Writte by london swaminathan

Date: 3 May 2016

Post No. 2778

Time uploaded in London :– 15-13

( Thanks for the Pictures)

DON’T REBLOG IT AT LEAST FOR A WEEK!  DON’T USE THE PICTURES; THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED BY SOMEONE.

(for old articles go to tamilandvedas.com OR swamiindology.blogspot.com)

It is very interesting to read the similes that were used by Tiruvaluvar, the author of Tamil Veda, ‘Tirukkural’. On the topic ignorance, he gives good similes.

Let us first look at Vyasa’s sloka on ignorance:-

There is a beautiful couplet/sloka in Mahabharata on ignorance. According to Vyasa, ignorance is the only enemy to mankind.

“There is only one enemy of men and not another; the foe is identified with ignorance. Overwhelmed by it, one is led to perpetrate acts that are frightful and cruel.”

Ekasatrurna dvitiyo assti satrurajnaanatulayah purusashya raajan

Yenaavrutah kurute samprayuktah ghoraani karmaani sudaarunaani

–Mahabharata, santi parva 297-28

Simile 1

Valluvan says, in the chapter titled ‘Ignorance’:

“The unlettered man aspiring to speak is like a lady without her two breasts courting love” – Kural 402

Politicians Orators

Dr S M Diaz in his English commentary on this couplet says, “A person of no learning wanting to display his knowledge and skill to an assembly of learned men, would be like the joyless  emptiness attendant on a woman, without both her breasts and femininity, seeking the fullness of love. One of the ten old commentators, Paridhi, adds “falling for the empty words uttered by an ignorant person is like falling in love with a breast less woman. This implies that there are some speakers, who captivate unthinking persons, with just words with no meaning or underlying ideas. Many of the latter day politicians, who make attractive, alliterative speeches, of all words and no deep sense, would belong to this category. In a discerning society, they cannot continue hoodwinking all the people all the time. At some stage their ignorance will get exposed.

A fool’s mouth is his own destruction (Proverbs 18-7)

Simile 2

There is another simile of gambling board:

“To speak in an assembly without a wide knowledge of books is like throwing dice on a board without chequers” – Kural 401

Simile 3

“Men without learning are like worthless barren lands. Nothing more can be said of them than they exist.” ” – Kural 406

Simile 4

“The pomp of a person without deep and subtle knowledge is like the fine painting on a clay doll” – Kural 407

Simile 5

“In relation to them that have studied noble books, others are like beasts in relation to men” – Kural 410

Suddenly Valluvan has become a Kalidasa in using similes! All are beautiful and appropriate similes; no exaggeration.

We may compare these with some popular proverbs on ignorance:

1.Ignorance is the night of the mind (Chinese proverb)

2.There is no blindness like ignorance.

3.Thedevil never assails a man except he find him either void of  knowledge or  of the fear  of god.

4.Scinece has no enemy but the ignorant.

5.Art has no enemy but ignorance

6.If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Finally,

An ancient saying from the Middle East says:

He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Shun him.
He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is simple. Teach him.
He who knows, and knows not he knows, is asleep. Wake him.
He who knows, and knows that he knows is wise. Follow him.

–Subham–