LOVE ALL, TRUST A FEW, DO WRONG TO NONE! SHAKESPEARE IN TAMIL VEDA TIRUKKURAL- 2 (Post No.4426)

Written by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 23 NOVEMBER 2017

 

Time uploaded in London- 20-46

 

 

Post No. 4426

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks.

 

I have posted the first part yesterday with a brief introduction to Tirukkural and Shakespeare.

This is the second part. Shakespeare and Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar see eye to eye on many issues.

 

Shakespeare says,

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

-All’s Well that Ends Well

Al the three points are in Tirukkural, Pancha tantra, Vidura Neeti and the Hindu epics. Let us look at what Tiruvalluvar says in the Tamil Veda Tirukkural

Tiruvalluvar has done ten couplets on Love or Affection (couplets 71 to 80)

LOVE

Of what avail are all the external features to those who have no love in the depths of their heart (Kural 79)

Even as the sun scorches the boneless body, so does the god of virtue torture the loveless man (77)

TRUST

About trust Valluvar says,

Never trust a man without testing him; when the test is over

decide what you can entrust with him (Couplet 509)

Even among deep scholars of spotless hearts , it is difficult to find one perfectly free from ignorance (503)

DO WRONG TO NONE

Do not wish for another’s ruin even absent mindedly. If you do, your own rain is certain to befall (204)

The man who does not want to be consumed by evil, as by a burning disease,

Shall not ever think or do evil to others (206)

 

INGRATITUDE

This is a very big topic in Hindu scriptures. We see it all the didactic works in Tamil and Sanskrit.

Shakespeare says,

blow, blow, thou winter wind

Thou art not so unkind

as men’s ingratitude

–As You Like It

And in Julius Caesar drama Shakespeare says  Et tu Brute through the mouth of Caesar, when he was stabbed by his dearest friend Brutus.

Tiruvalluvar says,

There may be salvation for those who have killed all other virtues

But not for the one who has killed gratitude (Kural 110)

Tiruvalluvar has sung nine more couplets on the same virtue- Gratitude.

 

PERSEVERANCE

OUR REMEDIES OFT IN OURSELVES DO LIE WHICH WE ASCRIBE TO HEAVEN- says Shakespeare in All’s Well That Ends Well.

Valluvar says,

Though god of fate stands in the way, strenuous efforts yield ready fruit. Labour compensates what fate denies (Kural 619)

Effort will produce success; indolence brings poverty and disgrace (616)

–to be continued…………………..

–Subham–