Avvai KuRaL 152 ~ Theory vs Practice!

Avvai KuRaL 152 ~ Theory vs Practice!

Let's start the Avvai KuRaL series with a counterintuitive KuRaL.

வாக்கும் கருத்தும் மயங்கும் சமயங்கள்

ஆக்கிய நூலினும் இல்.

vAkkum karuththum mayangum samayangaL

Akkiya nhoolinum il.

Wonderful religious discourses, the deeper insights offered during such discourses and the holy books or scriptures of a(ny) religion cannot offer liberation (mukthi).

Most humans belong to one religion or another, from the time of their birth (not much of a choice there). Some even switch to a different religion in between. All religions have holy books or scriptures. Wise / holy persons who are well-versed in those tomes in each religion, will offer discourses or sermons on the content of those books or scriptures, covering diverse topics such as liberation, ethics and values, devotion, etc. Based on their knowledge and experience, they may even offer additional interpretations of those ancient tomes. But however good those books or discourses or their explanations are, none of them can actually offer liberation itself.

Self-realisation or realising the Truth of Life is not only a possibility for every human being, it’s also an intensely personal inner experience. Holy books or scriptures and the discourses based on them may at best offer methods or techniques for the realisation or enlightenment in theory but not the experience itself, which is a practical, and deeply personal, experience. That’s why Spirituality is distinct from Religion as the seeking and the ultimate realisation is possible for any human being, irrespective of the religion they belong to or even if they don’t belong to any religion (agnostic).

* Avvai KuRaL is a new Nano series of bite-sized bloggets, umm.. blog+nuggets, by Swamy, exploring the spiritual treatise written by the venerable tamil poetess AvvaiyAr, in the astounding KuRaL poetry format.

You’re welcome to cherish other Swamy blog posts (Swamystery, Been There Seen That, Swamyview, Swamyverse, Swamygraphy), Quotes (SwamyQuote) & Poems (Swamyem – including 200+ #DhinamOruPadhigam hymns), leave a comment and share it with your social circles. You’re also welcome to stay connected to Swamy (@PrakashSwamy) on Social Media.

Be joyful & Spread the Cheer :) 

~Swamy

@PrakashSwamy

NhAladiyAr 400 ~ 118 - Different Cows, Same Milk!

NhAladiyAr 400 ~ Verse 118 ~ Different Cows, Same Milk!

ஆவேறு உருவின ஆயினும் ஆபயந்த
பால்வேறு உருவின அல்லவாம் - பால்போல்
ஒருதன்மைத் தாகும் அறநெறி ஆபோல்
உருவு பலகொளல் ஈங்கு.

Cows may be of different colours or breeds. But the milk offered by them remains the same - white in colour, irrespective of which colour a cow has on its skin or the breed it belongs to. Truth - the eternal reality known as ParaBrahmam - too is similar.

The paths that lead to the ultimate Truth (& the teachers or Gurus who offer them) may be as different as the many varieties of cows, but the outcome of all the paths - self-realization or liberation or mukthi - is the same, just like the milk of the cows.

நாலடியார் 400 ~ பாடல் 118 ~ பசுக்கள் பல, பால் ஒன்று!

பசுக்கள் பல்வேறு நிறத்தில், பல வகைகளைச் சார்ந்தவையாக இருந்தபோதும், அவை தரும் பால் வேறு நிறத்திலோ, வடிவத்திலோ இருக்காது (எல்லாப் பசுக்களின் பாலும் வெண்மையாகவே இருக்கும்). அறமும் - என்றும் நிலையான, பரப்பிரம்மம் எனப்படும் பேருண்மை - அத்தகையதே. அவ்வறத்தை, அதாவது மெய்ஞானத்தை (தனிப்பட்ட அனுபவமாகத் தன்னை உணர்தல்) அடைவதற்கு இருக்கக்கூடிய பலவகையான வழிகள் (யோக முறைகள்) பலவிதமான பசுக்களைப் போன்றவையே.

வழிமுறைகள் மற்றும் அவற்றை வழங்கும் ஆசான்கள் அல்லது குருமார்கள், பசுக்களைப் போல் பல்வேறு விதமாக இருந்தாலும், அவை அனைத்தின் மூலம் கிடைக்கும் பாலானது, மெய்ஞானம் எனப்படும் பேரின்பம் அல்லது வீடுபேறு என்ற விடுதலையே ஆகும்.

~Swamy
@PrakashSwamy

NhAladiyAr 400 ~ 39 - Ongoing Daily Madness!

NhAladiyAr 400 ~ Verse 39 - Ongoing Daily Madness

வைகலும் வைகல் வரக்கண்டும் அஃதுணரார்
வைகலும் வைகலை வைகுமென்று இன்புறுவார்
வைகலும் வைகல்தம் வாழ்நாள்மேல் வைகுதல்
வைகலை வைத்துணரா தார்.

Time simply passes away every day; Those who don't realise that its their lifetime that passes away everyday, even though they witness the passage of time daily, won't do anything purposeful or worthwhile on any day; yet, they remain pleased, assuming that more such new days will keep on coming, every day! (isn't this an "ongoing daily madness!")

The lifetime available for all beings in creation is limited. Lifetime isn't days or years, but the total number of breaths or prANA, inhaled & exhaled. Realising that fact, we should utilise every day for doing something purposeful for ourselves & others (whatever little we can). Celebrating the past in the form of birthdays, wedding anniversary, etc, is a waste of precious time, since the time (in this lifetime) that's spent in anyway isn't going to come back.

நாலடியார் 400 ~ பாடல் 39 - தினம் தொடர் மடமை

நாள்தோறும் பொழுது கழிவது, தனது ஆயுளின் ஒரு பகுதி கழிவதே என்ற உண்மையை  உணராதவர்கள், ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் அவ்வாறு தொடர்ந்து நாள் / நேரம் கழிந்துகொண்டே இருப்பதைக் கண்கூடாகப் பார்த்தபோதும், ஒருநாளும் அறச்செயல் / நற்செயல் எதுவும் புரியாமல், இன்னும் பல நாட்கள் தொடர்ந்து வந்துகொண்டேயிருக்கும் என்று மகிழ்ந்திருப்பார் (இது "தினம் தொடர் மடமை"  அல்லாது வேறென்ன!)

படைக்கப்பட்ட எல்லா உயிர்களின் வாழ்நாளும் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட அளவே. வாழ்நாள் என்பது நாட்களோ அல்லது வருடங்களோ அல்ல, மொத்தப் பிராணனின் / மூச்சின் எண்ணிக்கையே. அதை முழுமையாக உணர்ந்து, ஒவ்வொரு நாளையும் நம்முடைய மற்றும் பிறருடைய (நம்மால் முடிந்த அளவில்) நல்வாழ்விற்காக, பயனுள்ள ஏதாவது வகையில் செலவிடவேண்டும். பிறந்தநாள், திருமண நாள் என்று கடந்த காலத்தைக் கொண்டாடுவது பயனற்றது. ஏனென்றால், செலவழிந்த காலம் மீண்டும் இந்த வாழ்நாளில் வரப்போவதில்லை.

~Swamy
@PrakashSwamy

NhAladiyAr 400 ~ 135 - What to Learn!

NhAladiyAr ~ 400 verses.. 4 stanzas each..

Thirukkural (1330 verses.. 2 stanzas each) is so well-known that it overshadowed pretty much all the other tomes of equal value. One such, belonging to the same category of ancient Tamil literature of PadhineN KEezhkkaNakku (anthology or logical group of 18 books) group of tomes (பதினெண் கீழ்க்கணக்கு நூல்கள்) is NhAladiyAr (நாலடியார்).

A collection of 400 verses (by various anonymous Poets - considered to be Jain saints), of just 4 stanzas each, it's known for its enchanting use of similes to convey a pertinent point. The 400 verses are grouped under 3 headings (similar to Thirukkural) & 40 subheadings, comprising of 10 verses each.

Long term Swamy readers may recall the “2000 Years Old Tweets” or #2KYOT in digital-natives-lingo Nano blog series in https://swamyverse.blogspot.com, which is on pause for the time being.
Who knows, it may suddenly spring back to life, when some madman like a 3-term CM, who did absolutely nothing to solve a chronic pain that his state still suffers from, during his (& his son's) term, goats about a farcical win in the parliamentary by-election, in which 93% voters Did Not vote & he still got elected with a mere 3% of total votes, and will shamelessly enjoy the free perks of being a member of the Parliament (ah.. the bitter sweetness of the world's largest democracy)!

On the occasion of yet another nondescript day tomorrow (don't even think about it…), Swamy is launching the random Nano blog series that's aimed at bringing such classical treasures to the notice of the intensely competitive insanely fast world that we inhabit today, offering (hopefully.. sincerely) a semblance of sanity, with the ancient lights that can still shine their wisdom light, to shoo away the ignorance darkness that surrounds us like an AR (or is it still VR!) goggle (or ‘IT’, if you're a - strictly Hollywood only - movie fan like Swamy)!

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நாலடியார் 135 (பொருட்பால் ~ கல்வி)

NAladiyAr verse 135 (Material Life ~ Education)

கல்வி கரையில கற்பவர் நாள்சில
மெல்ல நினைக்கின் பிணிபல - தெள்ளிதின்
ஆராய்ந்து அமைவுடைய கற்பவே நீரொழியப்
பாலுண் குருகின் தெரிந்து.

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The number of things to be known / learned is innumerable. But the lifetime (to learn them all) is limited / short.

If one ponders / contemplates quietly, even in the limited lifetime, there are many illnesses / diseases that one could be afflicted with (which reduces the available lifetime further).

So, just as a swan would isolate & consume only the milk from a mixture of milk & water, the smart / wise learners (seekers) will choose & learn only those tomes (scriptures) that will aid their quest for a better / more purposeful Life (attain self-realisation / liberation / mukthi).

📚

கற்கக்கூடிய (அ) அறியக்கூடிய விஷயங்கள் கணக்கற்றவை. ஆனால், கற்பவருடைய வாழ்நாள் குறைவானது (அத்தனையும் கற்கப் போதுமானது அல்ல).

சற்றே நிதானமாகச் சிந்தித்தால், அந்தக் குறுகிய வாழும் காலத்தில்கூட, பலவிதமான பிணிகள் (நோய்கள்) வரக்கூடும் (அதனால் வாழ்நாள் இன்னமும் குறுகக்கூடும்).

ஆகையால், இருக்கக்கூடிய எல்லா நூல்களையும் கற்க முயற்சி செய்யாமல், இந்த (குறுகிய) வாழ்நாளுக்குள் தாம் மேன்மையடைய (பெருவீடு பெற / ஞானோதயம் அடைய) எத்தகைய நூல்கள் பயன்படும் என்று தெளிவாக ஆராய்ந்து, நீரிலிருந்து பாலைமட்டும் பிரித்து அருந்தும் அன்னப்பறவை போல, அத்தகைய நூல்களை மட்டுமே அறிவுடையவர்கள் கற்பார்கள்.

📚

Hmmm... It's hard for a book lover (Swamy inclusive) to digest the Truth of verse 135 that's as transparent as glacial meltwater (howzatt for a simile, eh). But since it's undisputed Truth, which remains relevant after millennia, at least Think about it, the next time you pay for a bunch of books, irrespective of whether it's at a beloved (but now defunct) bookstore like Landmark or the ubiquitous Amazon!

~Swamy
@PrakashSwamy

2KYOT - C2 - Greatness of Rain - K15

2000 Years Old Tweets - Swamy's Thirukkural blog series

Chapter 2 - Greatness of Rain (வான் சிறப்பு) - Kural 15

It has rained like it has never been in Chennai. So much so that people like Swamy who live in Chennai are pinching ourselves today that the Sun is out in all its warm glory and the sky once again is shining in blue hue. 

Swamily had its share of powerless days - despite no life-crippling inundation in their residential area - which continues intermittently, including now, as Swamy writes this post (thank you Luminous Invertor & Exide battery - you're truly life savers)!

You can read Swamy's #chennairains rant on Facebook or Google+ (& Like / + him on both, for automatic notification of regular updates ;)

As Chennai slowly and painfully swims... umm, limps back to normalcy, cursing both the voluminous downpour that broke many a past record and the administration that continues to struggle but certainly trying to do its best to get the city and its citizens with indomitable spirit back to normal living conditions, it pays to rewind a little over 2000 years to know what Thiruvalluvar said about how precious Rain is!

#15 கெடுப்பதூஉம் கெட்டார்க்குச் சார்வாய் மற்றாங்கே 

எடுப்பதூஉம் எல்லாம் மழை.

Rain hurts when it doesn't pour and enthralls when it pours.

or

It is Rain that makes Life perish (when it doesn’t pour) or nourishes it (when it pours).

Of course, Namma Chennai makkal may agree to disagree and say it hurts even when it pours - like a double whammy! 

It pays to remember Chennai's usual struggle for water - due to scarcity - in summer, if it doesn't pour like this during monsoon. The problem isn't with rain per se', which has been pouring diligently during every monsoon (with very few exceptions), but with the planners, enforcers and people themselves, who chose to tread roughshod over all the water bodies and channels to divert excess water to them, systematically over the years. 2015 #ChennaiRains is a strong wake up call by mother nature to all - greedy & needy!

P.S. In case you're wondering, no sir/ma'am, we won't complain against any intolerance by Varuna bhagwan & talk about leaving our motherland & dear Chennai. To know why, you've to read The Tolerant Indian!

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@PrakashSwamy

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Note: This post is part of Swamy's blog series on the epic book of Tamil poetry Thirukkural, thought to be written over 2000 years ago by the poet ThiruValluvar, in an enchanting Tweet long couplet format, which is amazingly relevant even in the digital space of today!

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Be Joyful & Spread the Cheer :) 

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2KYOT - C88 - Knowing the Enemy - K875

2000 Years Old Tweets - Swamy's Thirukkural blog series
Chapter 88 - Knowing the Enemy

The embers of Bihar election heat wave have started cooling down, coinciding with the arrival of monsoon, which as always has inundated most of Chennai. It was a decisive victory for an unlikely coalition of 2 sworn rivals - Nitish & Lalu (both former CMs of the state), who started out in politics together, under a common umbrella & leader, against an autocratic ruler at the centre and the atrocity of that rule called Emergency.

It was also a blow to the ambitious new BJP regime headed by the charismatic leader Modi, who genuinely wants to make this once-great nation great again and his party leader Shah, known for his organizational prowess that brought their party to power at the centre - considered impossible in this nation dotted with selective secularist leaders misleading voters all the time - not too long ago.

Since the threadbare analysis of the viciously fought election is being done by all kinds of glitterati - including the selective secularist elite - on many television channels (most of which spectacularly failed to predict the eventual victory), let's spend our valuable time in understanding what Valluvar has got to say about this kind of scenario, in his epic Thirukkural, a book of 1330 couplets that amazingly are like tweets, written over two millennia ago!

Kural 875
தன்துணை இன்றால் பகையிரண்டால் தானொருவன் 
இன்துணையாக் கொள்வற்றின் ஒன்று.

When you're alone and face two enemies (or opponents), it's better to offer truce to one of them (or make one of them your ally).

Nitish was smart enough to do just that and allied with Lalu, against whom he has fought and won elections in the past. Lalu too was smart enough to accept the truce offered by his rival who took the kursi away from him (& his wife). No one knows how long this uneasy alliance will last (considering the more vocal & naturally dominant Lalu has won more seats than Nitish, whose cleaner image helped him not only win the election but also will ensure his continuity as Bihar CM, as Lalu is barred from contesting elections for a few more years), but pretty much everyone knows how the Bihari bhais got the math right - irrespective of whether either of them even know about Thirukkural or not!

@PrakashSwamy
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Note: This post is part of Swamy's blog series on the epic book of Tamil poetry Thirukkural, thought to be written over 2000 years ago by the poet ThiruValluvar, in an enchanting Tweet long couplet format, which is amazingly relevant even in the digital space of today!
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Be Joyful & Spread the Cheer :)

Swamy Blogs | Swamystery | Been there, Seen that | SwamyRay | Swamyem | Swamyverse | SwamyView | Swamygraphy

Connect with Swamy | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Tumblr | Indiblogger

2KYOT C2 Greatness of Rain K12

2000 Years Old Tweets ~ Chapter 2 ~ Greatness of Rain ~ Kural #2 

The monsoon has finally arrived in Chennai. Instead of heaving a sigh of relief (most of the water bodies that supply water to Chennai residents have more or less dried up), Chennaiites have overnight started cursing the intermittent showers due to the following reasons (minimum list, of course)...

1. Diwali shopping - It's hard to imagine how pretty much an entire city goes bonkers & try to shop during just a week before Diwali - the traffic in many commercial zones have already gone beyond unbearable!
2. Roads - Or whatever is left of them. Change in governments don't matter. Change of Mayor doesn't matter. Nothing seems to matter when it comes to the condition of Chennai roads - especially during monsoon. All those who are dreaming about migrating to Mars are most welcome to do their terrain training in Chennai. This November is highly recommended as the best time for superior survival experience!
3. Diwali itself - kids are going to be very upset if it rains cats & dogs on Diwali day; fathers are going to be very very upset because the great deal they got on Chinese crackers will be wasted; mothers are going to be extremely upset as they can't visit near & dear to show off their new design saree or churidhar they got by swimming in the human ocean at one of the top 3 destinations - Saravana Stores, Pothy's (all Kamalhaasan fans are going there by default this year & also wear the dress bought there for the 1st show of his next movie தூங்காவனம்  :O) & Chennai Silks. Since 2 of the 3 are located in Velachery now, Swamy is so relieved that he chose to move out to Pallikkaranai 4 years ago (exactly a day after Deepavali - talk about timing ;)

And while it continues to rain, cooling a parched earth but raising the temper(ature) of yet-to-do-Diwali-shopping-just-in-time-for-Diwali families, there's so much more comic relief on Chennai roads, including but certainly not limited to...

• Parking the bike wherever it started pouring & hiding under bus shelters, flyovers & shop entrances - if you are in a car & bewildered as to how there can be a traffic jam in pouring rain, that too on a highway, all you need to do is look around & above for a circular flyover (a notorious design that's present pretty much all over the city, where everyone takes a turn but no one waits for anyone creating a logjam every now & then), because it's guaranteed that a 106 motorists would've abandoned their motorcycles on the road & hiding right under the flyover :O
• Pillion rider holding an umbrella over the rider's head - it's not just ridiculous but extremely dangerous, so it's certainly not hilarious, at all. But when you see it - again and again and again, the only thing one can do is LoL :D
• Not venturing out in rain, at all - it's really funny that anyone who can ride a two wheeler is perfectly fine riding out in blazing sun (which is a little over 11.5 months in Chennai), that too without a helmet to cover the only head s/he has got. But the same stupid person isn't ready to venture out riding in the rain, despite the scientific fact that about 74% if a person's body content is................................................................ just water! BAU Humbug :{}

Jokes apart, it would be interesting to know what Valluavar got to say about this truly enchanting but apparently bewildering - especially for the hilarious species called humans - thing called Rain!

19 தானம் தவமிரண்டும் தங்கா வியனுலகம் 

வானம் வழங்கா தெனின்.

Without rain, benevolence (giving) & penance (realization) will cease.

Oh, now we get it! People hate rain because giving & realization (which are supposed to elevate their miserable lives to an altogether different level) already ceased to exist. Ah, humans :( 

@PrakashSwamy

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P.S: If, like Swamy, you're also enchanted by the amazing natural phenomenon called rain (or even if you aren't yet), do enjoy his blog post exclusively about it ~ Rainchanted!

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Note: This post is part of Swamy's blog series on the epic book of Tamil poetry Thirukkural, thought to be written over 2000 years ago by the poet ThiruValluvar, in an enchanting Tweet long couplet format, which is amazingly relevant even in the digital space of today!
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Be Joyful & Spread the Cheer :)

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