12. LAZZARUS 12.1. Rev. LAZZARUS on Tirukkuṟaḷ (1885)
The want of a neat and accurate edition of the greatest ethical classic of South India has for a long time been felt by all lovers of the Tamiḻ Language and its literature. To meet this want, the Publisher now offers to the public a new edition of the Kuṟaḷ, embracing the learned commentary of PARIMĒLAḺAKAR which is indispensable to a correct understanding of TIRUVAḶḶUVAR'S meaning, as well as a “PADAVURAY” in clear and simple language, and an English Version of the Text.
The English Translation of the first 63 Chapters has been compiled from various sources, but for the original rendering of the remaining 70 Chapters which is the first English Version ever attempted by any student of the Kuṟaḷ, and for a careful revision of the whole, the Publisher is indebted to the REV. JOHN LAZARUS, B.A., a Tamiḻ scholar and grammarian of no mean repute. It is hoped that the Translation will be found both faithful to the original and useful to all students of the Kuṟaḷ, whether Foreign or Native.
As regards the Kuṟaḷ itself, it stands on its own merits. The purity of its Tamiḻ, the richness of its diction, the lofty tone of its morality, the theistic and unsectarian nature of its theology, the endless variety of topics discussed in its 133 Chapters, and the profound esteem in which it is held by all classes of Tamil speaking Hindus, are too well known to need praise or comment on the part of Publisher.
Like other Tamiḻ classics, the KUṞAḶ treats of three of the four great themes on which all Hindu authors are to dwell in their treatises, viz., Virtue, Wealth, Pleasure and Heaven. Tiruvaḷḷuvar has wisely left the last subject untouched. Under the other heads, however, he treats of almost every subject that is worthy of a poet and moralist, or a statesman and philosopher. No subject, however noble or trivial it may be, seems to escape the fertility of his pen. It is a sort of multum in parvo encyclopedia of ethical rules and discourses, couched in the most concise, elegant and pregnant language.
The work derives its name from the KURAḶ metre in which it is composed and consists of two lines, the first being a tetrameter and the second trimester. This metre is a species of the well — known veṇpā — one of the two metres in which most of the Tamiḻ classics are composed, the other being the viruttam. Instead of making the first foot of the first verse rhyme with that of the second (verse), which is the usual rule, the poet often makes it rhyme with the last foot of the first verse — an improvement which adds a new beauty to the distich.
In conclusion, the Publisher begs to apologise for the somewhat tarnished colour of the paper in about half the book. This is owing to the long time the Work has taken to get through the Press. He, however, hopes to offer a far more satisfactory get-up in a second Edition of the Work.
12.2. LIFE OF TIRUVALLUVAR as given by Rev. Lazzarus
TIRUVAḶḶUVAR deservedly ranks foremost among the poets and moralists of India, for he has had no superior or equal in either character. He appears to have lived during the life time of UGRAVAḺUTI PĀṆḌIAN at Madura in whose reign the last Madura College (கடைச்சங்கம்) existed. All accounts concur in representing him as the offspring of a Brāhman and a pariah brought up woman. He is said to have been brought up by a Veḷḷāḷan at Mailāpūr, near Madras, the Veḷḷāḷan's wife having found the babe exposed in an Illuppeigrove in her neighbourhood. We are told that while yet a youth, he had acquired so great a reputation for learning and sanctity that MĀRGASAGĀYAN, a wealthy farmer who lived at Kāvēripākkam, in remuneration for services rendered to him, did not disdain to bestow on him the hand of his only daughter named VĀSUKI; and besides, the highest personages in the place felt a pride in the enjoyment of his friendship. He, however, appears to have pursued a quiet and unobtrusive sort of life, working at the loom for subsistence until he was prevailed upon by his friends to take up the gauntlet against the professors of the Madura College, who had arrogantly defied all other men of learning in the country and claimed all literary honors for themselves. In order to humble the pride of the professors, he wrote an ethical poem, under the title of Kuṟaḷ (குறள்), and repairing to the College asked them to review it as judges of poetical composition. The professors at first scorned the idea of strange poet offering himself as their competitor but afterwards when he drew them into a contest and completely vanquished them, they proposed that should be Saṅkappalakai, their divine seat on the tank of Potṟṟāmarai (பொற்றாமரை), give place for his Kuṟaḷ, they would gladly accept the work. This being agreed upon the book was placed on it. The divine seat is said to have contracted itself to the size of the book, and threw the professors into the water. Upon this they not only approved his work and gave him the desired seat, but also conferred on him several honorary titles, such as, Deivappulavar (தெய்வப்புலவர்) the divine poet, Mutaṟpāvalar (முதற்பாவலர்) the first of poets, Perunāvalar (பெருநாவலர்) the great poet, etc. Nothing further is known of TIRUVAḶḶUVAR which can be relied upon, excepting that some time after his return to Mailāpūr, he was visited with a severe domestic calamity by the death of his wife to whom he was tenderly attached and it so deeply affected his mind that excluding himself from society, he devoted the remainder of his life to religious contemplation. It is said that on the decease of his wife, he ejaculated extempore the following verse: அடி சிர்கினியாளே யன்புடையாளே பதி சொல் தவறாத பாவாய் — அடிவருடிப் பின் தூங்கி முன் எழுவும் பேதையே போதியோ என் துங்கும் என்கணிரா. When I have lost a woman who excelled in the knowledge of house-wifery, who is beloved, who never transgressed my word, who chafed my limbs and never slumbering until I slept, arose before I awoke; Alas! Alas! How can my eyes again know sleep.
The time of his death is uncertain; but when he died his body was according to his express desire exposed in the open air outside the town to be devoured by crows.
It is difficult to judge from the tenor of his Kuṟaḷ to what sect he belonged, for he has entirely avoided in the work everything that savours of sectarianism in order to the harmonize the suffrages of all the sects.
Independent of the Kuṟaḷ, we have no other composition of TIRUVAḶḶUVAR. The physiological work, entitled GNANAVETTIYAN (ஞானவெட்டியான்), which is commonly ascribed to him, appears to have been written by some person long after his time; for the author, though he assumes the title of TIRUVAḶḶUVAR and speak sin his character in the body of the work, yet betrays his disguise in one of the introductory stanzas, thus:\ அகமகிழுமம்பிகை பெண் அருளினாலே யவனிதனில் ஞானவெட்டியருள யானும் நிகழ் திருவள்ளுவன யனாருரைத்த வேத நிரஞ்சனமாநிலவு பொழிரவி காப்பாமே.Invoking the spotless one whom the holy VALLUVA has revealed in his incomparable Veda as clear as the light of the sun and moon, and by the grace of the damsel Ambigai (Parvati), who delights the heart, I shall compose the Gnana Vettiyan.
