Maxim # 33: காப்பது விரதம் -- A Fast's objective is to save.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 33: காப்பது விரதம் (kAA-p-puh-thu vi-ra-tham)

Translation: A Fast's objective is to save.

Rumination: "காப்பது" means "that which has to be saved" and "விரதம்" is "fasting." Basically, Auvaiyaar explains fasting by stipulating its objective to be one of safeguarding or saving. Traditional litterateurs have interpreted this to suggest that Auvaiyaar prefers abstention or vegetarianism. While, that may be the case, I take the liberty to ruminate differently. The word "காப்பது" itself can be split as "காப்பு" (protection) + "அது" (that is) -- meaning,  the objective of any fasting should be one of safeguarding or protecting one's own impulses. That protection or shackles thereof is fasting, per Auvaiyaar. This musing to me is personally more fulfilling than the traditional translations. When one attempts to "save" animals from slaughter by refraining to eat meat, that is fasting. Say, if one "safeguards" from one's own anger and controls the proclivity to slander or gossip by adopting a "silent fasting," the focus is turned to the objective than the object of the fasting itself. In other words, safeguarding or saving animals,  refraining from vices, impulses and other proclivities, must be the objective of any fasting to attain temperance, moderation, and self-control. It is not about whether one refrained from eating meat, but, whether one had the objective of saving something for the fast to attain a higher goal, that transcends the noble act of fasting itself.

Quotes: "Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues." -- Joseph Hall.

World Mental Health Day - October 10th

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day as per World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations (UN). Whatever I genuinely felt at the outset on this day, I have redacted here in the Orange Wall Peace Project blog, which is a yeoman initiative to foster sustainable peace amidst strife and struggle.

My piece is titled: World Mental Health Day -- Bane of Parental Child Abductions. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/mQOJ70

An Ancient Chera King's Incarceration - 4th of July

I did not get to read Oscar Wilde's "De Profundis" until late in life. It is a poignant rumination of the abject humiliation and suffering of a human-being under (wrongful) incarceration. On 4th of July, when we in America celebrate the Independence Day for the liberties we have inherited, it may be paradoxical to ruminate about life behind incarceration of a defeated, humiliated Tamil Chera King of the Sangam Age.

In High School, our Tamil teacher taught the Sangam-era poem from Purananuru (புறநானூறு), wherein the Chera King Cheramaan Kanaikkaal Irumborai (சேரமான் கணைக்கால் இரும்பொறை) is defeated by the Chozha King Chozhan Senganaan (சோழன் செங்கணான்) and kept under incarceration at the Kudavaasal (குடவாசல்) Prison in Thiruvarur District. 

At the prison, the Chera King feels thirsty and asks for water. The prison-guard at sentry not only ignores him, but humiliates him with his indifference. This abject humiliation makes the Chera King turn down his own earlier request for a glass of water. He sings his own eulogy and in essence takes his own life on his own terms at his own time, thereby denying even that opportunity to his opponent to further humiliate him in prison. Here is that song:

குழவி இறப்பினும், ஊன்தடி பிறப்பினும்,
ஆள் அன்று என்று வாளின் தப்பார்
தொடர்ப்படு ஞமலியின் இடர்ப்படுத்து இரீஇய
கேளல் கேளிர் வேளாண் சிறுபதம்,
மதுகை இன்றி, வயிற்றுத் தீத் தணியத்,
தாம் இரந்து உண்ணும் அளவை
ஈன்ம ரோ, இவ் உலகத் தானே?

While many litterateurs tout this song for the bravery exhibited in the battlefields of the ancient Tamils, I personally feel that this is a wonderful, moving poem of an individual craving for justice against personal humiliation within the darkest recesses of a prison.

Every time I come across flippancy and a cavalier attitude meted out to an individual in violation of his or her human dignity, this song automatically comes to my mind. 

Insouciance, humiliation, and abusive behavior need not be exhibited by the sentry-guard alone as embodied in this poem. It could be perpetrated by the very forces that are supposed to protect and foster individual liberty, besides upholding rule-of-law. 

When we read in newspapers about negligent engineers, errant judges, scheming lawyers, corrupt cops, devious doctors, etc., we are often reminded of the old Latin adage: corruptio optimi pessima. Corruption of the best has the worst consequences. That theme is brought to the fore wonderfully by National Poet Subramanya Bharathi (சுப்பிரமணிய பாரதி) in these lines: 

படித்தவன் சூதும் வாதும் பண்ணினால்

போவான் போவான்! ஐயோவென்று போவான்!  

 

If only the Chera King had access to what I have here: A precious bottle of water!

 

 

I will continue to blog on Aathichoodi (ஆத்திச்சூடி)

Many friends ask why I stopped blogging on ஆத்திச்சூடி (Aathichoodi). It is time I admit the true reason. I regularly blogged until "கடிவது மற" and then stopped it. Because, the next maxim was "காப்பது விரதம்". It is about Veganism and refrain from eating non-vegetarian dishes, as a mark of love and respect to animals. Tamil literature is replete with hortatory edicts regarding "புலால் உண்ணாமை" (veganism). Although I am not a pure vegetarian and I do have a proclivity towards it, the truth is I do like some non-vegetarian dishes too. I do savor my liking for chicken, lamb, and fish. Therefore, it will be sheer hypocrisy for me to ruminate on a maxim that I hardly cannot keep up with. It does not matter, how well I can try to follow what is being preached in the other maxims, but, how can I ruminate on this maxim, when I am already far from what is being preached? Yet, I think, I am now at a point to move forward. It is a learning exercise anyways.

As in Latin, they say, "Discere docendo." To learn is to teach. I learn more about Aathichoodi, when I blog. So, will I do hereafter, notwithstanding the fact that I am not a pure vegetarian :-).

Thank you for all your private emails.

An iPhone App for Aathichoodi (ஆத்திச்சூடி)

A friend of mine -- Mr. G Devarajan -- introduced via Internet, is doing yeoman service with iPhone Apps and Podcasts dedicated to children. When he approached me to translate Sangam Poetess Auvaiyar's (ஔவையார்) child-literature of "Aathichoodi" (ஆத்திச்சூடி), I readily agreed.

Needless to say this App has been on my iPhone for sometime now. I enthusiastically recommend the same for the Tamil Diaspora. Here it is on Apple iTunes.

I hope and wish Mr. Devarajan will consider extending the meanings to other works of Auvaiyaar like நல்வழி, மூதுரை, etc., which currently do not have meanings. If approached, I will certainly start to translate/workout the meanings for them too.

Personally, the indelible effects of these child-literary works on me are profound. யாம் பெற்ற இன்பம், பெருக இவ்வையகம்.

Liars, Lies, and Perjury - Sivavaakiyar's Song

These days, rationalists and the hoi-polloi, view certain institutions and edifices with deep distrust. Religion and Law comes to my mind immediately. In of itself, neither religion nor law is bad, but, one notices the intense repulsiveness and skepticism that is palpable when conversations turn towards these touchy topics because of the modern-day scandals, lies, and perjuries that tend to overshadow them. After all, people like Gandhi, Tolstoy, and Tagore were all Thinkers with deep religious convictions aimed towards their endless search towards Eternal Truth. Their punctilio lay in truth and Truth.

So, what is wrong?

Personally, I think, when a person is willfully perjuring, lying, and fooling before the rightful representatives of the society as in a court of law or before the sacred courts of human conscience, then such a person is not only endangering his or her own self, but, thoroughly demolishes the fundamental edifices of social-order.  Regardless of the individual stature or the games played by such charlatans -- be it before the courts of law or public-opinion -- such institutions that act on behalf of the last, average citizen, who has no clout, power, or money to stand against the thraldom of lies, should in and on his behalf act to eschew perjury at all costs. 

Every single lie of perjury has a profound consequence that affects some other individuals, families, or societies in inexplicable ways.

That's what I ruminated when I came across this wonderful song by an ancient Tamil Sithhar Sivavaakiyar. 

What is amazing about this song is its rhythmic pattern ("சந்தம்") and its intense language constructs chastising false-prophets, pranksters, charlatans and lying hypocrites.

Those, who care for truth and Truth will love this ancient poem.

"ஞானிஞானி யென்றுரைத்த நாய்கள் கோடிகோடியே

வானிலாத மழைநாளென்ற வாதிகோடி கோடியே
தானிலான சாகரத்தின் தன்மைகாணா மூடர்கள்
மூனிலாமற் கோடிகோடி முன்னறிந்த தென்பரே."

My Interpretation: 

"Many were those dogs that anointed themselves as Enlightened.
Many were those charlatans that promised rainy downpours on cloudless days.
Those ignorant that never experienced the endless oceans of Wisdom too were many,

who with shameless indolence claimed they knew the Truth even before It existed!"

Not only is this song so intense for its choice of words, but, it has a wonderful dose of sarcasm and wry humor throughout. 

In retrospect I wish I had a formal training in Tamil language. Or at least, had the opportunity to learn it as a First Language.

Yet, thanks to all my Tamil teachers at School, paramount amongst them being my Mom & Dad, who taught me in the greatest of all schools: Home.