After the chapter on Akṣarābhyasa (Vedic teaching begin) the qualities of teacher and the personal discipline of the student that are dealt within, we get a chapter on what is titled vāṉ-ciṟappu = greatness of rain.
வானின் றுலகம் வழங்கி வருதலால்
தானமிழ்தம் என்றுணரற் பாற்று. — 2.1
In the Dharma Śāstras the student discipline, the subject of food is dealt with under the caption Bhikṣa. A student stays in the house of a teacher in Brahmacarya state. However for his sustenance he must go and collect food from neighbours or one of the house holder who must support the student by giving him food as alms. The student can get the Bhikṣa from any house of three castes. The student is expected to show the food he received to the teacher and after his approval eat. The boy is thus not a burden to the teacher for his maintenance. It is an important aspect of a student's lifestyle. This means after dealing with the beginning of learning, the Dharma Śāstras deal with food — Annam which is therefore a subject matter of treatment after initiation. Annam assumes significance. So the second chapter of Kuṟaḷ dealing with rain following this Śāstra tradition. Vaḷḷuvar deals with food which is called nectar Amṛta. This is essential and is given by rain cause of producing Annam.
In the same Taittiriya Upaniṣad, deals with Annam because it is the base of producing phonetics. Annam is obtained from water that is rain. Food is produced from waters and water is called Annam. So this the order ordained by Upaniṣad which is followed by Dharma Śāstras and Kuṟaḷ following Dharma Śāstras begins the second chapter with vāṉ-ciṟappu, which in fact the subject of Annam. Annam (food) was always called amutu thousands of inscriptions mentioning provision of food offering is called amudu-paṭi.
The Brahmacāri student for that matter (all people ) when he eats food, first he recites amṛtābhidānamasi you are now fed with food. So when Vaḷḷuvar uses the word amutam the chapter on vāṉciṟappu emphasizes the role on rain for food. The rain should occurs at regular interval as far as possible at appropriate time in a rhythmic cycle. Without this regularity there will only drought and hunger, capacity to create or destroy a person. Even the tip of a grass will not grow, even the great ocean can be dried, even the god will have to go without getting worship or offering, one can not gift or do penance.
In verse-1 he praises the rains from sky, as the giver of food.
வானின் றுலகம் வழங்கி வருதலால்
தானமிழ்தம் என்றுணரற் பாற்று. — 2.1
In the second he points out that the rains is the creator of food and itself becomes the food. This is an Upaniṣadic passage which says apo vā annam water is Annam — Taittriya Upaniṣad.
The rain is a creator of food and itself becomes food for others. (It is water that turns into food)
விண்ணின்று பொய்ப்பின் விரிநீர் வியனுலகத்
துண்ணின் றுடற்றும் பசி. — 2.3
If rain fails to pour from sky, there will be only drought and hunger, when the rhythm of monsoon fails there will be only hunger.
ஏரின் உழாஅர் உழவர் புயலென்னும்
வாரி வளங்குன்றிக் கால். — 2.4
If rain fails to fertilise the earth, the farmers will not be able to plough the land (food production will cease).
கெடுப்பதூஉம் கெட்டார்க்குச் சார்வாய்மற் றாங்கே
எடுப்பதூஉம் எல்லாம் மழை. — 2.5
The rains may make a man or destroy him by arriving at the proper time) or failing him at the expected times.
விசும்பிற் றுளிவீழின் அல்லால்மற் றாங்கே
பசும்புற் றலைகாண் பரிது. — 2.6
If the rain does not fall at the appropriate time, even a small grass can not sprout. (The message is that one can not gain even a small achievement without discipline)
நெடுங்கடலும் தன்னீர்மை குன்றும் தடிந்தெழிலி
தானல்கா தாகி விடின். — 2.7
Even a vast ocean can be dried up if the clouds do not suck the waters (rain) at an appropriate time. (If there is no proper attempt to do regular work at appropriate time, even a very great work may fail)
The verses 8th, 9th and 10th are important from a different perspective so we may discuss them in detail.
சிறப்பொடு பூசனை செல்லாது வானம்
வறக்குமேல் வானோர்க்கும் ஈண்டு. — 2.8
If rain fails even gods in heaven will not receive special worship.
Lazzarus: If the heavens dry up neither yearly festivals nor daily worship will be offered in the world to the celestials.
G.U. Pope: If heaven grows dry with feast and offering never more will men on earth heavenly one dare. (Pope, Clearly avoids the phrase “worship of gods” because it will admit worship of Hindu gods.)
VRR: If the rains were to fail there would be no more offerings and festivals to Gods. Bala: If ever the sky should get dried, to those of heavenly sphere no oblation special or daily will be offered daily. (Bala also avoids the use of “worship of Gods” for pūcanai,and seems to be influenced by Pope. Any pūcanai is not oblation but worship)
Vāṉmīki: Daily service and special festival to the divine beings will not take place here on earth if drought sets in.This Kuṟaḷ deserves to be viewed from another angle Vaḷḷuvar here specifically mentions vāṉoṟkku ciṟappu
சிறப்புபூசனை வானோர்க்கும் evidently what Vaḷḷuvar says is the worship of Hindu gods and also festivals — ciṟappu — viśeṣa pūja and pūcaṉai — pūja to Hindu gods.
Pope said in his introduction that no mention of any temple worship offering to Gods for Vaḷḷuvar did not have any faith in Hindu temples and listened to Christian faith and wrote only Christian teachings as Kuṟaḷ. (P 2-3)
This Kuṟaḷ will give a direct lie to Pope's Christian colour. Pope's myth is directly exposed by this reference to ciṟappu pūcaṉai this is further confirmed by the next Kuṟaḷ in which Vaḷḷuvar refers to tapas and dānas.
தானம் தவம்இரண்டும் தங்கா வியனுலகம்
வானம் வழங்கா தெனின். — 2.9
This Kuṟaḷ says that, if there is no rain, neither dānams nor tavam & (tapas) penance or gifts will support the doer in heaven.According to Hindu traditions, making religious gifts and penance are the path way to redemption (mokṣa) one won't be able either to make ritual gifts or religious penances if there is no rains and will not achieve redemption.
Lazzarus: If rain fails not penance and alms deed will not dwell within the spacious world. (Lazzarus is here as close as possible to the original.)
G.U. Pope: Heaven gets watery and ceases to dispense through the wide world gifts and deeds of penance.
(Here Pope translates the word tavam as penance. According to Hindu thought tapas is observing a strict code of life to achieve something greater, not for expiation. tapas is something foreign to Christian concepts but pope tries to equate it to the sinners)
VRR: If the rains were to fail, there would be neither alms nor penance in this wide earth. (penance is a religious vow and alms is a religious act as per Hindu thought. It is evident Vaḷḷuvar is speaking about religious faith which Pope is trying to suppress.)
Bala: Neither the deeds of charity nor penance will bide at all within this widest world should heavenly clouds withhold rainfalls.
Vāṉmīki: Ascetic practices and altruistic practices both would erase in this world if the sky would not bestow its shower.
According to Hindu thought dāna and tapas are the highest stage in the path of reaching heaven. This is achieving jñāna and kalvi — knowledge and learning. According to a verse attributed to Avvaiyār:
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நயத்தல் அரிது
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நயந்த காலையும்
தானமும் தவமும் தான் செயல் அரிது
தானமும் தவமும் தான் செய்வர் ஆகில்
வானவர் நாடு வழிதிறந்திடுமே.
Hindu system lays great emphasis on giving away what one has legally owned and tapas is an extraordinary discipline. These are ideals. These are mentioned here not to make the rains fall but to inculcate the spirit of highest ideals among the learners.
So the Parimēlaḻakar says:
தானமாவது அற நெறியால் வந்த பொருள்களை தக்காருக்கு உவகையோடு கொடுத்தல். தவமாவது மனம் பொறிவழி போகாது நிற்றல் பொருட்டு விரதங்களால் சுருக்கல் பெரும்பான்மை பற்றி தானம் இல்லறத்தின் மேலும், தவம் துறவறத்தின் மேலும் நின்றன.
Pope's translation is off the mark. The following last Kuṟaḷ makes things clear.
நீரின் றமையா துலகெனில் யார்யார்க்கும்
வானின் றமையா தொழுக்கு. — 2.10
By using the word ஒழுக்கு rhythm or discipline, Vaḷḷuvar points out this chapter is mainly intended to impress upon the student one can obtain great things by following oḻukkam an orderly discipline this chapter is connected with discipline beginning from Bhikṣa — alms for food a way of Brahmacāri life.
We have seen that the first word vāṉ, which has given the title, vāṉ ciṟappu is translated as rain. This is not incorrect. However there is an alternative meaning also for consideration vāṉ also means space — ākāśa and also Āditya — the Sun. The Sun is called tejas the effulgence. It is the Sun's race that suck water from the ocean and crowds into clouds and makes the clouds to pour. The Upaniṣad says Āditya makes the rain fall, here vāṉ can also be taken as Sun without whom the world can not survive. The Taittriya Upaniṣad says the waters are Annam (food) effulgence. So apaḥ. They produce food and they themselves are food for others.
jyotiṣ āpaḥ pratiṣtithaḥ, tadetad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam
This Upaniṣadic passage is significant in two ways. First waters appear in space as integral part of Sun's rays in the form of clouds second the clouds rain to produce and by that it becomes food for others. Thus water that produces food becomes food for others. So the mystic Kuṟaḷ tuppārkku tuppāya tuppākki tuppārkku tuppāya tuvum maḻai is a direct translation of the same Upaniṣad.
Take this Kuṟaḷ from the second chapter of Aṟattuppāl which reads pūja
Vaḷḷuvar speaks “Pūja
”சிறப்பொடு பூசனை செல்லாது வானம்
வறக்குமேல் வானோர்க்கும் ஈண்டு. — 2.8
The meaning is clear enough if the sky fails to rains, due to drought, the festivals and worship to even Gods won't take place.
The import is clear enough. Failure of rains will result in no religious festivals or pūja to Gods will take place. It means that Vaḷḷuvar was not anti religious, If he were so, he would [not?] have written this Kuṟaḷ which is “reference to religious customs”. To indicate the festival and worship, he used two words one “ciṟappu” — special festival and pūcaṉai — daily rituals. The work pūcaṉai, itself, Vaḷḷuvar is speaking about Hindu form of worship (Pūja) and not anything else. This gives a direct lie to G.U.Pope's “imaginary contribution” — that Vaḷḷuvar was a Christian and he wrote Christian concepts.
Parimēlaḻakar rightly points out that Hindu worship consists of Nitya and Naimittika worship called Pūja. nitya pūja is daily worship and namittika is on specific occasions. This is generally called a festival. It also includes a worship called for specific prayers of devotees called kāmya. Both naimittika pūja and kāmya pūja fall under special worship, so Vaḷḷuvar uses the special worship first, followed by daily prescribed worship, generally called Pūja. These are more generally called nitya pūja. naimittika pūja and kāmya pūja, Vaḷḷuvar mentioning these words ciṟappoṭu pūcaṉai, has pointedly shows his work is a Hindu work.
There is also another subtle suggestion. The daily pūja also include a special worship called nityotsava, daily festival also known śrībali. Besides the offering to the main deity, there are several secondary deities in everyday worship called nityotsava and also special worship to all other Gods. In order to indicate that worship was not only to main god but also other gods, Vaḷḷuvar uses the work vāṉoṟkkum in plural, that pūja consist of worship of other deities. It is an irrefutable reference to Hindu faiths.
