Under this interpretation, कोपाः corresponds to வெகுளி; महात्मनाम् to குணமென்னும் குன்றேறி நின்றார்; and तत्क्षणभङ्गुराः corresponds to கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது. Valluvar’s mountain metaphor is understood as a poetic elaboration of the mahatman characterization. The further characterization परित्यागाश्च निःसङ्गाः (their renunciation is without attachment) also accords well with the chapter’s vocabulary of துறந்தார், நீத்தார், ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார்.
Given the chapter’s strong resonance with the Kathopanishad, it is interesting to note that in verses 1.1.10-11, the specific first boon sought by Nachiketa and granted by Yama is that his father be restored to him as वीतमन्यु — free from manyu, anger/wrath.
Patanjala Yogasutra 2.34 identifies violence and its roots as obstacles to realization: वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम्. Whether done, caused, or approved, such violence is rooted in greed, anger, and delusion and bears suffering and ignorance as its endless fruits. This is reinforced by Sutra 2.35: अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः, that is, in the presence of one established in non-violence, enmity is abandoned. Thus अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायाम् तत्सन्निधौ resonates with குணமென்னுங் குன்றேறி நின்றார், वैर with வெகுளி, and त्यागः with கணமேயுங் காத்த லரிது. In this respect, Patanjali extends the kural’s insight: the establishment of the realized person in non-violence is portrayed not only as freedom from violence and anger in oneself, but as having the further effect of causing those to be relinquished in those who come into his presence.
The Mahabharata Vana Parva chatper 3.30 discusses the subject of anger in great detail. Verse 3.30.16 establishes firmly that anger does not dwell within a tejasvi, one endowed with inner radiance: तेजस्वीति यमाहुर्वै पण्डिता दीर्घदर्शिनः | न क्रोधोऽभ्यन्तरस्तस्य भवतीति विनिश्चितम् ||. Then verse 3.30.20 connects tejas with gunas: दाक्ष्यं ह्यमर्षः शौर्यं च शीघ्रत्वमिति तेजसः | गुणाः क्रोधाभिभूतेन न शक्याः प्राप्तुमञ्जसा ||. The following verse 3.30.21 states that by abandoning anger, a person attains well-ordered tejas; for the wise, tejas aligned with proper timing is exceedingly hard to withstand when displayed by those inflamed with wrath: क्रोधं त्यक्त्वा तु पुरुषः सम्यक्तेजोऽभिपद्यते | कालयुक्तं महाप्राज्ञे क्रुद्धैस्तेजः सुदुःसहम् ||. A different reading of the kural mapping. Given that the तेजस्वी is न क्रोधोऽभ्यन्तरस्तस्य and endowed with the specified गुणाः, I explored a mapping of क्रुद्धैस्तेज to குணமென்னும் குன்றேறி நின்றார் வெகுளி, and कालयुक्तं … सुदुःसहम् to கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது; however, despite the lexical similarities, the kural and the shloka differ semantically. This reference is still worth citing here due its extensive treatment of the subject of anger.
Another intriguing, though ultimately tentative, connection is suggested by the Buddhist text, Udanavarga 20.21: अक्रोधश्चाविहिंसा च वसत्यार्येषु सर्वदा | सदा पापजने क्रोधस्तिष्ठति पर्वतो यथा ||. Here क्रोध corresponds directly to வெகுளி, while सदा … तिष्ठति (“always remains”) provides an instructive contrast to கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது, and पर्वतो यथा recalls குணமென்னும் குன்று. One might further read पापजन as the person with anger within the gunic, rajasic condition, in contrast to the நீத்தார் who have transcended it. The correspondence is nevertheless too strained to adopt.
The Hitopadesha verse offers a more direct parallel despite lacking the mountain of virtues metpahor.
The semantic parallel is straightforward: मित्रता सर्वभूतेषु corresponds to மற்றெவ்வுயிர்க்கும் செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுகலான், ब्राह्मणस्य to அந்தணர், and धर्मः to அறவோர். The shloka states directly that the Dharma of the Brahmanas is benevolence or friendliness toward all beings, whereas the kural expresses the same semantics through the framing that the Brahmanas are called observers of Dharma because they conduct themselves with benevolence or friendliness toward all living beings. The shloka additionally includes दानम्, अध्ययनम्, तपः as part of ब्राह्मणस्यैष धर्मः, along with further contextual material not relevant to the kural parallel.
The final kural’s description of அந்தணர் as upholders of அறம், and of their benevolence toward all creatures, finds a suggestive resonance in the Katha. In verse 1.2.25, ब्रह्म च क्षत्रं च are described as belonging to the sphere of the supreme Atman, and Shankara glosses the two as सर्वधर्मविधारके, the upholders of all dharma. More significantly, the Katha points toward a unified vision of the Self in all beings in verse 2.2.12: एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति | तमेवात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीरास्तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम् ||, that is, the one inner Self of all beings, appearing as many, is seen by the dhira in the Self. Such a vision provides a natural philosophical basis for the benevolence toward all creatures expressed in the kural. The connection is further suggestive in the narrative itself: Yama addresses Naciketas as ब्रह्मन् in verse 1.1.9, honoring him as a Brahmana guest; Naciketas is precisely the renunciant seeker (dhira) whose conduct and vision unfold through the remainder of the Upanishad.
Patanjali gives a resonance to the kural in Yogasutra 1.33: मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम्, that is, cultivating friendliness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity purifies the mind. Thus मैत्री and करुणा closely illuminate செந்தண்மை. The yogic relation to all creatures has an intriguing further resonance in Sutra 3.17, which mentions सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम्, through which the yogi gains knowledge of the sounds of all creatures—suggestively fitting the intimate relation to living beings implied by such universal benevolence.
The entire chapter can be understood from the perspectives of Vedanta and Yoga, particularly the Kathopanishad, augmented by important concepts from the Patanjala Yogasutra. The table below summarizes the thematic correspondences, connecting the kurals with relevant fragments from the two texts. The primary parallels that were chosen from other sources capture additional nuances and metaphors in individual kurals.
| No. | Kural | Primary match fragment | Katha fragment | Yogasutra fragment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ஒழுக்கத்து நீத்தார் … விழுப்பத்து வேண்டும் பனுவற் றுணிவு |
वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः … संन्यासयोगाद् यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः Mundaka 3.2.6 |
यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा … एतावद्ध्यनुशासनम् Katha 2.3.4-15 श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते … Katha 1.2.2 |
… आगमप्रमाण … PYS 1.7 |
| 2 | துறந்தார் … வையத் திறந்தார் … |
जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः … … जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते Mokshopaya 3.9.12 सर्वमन्तः परित्यक्तं … जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते Mahopanishad 1.52 |
अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते … Katha 2.3.14 … अनुष्ठाय न शोचति विमुक्तश्च विमुच्यते Katha 2.2.1 |
… अभिनिवेशः … क्लेशः … PYS 2.3 … क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः … PYS 4.30 जीवन्नेव हि विद्वान् विमुक्तो भवति … Vyasa on PYS 4.30 |
| 3 | இருமை வகைதெரிந் தீண்டறம் பூண்டார் பெருமை பிறங்கிற் றுலகு |
श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च … तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति … धीरः श्रेयः … वृणीते … Katha 1.2.2 … जगतः प्रतिष्ठां स्तोममहदुरुगायं … प्रतिष्ठां … धीरः … दृष् … Katha 1.2.11 |
same Katha 1.2.2, 1.2.11 | योगाङ्गानुष्ठान … विवेकख्यातेः PYS 2.28 |
| 4 | உரனென்னுந் தோட்டியா னோரைந்துங் காப்பான் … வித்து |
ज्ञानाङ्कुशेन कुर्वीत वश्यम् इन्द्रियदन्तिनम् Kamandak. Nitis. 1.27 |
पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह … परमां गतिम् Katha 2.3.10 तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः Katha 1.3.6 |
ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः PYS 3.38 इन्द्रियजयः PYS 3.48 एताः सिद्धयो जितेन्द्रियस्य प्रादुर्भवन्ति Vyasa on PYS 3.49 तद्वैराग्यादपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम् PYS 3.51 |
| 5 | ஐந்தவித்தா னாற்றல் … இந்திரனே சாலுங் கரி |
जितेन्द्रियः … तस्यातितपसः शक्रो बिभेति Mahabharata 9.50.5-6 |
पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि … परमां गतिम् Katha 2.3.10 |
स्थान्युपनिमन्त्रणे … PYS 3.52 तत्र मधुमतीं भूमिं साक्षात्कुर्वतो … स्थानिनो देवाः … स्थानैरुपनिमन्त्रयन्ते … सिद्धा महर्षय उत्तमाः … अनुकूला अप्सरसो … प्रतिपद्यतामिदमक्षयमजरममरस्ठानं देवानां प्रियमिति Vyasa on PYS 3.52 |
| 6 | செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் சிறியர் … |
श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते Katha 1.2.2 |
same Katha 1.2.2 | तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः PYS 1.21 |
| 7 | சுவையொளி … என் றைந்தின் வகைதெரிவான் … |
शब्दः स्पर्शस्तथा रूपं रसो गन्धश्च पञ्चमः एते पञ्चगुणा भूमेर्विज्ञेया || Mahabharata 14.49.40 |
रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान् स्पर्शान् … विजानाति Katha 2.1.3 |
… संयमात्त … प्रकाश … शब्दादि … PYS 3.21-22 … सूक्ष्मव्यवहितविप्रकृष्टज्ञानम् PYS 3.26 |
| 8 | நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் … மறைமொழி காட்டி … |
यच्च त्वं वक्ष्यसे … वेदप्रवादा इव … वसुधातले Mahabharata 12.54.29 (BORI) |
भूतेषु गूढोऽऽत्मा … दृश्यतेा … सूक्ष्मदर्शिभिः Katha 1.3.12 |
सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम् PYS 2.36 … अमोघास्य वाग्भवति Vyasa on PYS 2.36 |
| 9 | குணமென்னுங் … வெகுளி கணமேயுங் காத்த லரிது |
कोपास्तत्क्षणभङ्गुराः … महात्मनाम् Hitopadesha 1.198 |
वीतमन्यु Katha 1.1.10-11 | … हिंसादयः … क्रोध … पूर्वका दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला … PYS 2.34 अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायाम् तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः PYS 2.35 |
| 10 | அந்தண ரென்போ ரறவோர் மற் றெவ்வுயிர்க்குஞ் செந்தண்மை … |
मित्रता सर्वभूतेषु … ब्राह्मणस्यैष धर्मः Mahabharata 12.14.15 |
ब्रह्म च क्षत्रं च … सर्वधर्मविधारके Shankara on Katha 1.2.25 |
मैत्रीकरुणा … PYS 1.33 सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम् PYS 3.17 |
The chapter can first be read through the distinctive shreyas–preyas teaching of the Kathopanishad. Valluvar opens with the நீத்தார் and their pursuit of விழுப்பத்து வேண்டும் — the higher good that is to be sought — and this prepares the central distinction of the chapter in the sixth kural: செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் / சிறியர் செயற்கரிய செய்கலாதார். Katha 1.2.2 supplies an unusually close conceptual counterpart, where the dhira chooses shreyas while the manda chooses preyas; the Katha thus provides a close Upanishadic conceptual parallel for Valluvar’s பெரியர் / சிறியர் distinction. The third kural, இருமை வகைதெரிந்து, makes the duality explicit, and its force becomes clearer because shreyas and preyas are the katha’s defining pair. The second kural’s துறந்தார் … வையத் திறந்தார், read as a jivanmukta formulation, resonates with the Katha’s teaching अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म.”. The fourth and fifth kurals, உரனென்னுந் தோட்டியா னோரைந்துங் காப்பான் and ஐந்தவித்தான், correspond to the Katha’s discipline of the senses and movement beyond their objects (पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह … परमां गतिम्); the katha has a charioteer metaphor instead of the tortoise metaphor of the kural. The seventh kural, சுவைஒளி ஊறுஓசை நாற்றம் என்ற ஐந்தின் / வகைதெரிவான், finds its counterpart in Katha 2.1.3, which enumerates the sensory objects and distinguishes them from the knowing Self. The eighth, நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் பெருமை, and its association with authoritative utterance can be read alongside Katha 1.3.12, where the hidden Self is perceived by subtle seers. The ninth kural’s treatment of வெகுளி can be read alongside Nachiketas’s first boon in Katha 1.1.10-11, through which his father is restored from anger and resentment. The final kural’s எவ்வுயிர்க்கும் செந்தண்மை resonates with the katha’s vision of the one Self present in all beings. Thus the ten kurals progressively define the பெருமை of the renunciant: seeking விழுப்பத்து, distinguishing the two alternatives, becoming ஐந்தவித்தான், discerning the five sensory fields, perceiving what is beyond them, overcoming anger, and finally எவ்வுயிர்க்கும் செந்தண்மை — the universal benevolence that can be read in light of the Katha’s vision of the Self in all beings. The Katha correspondences therefore illuminate the chapter as Valluvar’s compact account of the dhira as நீத்தார்: one who chooses the higher over the merely pleasant, disciplines perception, penetrates to the Self, and expresses that realization in freedom from anger and universal compassion.
The Patanjala Yogasutra provides a complementary reading of the same progression, with the sequence on sensory mastery, siddhis, and the renunciation of attainments in Yogasutras 3.48–3.52 serving as an especially important anchor. Patanjali’s eight-limbed path begins with the five yamas and five niyamas, followed by asana, pranayama, and pratyahara (sense-restraint) in chapter 2, and then dharana, dhyana, and samadhi in chapter 3. The last three, together called samyama, when performed on particular objects, can yield siddhis. Yet the culmination of the path requires going beyond even these attainments: Patanjali describes mastery of the senses and the extraordinary powers that arise from yogic discipline, but warns that the siddhis and even the invitation of celestial beings to the yogin must be renounced. Attachment to them leaves the seed of the afflictions (doṣabīja) intact, and obstructs nirbija samadhi and kaivalya; dispassion toward them destroys that seed. In this sense, Valluvar takes a top-down dive through the yogic path: beginning with the greatness of the realized renunciant, moving through mastery of the senses and the powers that accompany it, and then touching upon the ethical disciplines that support the path.
The fourth kural, ஐந்தவித்தான் ஆற்றல், can thus be read alongside Patanjali’s indriyajaya and the powers associated with it; the fifth, இந்திரனே சாலுங் கரி, finds an especially suggestive extension in sthanyupanimantrane (3.52), the invitation extended by celestial beings occupying higher domains, which must itself be rejected. The sixth kural, செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர், also acquires a practical yogic dimension through Yogasutra 1.21, where realization is near for those of intense spiritual urgency. The seventh, சுவைஒளி ஊறுஓசை நாற்றம் / ஐந்தின் வகைதெரிவான், finds an interesting extension in Patanjali’s use of saṃyama to obtain knowledge of sensory phenomena and other otherwise inaccessible objects. The eighth, நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் பெருமை, can be connected with satya in Yogasutra 2.36, where one established in truthfulness acquires extraordinary efficacy of speech. The ninth, வெகுளி கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது, is extended by Yogasutras 2.34–35 beyond the practitioner’s own relinquishment of anger and violence to the relinquishment of hostility by others in the presence of one established in ahimsa. The tenth, எவ்வுயிர்க்கும் செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுகலான், relates to the cultivation of maitri and karuna in 1.33. Even the opening விழுப்பத்து வேண்டும் can be viewed in light of Patanjali’s insistence that the yogin must not stop at intermediate attainments, while இருமை வகைதெரிந்து recalls the discriminative discernment by which the practitioner distinguishes what leads toward liberation from what merely belongs to the field of experience. The correspondence with Patanjali continues into the subsequent chapters, where Valluvar treats other limbs of Yoga in greater detail, including the yamas of ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacarya, and aparigraha. In the present chapter, however, he compresses the whole trajectory into the greatness of the realized renunciant: mastery of the senses, discernment of their objects, the powers that arise from such mastery and the refusal to become attached even to exalted attainments, and the the ethical transformation expressed through truthfulness, non-violence, and finally செந்தண்மை toward every living being.
Patanjali complements the Katha’s metaphysical account with a discipline of practice. Where the Katha illuminates the dhira as the one who chooses shreyas over preyas and penetrates to the Self, Patanjali shows the yogic path by which that greatness is cultivated, tested by the temptation of siddhis, and ultimately directed beyond every attainment toward kaivalya.
Note on verse numbers: The numbering of Patanjala Yogasutras in Chapter 3 from 3.22 onward may differ by one between editions, depending on whether एतेन शब्दादि अन्तर्धानम् उक्तम् is treated as Sutra 3.22, or as part of Vyasa’s commentary of the previous sutra. Swami Vivekananda and Swami Satchidanada treat it as a separate sutra, and I follow that numbering scheme here.
The Mankkudavar ordering of the verses of this chapter is 1, 2, 4, 7, 5, 3, 8, 9, 6, 10. Using that order does not yield a more parsimonious explanation of the correspondences.
tags: kuralmatch