Picture of Anthanar- Brahming doing Gayatri Japa

Picture of Group of Anthanars- Brahmins

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,692

Date uploaded in London –3 May 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Tiru Valluvar is a great Hindu of fifth century CE is proved by his use of Sanskrit words GUNAM, GANAM, LOKA etc.

Kural 28 is in Tolkappiam which also belongs to fifth century CE linguistically, used MANTRAM for maraimozi. This shows both belong to the same age and both talk about Vedic mantras.

The five senses, Gunam etc are repeated in Upanishads Bhagavad Gita umpteen times

Kual 23 used IRUMAI for dwatvam which is used by LordKkrishna inBbhagavad Gita to denote opposites e.g. hot and cold, up and down, this birth and next birth, lower world and upper world etc. it is typical Hindu expressions.

*Anthanar is a word that is often used to refer to Brahmins in ancient literature as well as contemporary language.

ANTHANAR IS BRAHMIN in Kural 543; it is also used for Kapilar in Purananuru; Anthanars are compared to cows throughout Sanskrit and Tamil literature to say both are tame, not violent in nature.

In short more places in Tamil literature show Anthanar is Brahmin not saint. But both are equally compassionate.

For Kurals 28, 29, 30 parallels and examples are available only from Hindu scriptures. Durvasar, Agastyar episodes

Kural 30 is in Satapata Brahmanam and Dhammapadam of Buddha. Satapata Brahmanam is at least 300 years older than Buddha.

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Following Translations are used:

1.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 and B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan. Year 1933 

2.S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD Year 2000

3.GU Pope – GUP. Year 1886

4.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB

5.EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS. Year 1986

6.Himalayan Academy- HA

7.H A Popley – HAP (not full book) Year 1931

8.Tamil Original

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 Rishi- Seer- Ascetic Picture

26.The great achieve the impossible; the low cannot– ANM+2

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26.Those who accomplish there things  are considered great;

While those who cannot, remain small–-SMD

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26.
Things hard in the doing will great men do;
Things hard in the doing the mean eschew.
The great will do those things which is difficult to be done; but the mean cannot do them. –GUP

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The small the paths of ease pursue
The great achieve things rare to do.         26– SB

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26.The great will do what is difficult but the low cannot do it– EVS

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Verse 26 The great ones are they who can dispatch the most Difficult tasks; the small ones are they who cannot. HA

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26. Hard things the great will always do

Hard things the mean can never do –HAP

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செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் சிறியர்

செயற்கரிய செய்கலா தார். 26

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Picture of Ascetics in Kasi- Varanasi

27.The infinite book of the secret of nature lies open to only those who are endowed with  the gift of understanding  the sensations of  touch and taste and sight and sound and smell– ANM+2

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27.Only a person who comprehends the real nature of the five senses,

Can appropriately live his life on earth–-SMD

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27.
Taste, light, touch, sound, and smell: who knows the way
Of all the five,- the world submissive owns his sway.
The world is within the knowledge of him who knows the properties of taste, sight, touch, hearing and smell. –GUP

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They gain the world, who grasp and tell
Of taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell.         27– SB
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27.He who knows the qualities of the five senses – taste, sight, touch, hearing and smell –has the full knowledge of the world– EVS

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Verse 27 Touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing- He who controls these five magically controls the world. HA

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27.He holds the world in fief,

Who knows the measure of the senses five – HAP

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சுவைஒளி ஊறுஓசை நாற்றமென ஐந்தின்

வகைதெரிவான் கட்டே உலகு.  27

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Siva as a Yogi

28.The greatness of the sages of wisdom is known by their mighty words that act like the spell of a new prophesy and shape the destinies of men — ANM+2

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28.One’s prophetic words alone will prove

worth and greatness, in course of time– SMD

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28.
The might of men whose word is never vain,
The ‘secret word’ shall to the earth proclaim.
The hidden words of the men whose words are full of effect, will shew their greatness to the world. –GUP

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Full-worded men by what they say,
Their greatness to the world display.         28– SB
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28.The mystic words of ascetics which are full of effect will show their greatness to the world– EVS

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Verse 28 Their own secret sayings reveal to the world The greatness of men whose words prove prophetic. HA

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28.The greatness of the men of certain speech

On earth by hidden word is shown –HAP

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நிறைமொழி மாந்தர் பெருமை நிலத்து

மறைமொழி காட்டி விடும். 28

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29.The wrath of those who stand secure on the mountain heights of virtue, though lasting for a second, is so terrible and volcanic that the world can hardly resist– ANM+2

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29.The anger of the righteous cannot

be endured even for a moment – SMD

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29.
The wrath ’tis hard e’en for an instant to endure,
Of those who virtue’s hill have scaled, and stand secure.
The anger of those who have ascended the mountain of goodness, though it continue but for a moment, cannot be resisted. –GUP

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Their wrath, who’ve climbed the mount of good,
Though transient, cannot be withstood.         29– SB
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29.The wrath of those of good disposition cannot be resisted even for a moment– EVS

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Verse 29 It is impossible to endure even a moment’s wrath of those Who have scaled and stand upon the mountain called virtue. HA

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29.Even for a moment, it is hard to check the wrath

Of those who have climbed the mount of saintliness—HAP

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குணமென்னும் குன்றேறி நின்றார் வெகுளி

கணமேயும் காத்தல் அரிது. 29

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Picture of an Anthanar/ Brahmin doing Vishnu Puja

30.It is the virtuous that are called Anthanar; it is for they that scatter kindness towards all the breathes– ANM+2

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30.Those who are merciful are really the men of virtue, because they have compassion for all living creatures – SMD

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30.
Towards all that breathe, with seemly graciousness adorned they live;
And thus to virtue’s sons the name of ‘Anthanar’ men give.
The virtuous are truly called Anthanar; because in their conduct towards all creatures they are clothed in kindness. –GUP

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With gentle mercy towards all,
The sage fulfils the vitue’s call.         30– SB

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30.The ascetics are called truly anthanars because they are kind to all creatures– EVS

Verse 30 Renunciates are called the priestly ones For they are clothed in robes of compassion for all life. HA

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30.The learned say that saints alone are Brahmans true,

For they behave as clothed in grace to every living thing—HAP

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அந்தணர் என்போர் அறவோர்மற் றெவ்வுயிர் க்கும்

செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுக லான்.     30

–Subham—

Tags- Tirukkural Encyclopaedia- Chapter Three (Kural 26 to 30) , Anthanar, Gunam, Mantra, Pictures, Ascetics, Brahmins, Anthanar images