Lesson 3 Part 2
In Sangam era women were educated. We came to know from
this from the poems of these female poets, Avvaiyar,
Narchellayar, Nanmulliyar, Adimandiyar, Nappasalayar,
Mudathamakkanniyar, Kakkaipadiniyar, Okkurmasathiyar,
ponmidiyar. Women were involved in politicls also. Avvaiyar
acted as an Ambassador between Adhiyaman Neduman Anji
and Thondaiman. Padini and virali were excelled in songs and
dances.
Sangam period was golden era of humanity
There are many reason for the golden times of Sangam era
but the main one
was the nature of the rulers. According to
Purananuru (If the ruler is good th land will cherish)
எவ்வழி நல்லவர் ஆடவர் அவ்வழி நல்லை
வாழிய நிலனே” (புறநானூறு 187) .It means that the
properity of the lands depends on the way the king rules. In
Sangam era rulers had all the good qualities like education,
valour, friendship, generosity and respecting elders.
Valour
In sangam era is was indispensable to have war in order to
protect own land and to extend the borders. The kind had the
duty of leading the warfare. They courageously tolerated the
injuries in a war.
Through (Purananuru 9-1-5) it is learned that cows, brahmins,
women, elders, those who are having illness, and childless
people were asked to go to a safe place before war. Even in
valour-full war times Tamil people followed ethics.
Do you know?
Every king in ancient Tamil Nadu plant and maintained a tree
to commemorate their victory over war. That was called
Kadimaram and soldiers were day and night protecting that
tree.
Neem, rose wood, garcinia trees were planted and considered
as a protecting tree. It was a legend to cut the protecting tree
of a defeated kingdom.
Charity
The valorous kings were great in charity also. This quality was
mentioned in Padanthinai poems. The under-kings kadaiezhu
vallalgal were excellent in giving limitless charity.
Mudamosiyar a poet said that the elephants which was given
by Aai Andiran to scholars were more than the stars in the sky.
Kings gifted not only money and things to scholars, virali,
poets and other artists but also gave food and dresses too.
Scholars appreciated these qualities in their books.
(Sirupanatruppadai 235-245)
Like this in Pathirtuppathu the Chera kings’ charity and
hospitality was appreciated. Atruppadai books are poems
which are praising the king’s charity and kindness. Like kings,
the people were also having charitable nature.
Ethics
Scholars were respected as a guide to give ethics guidance.
Kings listened to scholar’s interference in governance. The
examples for this are, stopping the punishment of enemy
king’s son, reducing the taxation, avoiding war, stopping of
capital punishment etc. Scholars had the responsibility of
correcting the kings in those times. So it is learned that kings
were following ethics (Purananuru 55-10)when ruling the
country it was their duty to construct water bodies to increase
food production.(Purananuru 18-28-30)
It is explained from the stories of Porkai Pondian – who
sheared his hand to protect the honour of a poor girl, emperor
Sibi - who put himself in a balance to protect a pigeon, Manu
nidhi chozhan – who killed his son to provide justice to a cow
which lost her calf because of Manu nidhi chozhan’s son, that
in those days all were equal under law and the kings ruled
with out any partiality.
If there were draughts, decreasing agricultural production and
any sudden calamities people blamed the king and his bad
ruling only. So to avoid the blames kings had the
responsibility of good governance. (Purananuru 35)
Living for others
In sangam era people were broad minded. They were not
selfish and lived for others.They considered every body as
their relatives. From the poem of ( Yadum ure yavarum keir)
we can understand this.
And in (Purananuru 182 ) giving data about necessary values
of sangam period people. The scholars of sangam literature
never wrote preachings. In simple and sweet language they
explained the moral values. Number of wars, lives lost due to
those wars, the difficulty of widow, poverty of the scholar were
registered in the Sangam literature.
Pathinenkeezhkanakku books ( Eighteen Lesser Texts )
It is a group of 18 books. 11 books in this group tells ethics so
those are called ethics book and 6 tells about internal life and
one book tells about external world.
( you read the names)
Ethics shown in Tirukkural
Thirukkural is one of Pathinenkeezhkanakku books and is the
best ethics book. It tells about way of living to whole world,
that is why it is translated in many languages. According to
Valluvar, jealousy, greed, anger and bad words are harmful
and living without these bad things is moralistic.
(kural35)
If the people having family life follows these moral qualities,
they will be better than abstinence. The best rule for family
life is hospitality. (kural84) Wealth will be more in those houses
where the hosts attend the guests with smile.
Having good habits and concentrate on good things is
knowledge, and feeling the pain of others as pain of
themselves is wisdom according to Thiruvalluvar. He tells
about the glory of education in chapters like kalvi, kallamai,
kelvi, arivudamai. He tells that one should learn good things
and follow that knowledge in real life. For those who is
educated like this belongs to every city and every country.
(kural397)
Wealth is inevitable for life. And it should be earned in good
manner. Wealth of a good mannered person will be useful to
others like fruits of trees, well water, and medicinal plants.
Like that he tells that, wealth of a characterless deadly minded
person will ruin others, just like milk spoiled and became
poison due to the dirty container. The meaning of this is
wealth does not have quality, but according to the owner ts
uses differs.
Poverty of good people is difficult for themselves only. But
prosperity of bad people will do harm to others.
Valluvar said that these types of bad rich people should be
removed from the society. (169)
Valluvar also indicates his anger that if the creator of the
world caused some of the people to live by way of begging,
then let the creator suffer like these people. (1062) This is
considered as his angry voice about against disparity in the
community.
Valluvar tells that it is the duty of the government to increase
the resources of the country. To attain this government should
provide ways of earning money , protecting money,
distributing money. King should have scholars beside him for
advice. If he rules unethically his country will be ruined like
there will be drought. He also tells that collecting more taxes
from the people by way of intimidating is not moral.
Valluvar tells that love, modesty, fairness, overview, truth,
speaking good words, thankfulness like good qualities are
essential for life and that life is divine life. (50)
Ethics from Naladiyar
Naladiyar is also an ethics book next Thirukural. The proverb
telling that 4 and 2 are for knowledgeable words refers to
these 2 only. This book was written by Jain priests and
compiled by in thirukkural. Praising Abstinence hating
wordly pleasures, rebirth, fate, vegetarianism, ahimsa
like principles are emphasised in Naladiyar.
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