VOLUME - III 7. PUTRA PRAPTI Comparative Study of Tirukkuṟaḷand other Sanskrit Sourcesby Dr. Ramadevi Sekhar
The stages of life (āśramas) regulating man's life are four: student, householder, forest dweller, and renunciate (brahmacharya, gṛhasta, vānaprasta, and sanyāsa). They are all based on the householder stage of life. That is the chief stage, because the householder fosters the other three. The householder is the most important of all.
Just as all living beings depend upon air for their existence, the other three stages are dependent on the householder. Householders not only feed and clothe the others, they also provide facilities for the study of the Vedas. Manu, in his texts on dharma (Dharma Śāstras), has emphasized this point very clearly. He has declared that householders also attain liberation, but they must follow strictly the dharma laid down for their stage of life. There is no doubt that everyone who adheres to the dharma of their stage of life, no matter which stage it is, will attain liberation.
In the Manu Smṛti, and other such texts, it is mentioned that in some instances the householder who adheres to dharma is reckoned as the highest type of person, while in other texts it is laid down that only sages who have renounced everything deserve worship. Therefore, a doubt may arise whether one can adopt the householder stage of life, which is the base and support of all, or whether one has to take up the universally honoured stage ofrenunciate, the inward path of detachment (nivṛtti). There is an intimate relation between the worship-worthy householder and the saintly sage (paramahamsa). So, to whichever stage of life one may belong, he does no wrong. The aim and purpose of life in the first stage (brahmacarya) is acquisition of knowledge especially the vedic wisdom. One may have to spend twelve years to master one Veda.
After the completion of study (Samavartāna), Brahmacāri may enter the next stage of life by paying Gurudakshina to his guru, गुरुणानुमतः समावृत्तो यथा विधिः उद्वहेत द्विजो भार्यां सर्वां लक्षणान्वितां— (Manu.III.4) Before entering the next stage of life namely the Gṛhastāśrama in the final parting convocation address the guru in Taittriya Upaniṣad, ordains the graduate to take up Gṛhastāśrama in order to beget a son and continue the lineage. प्रजातन्तुं माव्यवचेत्सीः— (I. 11.1 ) While commenting on this Mantra, Ācārya Śaṅkara states that, if in due course a son is not born one should strive to obtain a son by means of Putrakāmeṣṭi etc., Hence it becomes clear that according to the Dharma Śāstras marriage was not intended for sense gratification but only getting a good progeny fully qualified to deliver his father. மங்கலம் என்ப மனைமாட்சி மற்றுஅதன் நன்கலம் நன்மக்கட் பேறு. — 6.10 Following the foot steps of Dharmaśātraic texts Tiruvaḷḷuvar, in the illara-iyil talks about the duties of householder and about progeny,Purpose of accepting a wife in religious marriage as sanctioned by the Dharma Śāstras is to have a putra — जनयितुरपत्यं (Gautama 2.9.9) a son qualified to deliver one from the dark hellish life and to discharge the debt that he owes to his ancestors. पुन्नाम्न: नरकात् त्रायते पितरं सुतः,तस्माद् पुत्र इति प्रोक्तः (Manu.IX.137-138) Gautama in his Dharma Śāstra also states that: पुन्ति साादहावाः पुत्राः — (1.4.24) That is a noble not just delivers but also purifies.According to Yājñavalkya Smṛti, a son begotten from Brahma form of Marriage would deliver 21 generations. The number of the generations being delivered by the son begotten, form an important distinctive mark of the eight forms of marriages. எழுபிறப்பும் தீயவை தீண்டா பழிபிறங்காப்பண்புடை மக்கட் பெறின். — 7.2 Immediately on the birth of his first-born a man is (called) the father of a son and is freed from the debt to the manes;During the jātakarma a ceremony conducted on the tenth day of the birth of the son, the father lovingly embraces the son and acknowledges that, every limb of yours is born from mylimb you are created out of my own body, myself indeed is you o! son may you live for hundred autumns. अङ्गादङ्गं संभवसि शरीरादभिजायसे आत्मा वै पुत्र नामासि त्वं जीव शरदांशतं.This declaration is made by the father who is immersed in the bliss of the embrace of his son. Tiruvaḷḷuvar too, stresses the attainment of bliss upon embracing one's one. மக்கள்மெய் தீண்டல் உடற்கின்பம் மற்றவர்சொற்கேட்டல் இன்பஞ் செவிக்கு. — 7.6 Begetting a worthy son was considered to be fruition of merits performed in previous births, Tiruvaḷḷuvar considers the birth of a virtuous son to be unequalled gain. பெறுமவற்றுள் யாமறிவது இல்லை அறிவறிந்த மக்கட்பேறு அல்ல பிற. — 7.1 This is a reflection of a popular sastric verse. पुण्य तीर्थे कृतं येन तपः कोप्यतिदुष्करंतस्य पुत्रो भवेत् वश्यः समृद्धो धार्मिकः शुचिः Similarly the Parental joy of the achievements of their son is well represented by the following Kuṟaḷ — ஈன்ற பொழுதிற் பெரிதுவக்கும் தன்மகனைச் சான்றோன் எனக்கேட்ட தாய். — 7.9 This too, finds an echo in the Śāstras it states, that the son who upholds by his intellect, virtues, strength and wealth the name of the family, only by him do the mother truly attain motherhood. प्रज्ञया वा विसारिन्या यो बलेन धनेन वा धुरं वहति गोत्रस्य जननी तेन पुत्रिणी Unless the right education and ethics are imparted to the son he cannot achieve his prime, hence the śāstras clearly emphasise the need for educating the child at the right age.A father's duty is to make his son learned and should be placed, a father who does not facilitate and guide their child for studies is like the greatest enemy of the child. माता शत्रुः पिता वैरी येन बालो न पाठितः । न शोभते सभामध्ये हंसमध्ये बको यथा ||(Subasita Ratna Bhandakara) Vaḷḷuvar too in his characterstic manner lauds the father who imparts right education to his child.7. தந்தை மகற்காற்று நன்றி அவையத்து முந்தி இருப்பச் செயல். — 7.7 ஆவு மானியர் பார்ப்பன மாக்களும் பெண்டிரும் பிச்யுடை யீரும்பேணிதம் தென்புல வாழ்நர்க் கருங்கட னிறுக்கும் பொன்போற் புதல்வர்ப் பெறா அ தீரும் எம்மம்பு கடிவிடுது நும்மரண் செர்மிநென அறத்தாறு
This poetry is found in Puranāṉūṟu sung by poet Netiyamaiyar on Palyāgacālai Mutukuṭumi Peruvaḻuti (Pāṇḍya) was a king of Saṅgam age 1st cent CE. Interestingly he is said to have performed several Vedic sacrifices and he is called as Palyāgacālai Mutukuṭumi Peruvaḻuti indicating he was a follower of Vedic Path.
The king before his march towards the enemy kingdom he orders — “the cow and cattle, the Brāhmins, Women folk, the diseased, and who perform rites to their ancestors and who does not possess the good issues to continue the rites to their ancestors are asked to move away from the place so that they are not affected by the arrow of the king during the invasion.”
Here the poet emphasizes on the Putra Prāpti, by attaining a good son (here the poet says poṉpor putalvar perātir ?) the lineage continues and they can do the tarpana to their ancestors.
The concept of Putra Prāpti for performing rites to ancestors is mentioned in the Dharma Śāstras and also Tirukkuṟaḷ (Putra Prāpti) was also practice regularly in actual life as in the case of Pāṇḍya ruler.
The entire chapter is in praise of begetting children under the Prājāpatya system of Vedic tradition. Hence it can be seen Tirukkuṟaḷ closely follow Dharma Śāstra in identifying the purpose of marital life, the greatness of begetting child and the responsibility to make them good citizen.
