இல்லறவியல்Ilvāḻkai — Gṛhasta Dharma consists of 1. Married life, 2. The joy of partnership, 3. Begetting children, 4. Affection, 5. Welcoming guests, 6. Sweetness in speech, 7. Cultivation of gratefulness, 8. Impartiality, 9. Modesty, 10. Observance of regularity, 11. Resist from going to other man's wife, 12. Forbearance, 13. Avoid envy, 14. Hatred, 15. No backbiting, 16. Don't talk Senseless things 18. Fear of evil deeds 19. Help without expecting.
Tiruvaḷḷuvar in his Tirukkuṟaḷ chapter (3) on disciplines exact translation of this verse into Tamil
श्रुत्वा स्पृष्ट्वा च दृष्ट्वा च भुक्त्वा घ्रात्वा च यो नरः ।
न हृष्यति म्लायति सा विज्ञेयः जितेन्द्रियः ॥
சுவைஒளி யூறோசை நாற்றமென் றைந்தின்
வகைதெரிவான் கட்டே யுலகு. — 3.7
cuvai is taste — oḷi is light — ūru is touch — ōcai is sound and nāṟṟam is fragrant smell. These are the great attractions that would divert student's attention. It may be seen the Dharma Śāstra verse is exactly rendered in to Tamil by Vaḷḷuvar.
In both instances the verse occur same context. There could be no doubt Vaḷḷuvar derives his work from the same Dharma Śāstra.
Another example I can cite in Poruḷ Adhikāram.
Having seen some exact translations we may now examine the layout of the text.
In the gṛhasta dharma dealt with by Vaḷḷuvar the first three are 1. Householder the supporting the three aśramites, Brahmacāri, Vānaprasta and Sanyāsa; 2. Deals with Tarpaṇa offering to Deva, Ṛṣi, and Pitṛs. 3. Offering of Yajñas to five namely, Deva, Ṛṣi, Pitṛ, Athiti, and Bhūta in sucession.
It will be shown below the sequence of 1. Support of three Āśramas, 2. Tarpaṇa, 3. Pañca Yajñas are found in the Dharma Śāstras in the same order.
The gṛhasta (family man) is house-holder the firm supports in the journey of life of student the Vānaprasta and the Sanyāsin (ascetic) who constitute the three (other āśramites) says Vaḷḷuvar. Parimēlaḻakar has pointed out they are Brahmacāri, Vānaprasta and Sanyāsin. who observe vow and pursue their determined life. They are supported by food, and other requirements. This is a clear evidence of Vaḷḷuvar supporting the three aśramas which derive support from gṛhasta.
This is clearly after dharmasūtra. Manu's exposition of this concept is important. He says, the rain comes down from Āditya,
The Sun from rain creates food and all living beings. And as all living beings live through Vāyu, so also all the Āśramas flourish by the support of gṛhasta dharma.
Because all the other three dharmas live through the food of knowledge (Jñāna) and they are maintained by the householder, his āśrama is superior to all others. Therefore he must be adored by one who wishes to attain heaven.
Here it is important to draw attention to Kural which begins the second adhikāra of the text.
வான் இன்று உலகம்பெய்து வருதலால் says that as rains pour from outer space it becomes food. It is also derived from Sun (III. 76). Manu says that rain comes from Āditya the Sun, but Vaḷḷuvar says it comes form the Vāṉ (sky).
It is followed by the happiness of a wife as a partner in life. In the chapter on householder the family man is expected to support, neglected, helpless diseased, and the dead with none to dispose off. It is almost expected as a communal responsibility to look after the abandoned and aged.
There is a chapter on begetting progeny (putra prāpti) which is again in to Dharma Śāstra. The marriage is described as prajāpatyā begetting sons which was viewed to ensure, attainment of heaven.
The other chapters on gṛhasta dharma, deal with the need to cultivate good habits and abstain from evil deeds. Most of these habits are as listed in the Dharma Śāstras.
The last ten chapters prescribe the pure and excluded life of tapasvins, their qualities and their life style. This part also seems to be the same for vānaprasta stage, except the later could take his wife to the forest with him.
The first volume on Dharma — Aṟattuppāl is dedicated to the life style of a person as an individual.
The second volume on Artha — Poruṭppāl, is dedicated to the individual as a part of the society.
It is titled Poruṭppāl, poruḷ standing for artha and so it has overlapping with Artha Śāstra.
It seems this book could also be considered in three parts. At the beginning we have Rājanīti the royal rights and privileges.
It is clearly a text book of Hindu monarch, as the head of the state.
This part is found as part of some Dharma Śāstra, of Manu's text, Yājñavalkya and others. It emphasizes the King's role in protecting his country from external aggression and internal security.
The essential components of Royal administrative machinery and the functioning of the state.
Where the king had no powers to enact law, he was to maintain the rusting age old laws with its regional variations.
One of the important functions was to maintain law and order and so was the final authority on matters of punishments, called daṇḍa nīti. The Dharma Śāstras defines various characteristics of crimes and also the kings moderate punishments.
In all these matters, Vaḷḷuvar follows the looks of Manu, and Yājñavalkya and there could be no doubt that Vaḷḷuvar was a follower of the age old legal system of the Hindus.
The third book of Tirukkuṟaḷ is Kāmattuppāl on conjugal life.
It deals in a dignified manner man-woman relationship.In that it is more on customs and manners and mostly in dialogue form.
It deals more prominently with dramatic conventions than any kind of indulgence.It is broadly —
1.தலைவன் கூற்று (Hero's dialogue)
2.தலைவி கூற்று (Heroine's dialogue)
3.தோழி கூற்று (dialogue of playmate)
So far as Pre-marital love is concerned one of the approved form of relationship, called Gandharva in the Vedic tradition.
It is brought under kaḷavu in Tamiḻ defining the agreement of men and woman in secret meetings, sending messages etc.,
This form is approved by the Vedic tradition, subject to the condition that it is legalized as it is known, through approved rites the second form of marriage dealt with by Tirukkuṟaḷ, is legal marriage, as per Vedic rites, called Kaṟpu — Kaṟpu is a Prakṛt form of Kalpita prescribed in Dharma Śāstra.
The next verse in the chapter is:
துறந்தார்க்கும் துவ்வா தவர்க்கும் இறந்தார்க்கும்
இல்வாழ்வான் என்பான் துணை. — 5.2
Here another group of three people are described (துறந்தார்). If we take the three mentioned here, tuṟantār represents Ṛṣis. iṟantār represents dead people, tuvvātār obviously the devas. This would show, this Kuṟaḷ speaks of tarpaṇa — liberation through water, the Deva, Ṟṣi and Pitṛ. According to the Dharma Śāstras, every house holder must perorm this tarpaṇa, which consists of offering water accompanied by this three groups Deva, Ṟṣi and Pitṛ. The offering of tarpaṇa is meant to please these groups.
This tarpaṇa should be followed by pañca-mahāyajñas, the five great sacrifices which consists of offering of food. Cooked rice rolled into a small ball and offered to the group.
1.Vasus, Rudras, Āditya and other Devas.
2.The ṛṣis are Atri, Bhṛgu, Kutsa, Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Kāśyapa and Aṅgīrasa and
3.The pitṛ mentioned are Soma, Pitṛmān, Agni, Yama, Aṅgirasvan and Kavyavāhana.
Each of these three form a group to whom we do tarpaṇa. The same three are offered food daily symbolically are called Devas, Ṛṣis, Pitṛs, Athitis and Bhutayajña.
A Vedic follower is expected to offer. tarpaṇa is offering water and yajña is offering foods. Among these five Devas and Pitṛs are offered bhalis (cooked balls of rice). Athiti should be fed with cooked meals. For the Ṛṣis, recitation of Vedas, Purāṇas, Itihāsas form the offering.
The Dharma Śāstras speak of these tarpaṇa and pañca mahāyajñas, one after the other, mentioning that they must be performed daily.
The Tirukkuṟaḷ referring to these two forms of daily offering in the second and third Kuṟaḷ beginning with Illara Iyal, and Tenpulattār had these offerings in his mind. This would show Vaḷḷuvar is householder, was no doubt listing these essential rituals of the Hindus so the view of modern scholars that Vaḷḷuvar did not refer to any Hindu rituals is not correct.
The verse reads:
தென்புலத்தார் தெய்வம் விருந்தொக்கல் தானென்றாங்
கைம்புலத்தா றோம்பல் தலை. — 5.3
It means it is important to offer sacrifices to pitṛ, deivam (gods), athithi (guests), okkal (all living beings), like man and tān (one's own living)
This is a very important aspect of Hindu system, that has come down from Pre-Buddhist periods. The very fact that Vaḷḷuvar emphasizes (ஓம்பல் தலை) the performance of these five sacrifices for the Gṛhasta is a pointer to the fact that Vaḷḷuvar was a follower of Hindu system. The pañca mahāyajñas are mentioned in all the Dharma Śāstras of Manu, Yājñavalkya, Gautama, Āpastamba, Bodhāyana and others.
Manu Dharma gives the following as pañca yajñas —
पञ्चक्लृप्ताः महायज्ञा गृहे गृहेमेधिनाम् ।
अध्यापनं ब्रह्मयज्ञं पितृयज्ञः तु तर्पणम् ।
होमो देवो बलिः होमो नृयज्ञो अतिथिपूजनं ।
पञ्चैतात् यो महायज्ञान् हापयति शक्तितः ।
स गृहेऽपि वसन् नित्यम् सन् दोषैः न लिप्यतेदेव पितृ अतिथि भृत्यानाम् पितृणां च आत्मनः च यः
न निर्वपति पञ्चानां उच्छवसन् न जीवति ।
अहुतं हुतं चैव तथ प्रहुतं एव च
ब्रह्मयज्ञं हुतं प्रासितं च पञ्च यज्ञान् प्रचक्षते । (Manu.3.67)
It gives the concept of pañca yajñas its cause and effect.
Sundaramurti. K who has written farily good introduction to his edition of Thirkkuṟaḷ in Thiruppantal edition, is fairly balanced and sincere writer with no prejudices. However his lack of Sanskrit does let him down at places. For example, while working a note on the Kuṟaḷ “இல் வாழ்வான் என்பான் இயல்புடய”, praises the pivotal role of a householder, says the three mentioned in the Kuṟaḷ he says, that all commentators taken the three as Brahmacāri, Vānaprasta and Sanyasi. Vaḷḷuvar has taken only the Tamiḻ tradition, by dividing householder and recluses (illaṟam and tuṟavaṟam) and also speaking about chastity and pre martial union in romantic life (kaṟpu and Kaḷavu), it is clear that the view of commentators is not acceptable.
Here Sundaramamurti, clearly opines that illaṟam, tuṟavaṟam, kaṟpu and kaḷavu are purely Tamiḻ tradition and so that all the commentators were wrong because they consider the three as Āśramas, like Brahmacāri, Vānaprastas and Sanyāsiāśrama is not acceptable.The Kuṟaḷ is however is clear, that it says the gṛhasta (ilvāḻvān) is the support of other three groups.
Sundaramurti, has not spelt out who are the other three groups, the commentators have specifically pointed out who are the other three groups.
The Dharma Śāstra which is followed by Tirukkuṟaḷ has also said that gṛhastas is the main support of other three āśramas. Tirukkuṟaḷ does deal with student's life, family life (gṛhasta), tapa life which is undertaking penance and the fourth is tuṟavu (Sanyāsa).
(deva, ṛṣis, pitṛtarpaṇa — Dharma Śāstraviśeṣa prakaramam V.1000)So when he is talking about the duties of house holder as a supporter of other three groups, it can only refer to Brahmacāri, Tapasvi and Sanyāsi and non else.Thus it is evident the whole of Tirukkuṟaḷ is an abridged form of Dharma Śāstra, but expressed in a most exalted and powerful manner.
We may say that Vaḷḷuvar's Tirukkuṟaḷ is the one text that made the Northern Vedic life, the most common accepted and followed all over Tamiḻnadu, as it was easily accessible to all in their own language.
Vaḷḷuvar was the unparalleled integrator of this country. 2000 years ago, but it is a pity that his role has not been properly focused.
