Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Friday (October 7, 2022) while addressing the Thirukkural Conference organised by the Kural Malai Sangam on the theme “Thirukkural to humanity, for world peace and harmony” said,” Despite being a special synthesis of spirituality and Needhi Sastra, the Thirukkural of Saint Thiruvalluvar has been reduced over the years to little more than a code of conduct.”
He stated that this despiritualization was a denial of India’s history and culture and that Thirukkural should be brought back to its former splendour. He gave a detailed explanation of the Thirukkural’s contents beginning with the first couplet and how it progressed to other spiritual topics in stages until it attained moksha (freedom from the cycle of births and deaths).
He remarked, “Unfortunately, Thirukkural has been presented as a code of conduct for the past many years … The whole spirituality of Thirukkural, which is so rich and carries the spirituality of India, is played down. We say it is a great work of literature and the root of Indian culture. But somehow we feel shy about talking about the spirituality spoken in Thirukkural.”
Adding that the truth cannot be stifled, he said that GU Pope, one of the first translators of Thirukkural, produced a despiritualized version of the original text.
He went on to say, “You must understand what damage GU Pope has done and what was his mission in India. In 1813, the British Parliament passed a law called India Charter 1813, which mandated the British government, (the) East India Company and others to evangelise India. Against this backdrop, people like Bishop Caldwell and GU Pope came to India. GU Pope was a member of the Society for Promotion of the Gospel.”
Added the Governor: “the despiritualised Thirukkural was being used for political purposes and by “those who don’t believe in God”.
“Thiruvalluvar was hijacked in a despiritualised manner and Thirukkural was reduced to a mere code of conduct. This is not fair. It is an outstanding combination of spirituality and Needhi Sastra. It has to be appreciated in its fullness.”
“What Thiruvalluvar said was the sum and substance of Bharathiya Atyatmiya and this is our identity. This is what makes us who we are. It is a far greater work than a mere code of conduct,” he concluded.
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