Yesterday I read a thirukkural, the first one in one of the adigarams between 87-92. It goes like this,
"Manaivizhaivaar maanpayan yeithaar vinaivizhaivaar
vaendaap porulum athu"
Does this mean thiruvalluvar is a male chauvinist, not expecting women (or wives) to help men (or husbands)gain wealth?
7 comments:
Chemba:
If you go on to read the remaining nine thirukural in that adhiharam you’ll find that this chapter is meant for Ponnachatihal, muthuhelumbatra pendati pinn sellum angalukaha elluthapattavai.
If a person gets a wife with all the attributes of ‘how a wife should not be’ and that man listens to her this will be his fate is what HE is saying in this athiharam.
There is another athiharam – ‘The wife’ Kural 51-60, read these also, here is where the famous kural
Illathan illaval manbanal ullathan ullaval manak kadai
The meaning goes like this,
if a man doesn’t have any other wealth but a good wife – he has everything in life,
if a man has all wealth and a bad wife – he doesn’t have anything in life.
This kural confirms for sure Valluvar is not a male chauvinist.
Rajmohan:
The hidden assumption in that adigaram is that a man should not listen to his wife even if she is wrong. He has basically meant blind following of the counsel given
by a wife without determining the merits of a case should be avoided.
You have a lot of men who do that in this world and a glaring situational
example is the strain in relationship with parents caused by wife (though its not always the case). It also has to be looked at in perspective of the whole book in which the great Thiruvalluvar has taked about other relationships that exist in this world like friends etc and how one should be avoiding any evil in the form of allowing one to be directed by any relationships in a wrong way.
He has also spoken in an athigaram on "Piranil Vilayamai"- respecting
the dignity of a married woman, in which he has dishonoured a man who seeks to passionate pleasures at a whim. He has upheld the values of morality respecting the lady and if he had been a chauvinist, he wouldnt have done that. I have to admit that at this point I am closer to the half way mark and a proper perspective will only be possible through someone who has read
and understood the whole book. Your thai would definitely be one.
Half way through, I feel emphatic that if there are human beings who
couldbe termed divine, Thiruvalluvar would be right up there.
What does the kuraL mean?
If a man dotes his wife and does things according to her whims, he would not reach a good position in his life. When a man is in pursuit of his goal or high position in life , he would not commit this mistake.
Reminds me of a dialogue from The Godfather: I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless. But not men.
Hey come on TVR is not the ultimate guy. One of the problems we often have is the the universal impeccability of a great person. Afterall, they are humans too and can have ordinary opinions on some things.
But many consider Him divine. I am one among them.
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