Celebrating Thiruvalluvar Day ~ significance of rain

Rain is one of the most essential things that all living things need.  The liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water, then precipitates and falls under gravity, is the major component of the water cycle, provides suitable conditions for many types of ecosystems, power and irrigation…….. without rain perhaps the World will cease to exist.   The significance of ‘rain’ is beautifully brought out in these two lines :

துப்பார்க்குத் துப்பாய துப்பாக்கித் துப்பார்க்கு

துப்பாய தூஉம் மழை.

[உண்பவர்க்கு (உயிர்களுக்கு) சாப்பிடுவதற்கு உகந்த உணவுப் பொருள்களை விளைவித்துத் தருவதோடு, தானும் ஓர் உணவாக இருப்பதும் மழையாகும்.]

Rain enables production of quality food for the living beings; besides it also becomes food for the living beings.  Immortal words of Sage Thiruvalluvar in Thirukkural.  To those who have not read much, “Thiruk Kural”, is a classic of couplets or Kurals (1330 rhyming Tamil couplets) authored by Sage Thiruvalluvar.  Thirukural  is considered to be of earlier origin that the classic works of  Manimekalai and Silapathikaram as they both acknowledge the Kural text.   Kural literally means "short verse", and is typified by the Venpa metre that consists of two lines.

Thirukkural is a great source of knowledge – 1330 couplets structured in 133 adhikarams [chapters], grouped in 3 sections – Aram (righteousness). Porul (wealth) and Kamam or Inbam (pleasure).  Aram contains 380 verses, Porul  700 and Inbam has  250- Porutpal deals with Public affairs; Arathu pal and Inbathupal deals about ethical living in private lives.   Thirukkural is reverred and has been translated in so many languages of the World.    Its author, the Great Thiruvalluvar, known as Theiva Puvalar (Divine Poet), Sennaapothaar, Poiyamozhi Pulavar (whose words are only truth) and more.. there are suggestions that he lived in Mylapore.  The time when he lived widely varies between 2nd Century BC to a period much later AD.

15th Jan 2013 officially was celebrated as ‘Thiruvalluvar Day’ and was a State holiday in Tamilnadu.  There were some celebrations on the birthday of the Great Saint Poet. Here is a photo showing the garlanded statue of Valluvar at Marina beach.

The Chennai District Collector Ms.R. Seethalakshmi I.A.S had  announced to close the Tasmacs in Chennai district on Thiruvalluvar day on 15.01.13.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.
PS : the one at the start of the post is the gigantic statue of Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari