NEETHINERI VILAKKAM
The first twenty-five stanzas of Neethineri Vilakkam deal, at length, with the various aspects of education. His concept of education is of a very high order which bears the stamp of his versatile genius. The opening stanza of this poetical treatise is itself very clear in asserting the many-sided utility of education. One who possesses a sound education will be blessed with virtue, riches and pleasures of this and the other world. It will afford a helping hand at times of distress. Hence it is the most reliable and infallible companion to the shortlived mortals, that helps them through thick and thin. No one can deny this as an exaggeration, because it is a practical truth experienced by everybody in his day to day life.
The erudite poet-saint has classified education into learning, retention and expression. The poet is frank when he says that learning, is at first painful; but one should acquire it at any cost as it destroys ignorance, extends knowledge and thereby affords pleasure. Not only acquisition of knowledge, but also retention of what is acquired is equally important. There is no use in trying to make fresh additions without preserving what is learnt already.
Intellectual perfection consists in expressing oneself in an appealling manner. In order to drive home this point, the poet cites the apt simile of a flower. Apart from its freshness, tenderness and beauty, it is only the fragrance that makes the flower perfect and pleasing. In the same way, it is only the oratorial ability that gives intellectual fragrance to one's personality and makes him a perfectly educated person.
Besides acquisition of knowledge and power of speech, the aim of education consists in the harmonious blending of the precept and practice fully and properly. This can be achieved by the diligent and undaunted enterprise through the ups and downs of one's own life. The empty speech of the learned who do not live up to their learning will have neither weight nor significance Success and reputation in life and advancement in education undoubtedly rest on this sound basis i.e. a synthesis of precept and practice.
The stepping stone to the ultimate and supreme aim of education, viz. the realisation of the Self and God, is the aim of social efficiency. The hall-mark of an educated person in his readiness to serve others and society. The socially-efficient individual will be tolerant towards the foibles of his fellow-men, will be free from self-conceit and will never indulge in self-admiration to attract the attention of others. The saint exhorts us to do one act of penance incesantly to secure the esteem of others; that is to dwell continually upon all merits and to carefully conceal the defects of others and to address all with humility. Such an education is itself an excellant ornament and one who is in possession of this, needs nothing to adorn himself.
Education, as expounded by our Saint, has still wider implications and sublime values. The intellectual and masterly acquisition of knowledge, sound and moral fulfilment of personal as well as social ethics and the leading of a mentally contented life, directed towards a spiritually divine life are the various values enumerated by him in the last but one stanza of this work. Those who are in possession of these values are the only people who walk in the endless path of happiness.
The political set up of a country, the duties, rights and responsibilities of the ruler, his ministers and his subjects are elaborately dealt with in the next 34 verses. Starting with the venerable qualities of great and noble men who do not wait in attendance at the royal court, but who are always ready to render any help, when the need arises, the poet emphasizes the divinity of the sovereign who rules his subjects with clemency. He cautions the ruler against tyranny and abuse of power and harassing the poor in the matter of collecting the revenue due to him. He who turns a deaf ear to the appeals of his subjects and who fails to render justice, is nothing but a corpse.
He must have the wisdom to sift the truth from false-hood and must never neglect or fail to seek the advice of the great men at all times. The smiling approbation and countenance, courteous speech generosity, and munificence are other things which will help the sovereign to establish imperishable and lasting fame. In the matter of gaining fame one should not be blind in sacrificing his honour and virtue, realising the ephemeral nature of our physical body and the worldly wealth etc.
After expressing the way of the world in a very interesting manner citing the example of the boat sailing along the current, the poet deals with the duties and responsibilities of a minister, his behavior towards the king, and the art of being with the ruler. The importance of diligence, unswerving and steadfast attitude towards the work entrusted even under trying circumstances, are stressed for the success of all undertakings. Even destiny can be overthrown by means of unflinching and devoted discharge of one's own duties. Enmity from within has to be feared very much and countered without much loss of time, when compared with foes from without. The sovereign should be very careful with regard to dishonest friends and their deeds and he should make aquaintance with men of pure heart and pure words.
Defining the ingredients of the righteous path to be followed by the subjects of a country in general. The poet explains the qualities of a house-holder. He clearly states the ways of earning wealth in the right way, is not wealthy enough to be generous and charitable, it will be utterly cruel to be poor in the use of kind words with his neighbours. The value of the gift of the gab, the hollowness of complacent politeness, the fault of abusing others, the sin of lust and adultery, the balanced enjoyment of conjugal happiness and the disrepute caused to the family by unchaste women are other points of importance, dealt with in this part.
The last eighteen verses describe the various phases of the life of an ascestic, who has renounced worldly life. The kinds of penances to be observed by him to subdue the senses are aptly enunciated. Abstinence from the desire for delicious food, sensual pleasures and doing vain things are the basic virtues of renunciation. The performance of austerities should be undertaken at a very early age, being steadfast in the course of ups and downs, fearing ceaselessly the infamy of evil, practising no deceit on anybody and being detached in attachment. These will pave the way for attaining divine wisdom or the bliss of divine knowledge resulting in the spiritual vision which is the ultimate goal of life.
It is no exaggeration to state that no other poet has expressed so succinctly all the values of a virtuous life and its goal as he has done. The views advanced by Kumaraguruparar are universal in outlook and sublime in standard. We, Tamils are very fortunate in charishing his lofty ideals in our own mother-tongue. Is this not a great boon, not available to people of other regions?
Maxims - 'Neethi Neri Vilakkam'
Translated by Mr.S.Murugesan.'Neethi Neri Vilakkam is Kumaraguruparar's secular work of maxims which no text-book authority for Tamil Studies would exclude from school curriculum. Out of his 102 pithy saying in this collection, twenty five are devoted to ethical values rooted in the Indian traditional concept of education. Nevertheless they sound novel and relevant in contemporary educational milieu. Without an awareness of such roots, no tree of knowledge can grow and no flower of learning blossom.
1. Life is short:
Learning is its most sustainable aide
Affording virtue and wealth,
pleasure and paradise,
Assuming fame for the learner,
Offering a hand in hours of need. (2)2. Learning begins with a sort of torture
but gives out a lasting pleasure
Lust begins with a rapture
that only lasts for a wee time. (3)3. Education would be no education
if it is not extended with passion
in proper environs.
What would be its use then?
Extending it with eloquence
would be like goldflower's fragrance. (5)4. Learning of those who fear assembly-
Verbosity of those who address fearlessly-
Wealth of the miser-
Benevolence of the poor-
-Better it'd be
if these don't blossom (6)5. Knowledge gained through long day's study
Unless diffusible by eloquent tongue
Would be more wicked than
Wife found amorous in broad day light
with unknown guy.
Dispensing with it would be impossible!- (8)6. Jewels adorned with stones precious
Require no ornament.
So do the learned with studies glorious
Need no decoration.
Lo, who would beautify Beauty? (13)7. Nobody knows everything in full.
Don't pride yourself as a Knowall.
Doesn't a small chisel shatter into bits
a hard stone
Which a smithy's heavy tool
has failed to break. (14)8. Teaching is for social good.
Putting it for sale
Would be a service indeed-
Won't such traders in education
Ease the burden of the daring master of Hell? (22)9. Education is for souls
That seek enlightenment.
Imparting it to persons
Who come for a laugh,
for entertainment,
Would be a wastage.
Like charms of angelic beauty
lying waste in eunuch. (24)10. Strench of concealed rotten meat
stinks even from afar.
Covert slanders fly abroad
as if by god's trumpet. (95)