Who is Adhibagawan ?
(English translation of Tamil essay by M.V. Venugopala Pillai)
We see that even the life-story of Thiruvalluvar; who wrote the matchless Tamil ethical work Thirukkural, is steeped in hearsay.
"Agara mudala ezhuthu ellam aadhi
bagawan mudhatre ulagu."
The story relating the words "Aadhi Bagawan" found in the first kural is a good example of a farce. The story states "Aadhi" is the name of a low caste woman and "Bagawan" refers to a brahmin, further since "mother and father are first known gods" Thiruvalluvar worshipfully placed them in his first prayer. However, "Aadhi Bagawan" is a male gender noun and Thiruvalluvar would have very well known Tamil grammar,
"Uyar thinai ummaith thogai palar eere".
If Thiruvalluvar was to refer to his parents, he would have mentioned them as
"Aadhibagawar", if "Aadhibagawan" refers to Thiruvalluvar's parents, how can his parents be gods to the world? when he propounded his moral code to the world, would it had been his intension to introduce his parents and caste lineage first? These fallacies were hoisted upon Thiruvalluvar just to conceal the fact that the term "Aadhibagawan" refers to the First Jaina Thirthankara "Aadinath".
Nachinarkiniyar while referring to Thiruvalluvar in his
"Jivaga Chinthamani" commentary refers to him as "Thevar".
In "Nalvazhi";
"Thevar kuralum thirunan marai mudivum
Moovar thamizhum muni mozhiyum - kovai
Thiruvasagamum thirumoolar sollum
Oruvasagamenrunar" ,
Oruvasagam means matchless words. Great Jaina poet
"Samaya Divakara Vamana munivar" in his commentary to "Nilakesi" refers to Thirukkural as "Em oththu aadhalin" (comraderie).
For the verse no.60 in Mokkalavada Charukkam;
"Uyyakkollvaan enacholli ullaththal
kayyir kattal karavula thamenin
Poichithaithethen chollip peyarnthurai
Poyyuraithilan enral porunthumo"
,
writes,
"to save one thus, I don't have to feign by showing the heaven and earth, since
'Poymaiyum vaimai idathe purai theerntha
Nanmai paykkum enin' ; is as ours" (em othu aadalin).
While expounding the verse no.87 in the same chapter he quotes Thirukkural and states 'em othu aadalin'.
It may be noted that these statements are made in a chapter devouted for establishing the supermacy of Jainism (vada charukkam). Thus it is clear that Jains hold Thirukkural as their moral code.
Views contrary to this can be found in the ficticious work, "Thiruvalluvamaalai". This work consists of 53 verses. Of these, the verse starting with "poovirku thamaraiye" is in 'innisai venba' others are all in 'nerisai venba'. The first verse was said to be of apocryphal origin (asariri), second one is attributed to Naamagal ("goddess of learning) and the third one to Irayyanaar. Rest of the verses are said to have been written by Sangam era poets such as Ukkirapperuvazhuthi, Aalangudi vanganar and others. These verses are redherrings to those doing research on Thirukkural.
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