Page:Introduction to Tamil Poetry.pdf/11

10 Muruvalăr) whose poem is one of the 400 poems found in the collection entitled “Puranānūru". Speaking of a Pandya by name Nambi Nequñcelian who had just died he says, (Püram, Verse 239) “He was wedded to a fine wife. He wore the choicest of flowers. He anointed himself with all pleasant odours. But he utterly destroyed all bis enemies. He praised his friends. Because a man was mighty, he never played second fiddle to him. Because a man was meek, he never over-imposed himself on him. Never did he beg of anybody. But never did he decline to give to those in want. Quite renowned was he at the king's court. He faced bravely the armies that came against him and routed the enemies that were retreating. He was skilled in all the four kinds of warfare (the infantry, the elephantry, the charioteers and the horses.) He broke several honey pots for his friends. He sumptuously fed his songsters. Never did he speak a dubious word. Thus did he live, doing all that should be done. So let him be buried or let him be burnt. It does not matter, because he has established his repu- tation already in this world." THIRUVALLUVAR has the message that one can either be a householder or an ascetic and yet prosper well and attain bliss. Sometimes, stray verses from Thiruk- kural are cited to show that Thiruvalluvar placed the life of an ascetic over and above the life and doings of a man pursuing domestic life. Yet one can cite authority for the other view also as follows: For instance, in Kural 48 he says that the householder who, not swerving from virtue, helps the ascetic in his way of life, endures more than those who endure penance. In Kural 38 he says that he who suffers no day to pass un- improved buf. (continually) does some good will have by such conduct a great stone by which he can stop the approach of further births.